Putting a little pepper on your hum drum SUV  by Brian Chee

New Cars: Chevrolet Equinox Sport Preview – With apologies to GM, when it comes to boring cars the Equinox is, well, right up there on the snooze parade. It is what it is, after all – a commuter’s SUV, a utility with a little style, a little zip – but, mostly, a lot of utility, wide gaps and bad plastics. All of that makes the new Equinox Sport – debuted at the 2007 Detroit Auto Show with a plan to reach dealerships later in 2007 as a 2008 model – vitally important to the self-esteem of Equinox owners across America: Here is the pepper, the spice, the reason to feel glad and happy when you’re behind the wheel of an Equinox. Just add Sport and you’ve got yourself some action.

Depending on the price tag – which hasn’t been released – the Equinox Sport could be a great deal for people who want performance and like the overall Equinox package. With exterior modifications and what we hope is a vastly improved interior trim, the Equinox may very well be a five-passenger performance-oriented SUV that everyman can afford.

GM’s 3.6-liter V6 engine powers the Equinox Sport, delivering 263 horsepower and 250 lb.-ft of torque – a 42 percent power increase over the Equinox LT. That engine is mated to GM’s six-speed automatic transmission; together, GM estimates that the Equinox Sport will go from 0-60 in less than seven seconds. That added power is handled by a performance-tuned suspension, lowered ride height, specific shock tuning, control arms and larger, solid stabilizer bars create a more spry handling experience. The Equinox Sport comes in front-drive or all-wheel-drive configurations.

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