CD Article: 2010 Chevrolet Equinox

[EV Dan]

Wow. That Orlando thing makes Aztec look rather cute    I wish GM stopped chopping their cars and saving on the size of windows.. BTW HHR is not a bad design. I dont care for its oversized square wheel wells or choice of drive trains, but it I could definitely drive one.

[inco]

Strange GM brings out a car that as a rear end that looks kinda like the Kia Soul, Nssan Cube, FJ Cruiser, Mazda 5 etc. and people automatically call it bad design. GM can't win in this crowd. It's ok if the other guys chop it off but not GM.

I wouldn't want one myself. but I appreciate what GM is trying to do and maybe they have succeeded just by being noticed.

[Rupert]

I don't know...if you are going to stick the wheels out there...why not bring the body with them. I notice that the doors do not slide which one responder remarked upon. How do the seats work?

The instrument cluster looks interesting...is there a straight on view.

Just looked at the folded down seats..wow..they must read this forum.
http://www.chevrolet.com/future-vehicles/orlando/

[IceAndFire]

Orlando looks nothing like the Aztek...its not even a rough approximation.  I really like the looks of the Orlando concept...if they bring that to market without many changes it'll be a good contender from the looks of it.   Fit and finish and long term quality are still the key things over the long run...good design helps big time but its not everything.

[rrocket]

I don't mind the Orlando......

[Mitlov]

The Orlando aesthetic design is thoroughly predictable and boring, yet inoffensive.  Same thing I'd say about, say, a Kia Rondo.  I see no reason to compare it to the Aztek, or to get worked up at all.

[airbalancer]

I guess Equinox must be selling , they are add another shift at the plant

[Rupert]

I don't think it can be compared to a Kia Rondo...it is more SUV type and AWD optioned. The height of the deck is greater then Rondo or M5. I think looking at pictures. The hard flat deck is nice though.

[Shnak]

It seems to be the exact same proportions as the Mazda5... width, height, length, ground clearance... I wouldn't be surprised if it was a 2+2+2 seat configuration too considering the limited width of the vehicle. It could be an interesting vehicle, depending on powertrain, equipment and price, of course.

[inco]

I guess Equinox must be selling , they are add another shift at the plant

And the Terrain too I imagine since they are now building it as of this month.

[safristi]

..Terrain..Plant...so it's  a vegetable then................Equinox...like married sex ...twice a year.....   NO i donts have a vernal disease..............

[airbalancer]

It seems to be the exact same proportions as the Mazda5... width, height, length, ground clearance... I wouldn't be surprised if it was a 2+2+2 seat configuration too considering the limited width of the vehicle. It could be an interesting vehicle, depending on powertrain, equipment and price, of course.

There is no stupid rear seat

[Shnak]

It seems to be the exact same proportions as the Mazda5... width, height, length, ground clearance... I wouldn't be surprised if it was a 2+2+2 seat configuration too considering the limited width of the vehicle. It could be an interesting vehicle, depending on powertrain, equipment and price, of course.

There is no stupid rear seat

Are you sure? From this picture, it looks like there are 3 rows of seats...


EDIT: Yup, AutoBlog says this: It will replace the HHR in Chevy's lineup and feature seating for seven souls, two more than the tall wagon it's replacing.

[airbalancer]

It seems to be the exact same proportions as the Mazda5... width, height, length, ground clearance... I wouldn't be surprised if it was a 2+2+2 seat configuration too considering the limited width of the vehicle. It could be an interesting vehicle, depending on powertrain, equipment and price, of course.

There is no stupid rear seat

Are you sure? From this picture, it looks like there are 3 rows of seats...


EDIT: Yup, AutoBlog says this: It will replace the HHR in Chevy's lineup and feature seating for seven souls, two more than the tall wagon it's replacing.

That picture is of the Orlando, this is a thread on Equinox

[Mitlov]

I don't think it can be compared to a Kia Rondo...it is more SUV type and AWD optioned. The height of the deck is greater then Rondo or M5. I think looking at pictures. The hard flat deck is nice though.

I was comparing the Orlando to the Rondo and Mazda5, not the Equinox.  The Orlando appears to have a car-like ride height and is very comparable to the Rondo and Mazda5 in my opinion.  The Equinox is a whole different ball game; I'd compare it to the RAV4 and vehicles like that.

[Shnak]

That picture is of the Orlando, this is a thread on Equinox

I know... read the last few posts... siraqua mentionned the Orlando was coming, Erik posted a picture of it, Mitlov compared it to the Kia Rondo, then Rupert said it didn't look anything like it, and then I chimed in myself. We were stuck in a parenthesis about the Orlando, not the Equinox. 

[Rupert]

Maybe there is a message here...perhaps SUV days are numbered and people are looking for vehicles that are more relevant. Hence the divergence. There are so many vehicles up there that are similar to the original subject matter. Maybe it is time to come down. It's not that the Equinox is a bad vehicle...maybe the focus has changed.

[Shnak]

Maybe there is a message here...perhaps SUV days are numbered and people are looking for vehicles that are more relevant. Hence the divergence. There are so many vehicles up there that are similar to the original subject matter. Maybe it is time to come down. It's not that the Equinox is a bad vehicle...maybe the focus has changed.

I doubt it... Other than Civics and Corollas, I see more CR-V, RAV4, Santa Fe and Escapes than anything else on the roads...

Small SUVs, which the Equinox is, will only keep getting more and more popular.

[drederick]

Maybe there is a message here...perhaps SUV days are numbered and people are looking for vehicles that are more relevant. Hence the divergence. There are so many vehicles up there that are similar to the original subject matter. Maybe it is time to come down. It's not that the Equinox is a bad vehicle...maybe the focus has changed.

I'm not sure about you - but as a parent an SUV (or minivan) make perfect sense. Lots of room in the back for 'stuff' like strollers etc and an easy height for placing children into baby seats and of course getting them out again.

In the past there was a real difference in fuel economy where there was a penalty to be paid for getting an SUV like an Equinox.

With the 2010 2.4 DI 6speed auto Equinox there really isn't an FE penalty at all compared to mid size vehicles like the Accord, Camry, Malibu etc.

Why wouldn't people want the size, room of an SUV if there isn't an FE tread off? The SUV, if done right, like this 2010 Equinox, will keep on rolling along.

[Leviathan]

I guess Equinox must be selling , they are add another shift at the plant

And the Terrain too I imagine since they are now building it as of this month.

More capacity being added.

GM invests $90 million, recalls 150 employees to Ontario plant

Ingersoll, Ontario – General Motors has announced it will invest $90 million in its CAMI Automotive assembly facility in Ingersoll, Ontario to meet demand for the new Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain.

The project includes retooling the facility’s West Body Shop for increased capacity, and the recall of approximately 150 employees.

“Proudly built in Canada at CAMI, the Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain are two of GM’s hottest-selling products,” said Arturo Elias, president of GM Canada. “This investment is an excellent example of what happens when you get the product right. If the product is right, everything else follows: increased production, increased employment and strong market demand.”

The planning and retooling work will begin immediately, with the project anticipated to be completed in approximately seven months. The added capacity will result in an additional 40,000 vehicles produced annually for the Canadian and U.S. markets. The recall of 150 laid-off employees, over and above the more than 300 employees recalled with the reinstatement of the third shift in October, means that CAMI will have no remaining employees on layoff.

A little more detail including capacities.
GM to spend $100-million on retooling Ontario plant