With the
2005 Chevrolet Equinox, General Motors finally has a compact SUV to challenge the
Ford Escape,
Honda CR-V and
Toyota RAV4. It's bigger inside and out than most of the SUVs in this class, and that's deliberate. Like the Honda, Toyota and Ford products, the Equinox is car-based, using the new GM Theta front-wheel-drive architecture and adapting it for all-wheel-drive versions. This same architecture is under the Saturn Vue SUV as well.
The Equinox's dimensions blur the line between compact and midsize SUVs. It is 13.9 inches longer than the arch-competitor and market leader Ford Escape, and only three inches shorter than a TrailBlazer, and that extra room will make all the difference on some families' buying decisions. It rides on a wheelbase that is 9.4 inches longer than the Escape's, yielding a generally smoother ride. When the rear bench and front passenger seat are folded flat, there's room inside this truck for eight-foot-long loads. The rear seatback is split 60/40 for added cargo/people hauling flexibility.