Photo: Chevrolet
Gas mileage is one of the most delicate subjects for American automakers, especially in the face of future corporate average fuel economy targets. And as Volkswagen is missing out on the diesel-fueled madness, Chevrolet reaps the benefits with the most fuel efficient sport utility vehicle of the compact-sized variety.
Introducing the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox Diesel. At 39 miles per gallon highway, it trumps the likes of the Lexus NX 300h, Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, Nissan Rogue Hybrid, and pretty much everything else in the segment. It should be highlighted that the figure applies to the front-wheel-drive model and that Chevrolet has yet to publish the city/combined fuel economy figures.
By comparison, the 1.5-liter turbo inline-four is good for an EPA-rated 32 mpg highway, whereas the 2.0-liter fares a little worse on the long haul. Turning our attention back to the 1.6-liter turbo diesel, the engine is derived from the Opel 1.6 CDTI available in Europe in models such as the Astra hatchback. Other than efficiency, another strength of the powerplant comes in the form of 240 pound-feet, with 90 percent of it available from 1,500 to 3,250 rpm.
If driven like an old lady on her way to church on Sunday, the Equinox Diesel is able to cruise 577 miles between fill-ups. For measure, that’s roughly the distance from Chicago to Memphis or Boston to Richmond. Now have a guess how much the cheapest of Equinox Diesel models costs bearing in mind the 1.5T starts at $24,475 including destination. Nope, it’s $31,435, which isn’t too bad considering the oil-chugging Equinox comes with a lot of standard kit.
“It is very fun to drive, with torque on demand at all speeds,” commented Dan Nicholson, vice president of Global Propulsion Systems. In a way, it should be exactly that bearing in mind General Motors put the 1.6-liter turbo diesel to through its paces in 4.35-plus million miles of simulated and real-world tests.
As a brief refresher, the same engine is available in the Chevrolet Cruze.
By comparison, the 1.5-liter turbo inline-four is good for an EPA-rated 32 mpg highway, whereas the 2.0-liter fares a little worse on the long haul. Turning our attention back to the 1.6-liter turbo diesel, the engine is derived from the Opel 1.6 CDTI available in Europe in models such as the Astra hatchback. Other than efficiency, another strength of the powerplant comes in the form of 240 pound-feet, with 90 percent of it available from 1,500 to 3,250 rpm.
If driven like an old lady on her way to church on Sunday, the Equinox Diesel is able to cruise 577 miles between fill-ups. For measure, that’s roughly the distance from Chicago to Memphis or Boston to Richmond. Now have a guess how much the cheapest of Equinox Diesel models costs bearing in mind the 1.5T starts at $24,475 including destination. Nope, it’s $31,435, which isn’t too bad considering the oil-chugging Equinox comes with a lot of standard kit.
“It is very fun to drive, with torque on demand at all speeds,” commented Dan Nicholson, vice president of Global Propulsion Systems. In a way, it should be exactly that bearing in mind General Motors put the 1.6-liter turbo diesel to through its paces in 4.35-plus million miles of simulated and real-world tests.
As a brief refresher, the same engine is available in the Chevrolet Cruze.
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