Chevrolet Equinox

The task: Take on two of the most popular small SUVs, the Toyota RAV4 and the Honda CR-V.

The result: The 2010 Chevrolet Equinox.

Say again? The Equinox?

That's right. General Motors expects its all-new, 2010 Equinox to put a serious dent in the draw of the traditional best-selling compact crossovers. That's a tall order. Chevy has moved just 21,000 of the little utes so far this year, compared with Toyota selling 52,000 RAV4s and Honda selling 65,000 CR-Vs. But now that we've driven the new Equinox, we'd say it has a shot.

For starters, it looks good inside and out. The front has what Chevy calls its signature global face: the two-tier grille and gi-normous gold bow tie. The little ute has strong fenders and good-looking wraparound headlamps. The wheels are pushed out to the corners so the overhangs are nice and short. The overall look is a bit like a mini-Traverse, and that's a good thing.

Read more...