2008 Chevrolet Equinox Sport - Car and Driver
Chevy's new amped-up Equinox Sport—we're not sure why it's not an SS either—is due in showrooms next fall as a 2008 model. It gets GM's 263-horsepower 3. 6-liter V-6 coupled to a six-speed automatic, a stiffer suspension, forged 18-inch wheels, a new look inside and out, and will be offered with either front- or all-wheel drive. Swapping in the new V-6 and six-speed—the same powertrain now used in everything from the Pontiac G6 to Saturn's large Outlook SUV as well as Equinox platform-mate Suzuki XL7—gives the Equinox a 42-percent power bump over the 185-horsepower 3.... To sharpen the handling, the Sport gets stiffer bushings, beefier anti-roll bars, and slightly stiffer springs, while the ride height is dropped an inch. Front and rear fascias come painted in body color, while up front there are new silver-painted trapezoidal air intakes, reminiscent of the Trailblazer SS, with matching chrome dual exhausts at the rear. Too bad the steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters used in Saturn's Aura weren't incorporated, although we'd probably make fun of paddles in an SUV like we did in the case of Mitsubishi's Outlander. The new Equinox will go head-to-head with Mazda's fine-handling CX-7 (244 hp, starts at $24,345), and the punchy Toyota RAV4 Sport V-6 (269 hp, starts at $26,385). Rivalry in the GM fold will come. Source: www.caranddriver.com
