Drop the hammer to pass at 50 mph, and the trans orders up a direct downshift to fourth, landing the engine at 4,800 rpm, where some 225 horses are ready to gallop after a fraction of a second of turbo spool-up. More important than the numbers is the comparative effortlessness with which the 2.0-liter Equinox leaps around long semis on the back roads, thanks in large part to the transmission. We haven't tested it yet, but Chevy estimates the 0-60 time at 7.2 seconds, which is near the top of the class. This harnesses an extra 82 horses and 59 lb-ft of torque and magnifies the transmission's leverage considerably. Now for the pitch on the 2.0-liter: Tick the order box marked 2LT on either the middle LT or top-drawer Premier trim level, and you add a half-liter of displacement to the turbocharged four-banger and three ratios to the transaxle. Of course, if handling is your top purchase priority for a CUV, consider the Mazda CX-5. In our last Big Test of CUVs, only the Hyundai Tucson 1.6T and the burly V-6 Jeep Cherokee-both with all-wheel drive-were quicker and grippier in this test. The fact that this performance edges out the much quicker AWD Honda by 0.2 second and 0.01 g speaks well to the new vehicle's lithe agility. This pays off in a nimble demeanor on twisty Carolina hill country roads and right respectable performance on our figure-eight course: 27.7 seconds at 0.61 average g. The crossover's weight loss brings the Equinox into rough parity with the Honda CR-V, undercutting the other popular midsize CUVs handily. Stops from 60 mph ranked a fairly middling 119 feet. ![]() ![]() ![]() The brakes felt a little grabby at first but proved easy to acclimate to. The mechanical grip of the 235/50R19 Hankook Ventus S1 Nobel2 tires on our top-trim 1.5T Premier test car seemed appropriate for the segment and delivered top-of-class 0.83 g lateral acceleration.
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