2018 Holden Equinox pricing and specs
Holden’s long, long overdue medium SUV contender, the Equinox, is about to enter the market to take on the Mazda CX-5, Hyundai Tucson, and fellow cabin-space leaders the Honda CR-V and Nissan X-Trail.
Today the Lion brand announced a very competitive sub-$30,000 starting price for the entry automatic version in a bid to make up for lost time, plus a very well-specified LS+ grade at $32,990 primed to lure a number of buyers away from better-known rivals.
SUV sales in Australia have grown almost three-fold to 440,000 annually over the past decade, and now outsell conventional passenger cars. Yet Holden’s main offering in the dominant mid-sized segment has been the aged Captiva sold entirely on being cheap.
But this new Holden is different, says the company.
“Equinox is a game-changer for Holden and will undoubtedly battle it out at the top of the mid-size SUV segment,” said Holden’s executive director of sales, Michael Filazzola. Those are fighting words.
The range comes with both front- and all-wheel drive variants as per the class norm, and sits on a version of the D2XX platform used under the Astra small car in a similar way to which a Volkswagen Tiguan is related to a Golf.
The entry engine is a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol unit with 127kW of power, while the 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol range-topper makes 188kW – the highest of any offering in the class, beating out the 178kW Ford Escape. A 1.6-litre diesel powertrain launches next year.
Holden is yet to confirm torque figures for the engines, though we do know they use a six- or nine-speed automatic gearbox, or a six-speed manual on certain grades.
AWD models will come with a feature that allows the rear axle to be disconnected at the push of a button to save fuel.
“In terms of practicality, Equinox has a huge cargo space of 1798 litres when the fold-flat seats are down, a hands-free power tailgate and the one of the highest towing capacities in the segment,” Holden added.
As with a raft of Holden‘s latest products, lots of engineering work has been undertaken locally to ensure this new crop of vehicles rides, handles and performs the way a Holden should.
The Captiva seven-seater will remain on sale alongside the five-seat Equinox until early next year when the bigger seven-seat Acadia arrives.
There’s also a launch offer including seven year/175,000km warranty that at this stage will no longer be offered from January 1, 2018.
2018 Holden Equinox pricing (before on-road costs):
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- Equinox LS 1.5 manual FWD – $27,990
- Equinox LS 1.5 auto FWD – $29,990
- Equinox LS+ 1.5 auto FWD – $32,990
- Equinox LT 2.0 auto FWD – $36,990
- Equinox LTZ 2.0 auto FWD – $39,990
- Equinox LTZ 2.0 auto AWD – $44,290
- Equinox LTZ-V 2.0 auto AWD – $46,290
- Diesel prices TBC
Colours
- Summit White
- Glory Red
- Blue Steel
- Son of a Gun Grey
- Nitrate Silver
- Pepperdust
- Tuxedo Black
- Prestige paint – $550 premium
MY18 Equinox LS:
- 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine
- Six-speed automatic/manual transmission
- Six airbags
- 17-inch alloy wheels
- Rear view camera and rear park assist
- ISOFIX child seat anchorage system (x2)
- 60/40 split-folding rear seats
- Automatic headlights with LED DRLs
- Active Noise Cancellation (auto only)
- 7.0-inch colour touchscreen
- Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- iPod integration including Siri Eyes Free
- USB input (2x front, 2 x rear) and charge point (1 x front, 1 x rear)
LS+ features over LS:
- Holden Eye forward facing camera system AEB
- Lane Keep Assist
- Lane Departure Warning
- Following Distance Indicator
- Forward Collision Alert with head-up warning
- Blind Spot Alert
- Safety Alert driver’s seat
- Rear cross traffic alert
- Automatic high beam assist
- Leather steering wheel
- Power folding exterior mirrors
- Diesel engine option (coming 2018)
LT features over LS+:
- 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine
- Nine-speed automatic transmission
- 18-inch alloy wheels
- 8.0-inch touchscreen
- Satellite navigation with live traffic updates
- Heated front seats
- Front parking sensors
- Dual-zone climate control
- Provision for roof rack mounting
- One-touch 60/40 split-folding rear seats with rear cargo release
- HID headlights
- Diesel engine option (coming 2018)
LTZ features over LT:
- 19-inch alloy wheels
- Hands-free power tailgate
- Advanced park assist (automatic perpendicular and parallel parking)
- Rain-sensing wipers
- Leather-appointed seating
- Wireless phone charging
- Heated front and rear seats
- Roof rails
- DAB+
- LED headlights and tail-lights
- Bose premium audio system
- LED headlights
- Power driver’s seat with lumbar and memory
- Adaptive AWD system (optional)
- Diesel engine option (coming 2018)
LTZ-V features over LTZ:
- Dual-panel panoramic sunroof
- Heated leather steering wheel
- Power passenger seat with lumbar and memory
- Ventilated front seats
- Adaptive AWD system (standard)
- Diesel engine option (coming 2018)