- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
2.0T, 4 cyl.
- Engine Power
188kW, 353Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (95) 8.4L/100KM
- Manufacturer
4WD
- Transmission
Auto
- Warranty
5 Yr, Unltd KMs
- Ancap Safety
5/5 star (2017)
2019 Holden Equinox LTZ long-term review: Introduction
Holden's mid-size Equinox is often forgotten in an ultra-competitive segment, so we're spending six months with one to see how it really stacks up.
Say 'howdy' to the latest long-term addition to the CarAdvice garage, the 2019 Holden Equinox LTZ AWD.
The LTZ variant of Holden's mid-size SUV starts at $39,990 for the petrol with front-wheel drive, with our all-wheel driven version bumping the starting price up to $44,290 plus on-road costs.
A 1.6-litre diesel with AWD is also available for $47,290.
Standard equipment includes 19-inch alloy wheels, a powered tailgate, advanced park assist for perpendicular and parallel spots, automatic wipers, leather-appointed seats, wireless phone charging, heated front and rear seats, DAB+ digital radio, LED headlights and tail-lights, Bose premium audio, electric adjustment for the driver with lumbar and memory functions, and roof rails.
Features carried over from lower grades include an 8.0-inch touchscreen with inbuilt satellite navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, front parking sensors, dual-zone climate control, autonomous emergency braking, lane-keep assist and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert.
There's also a leather steering wheel, power folding side mirrors, six airbags, and a rear-view camera with sensors.
As mentioned above, our tester is the petrol-powered all-wheel drive version, which features a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo making 188kW at 5500rpm and 353Nm at 2500-4500rpm, sending drive to an on-demand all-wheel drive system through a standard nine-speed automatic transmission.
Fuel use is officially rated at 8.4L/100km on the combined cycle, with the Equinox's 59L fuel tank demanding minimum 95 RON premium unleaded. There's idle stop/start tech fitted, too.
The only option available for the Equinox LTZ are premium paints, such as the Tuxedo Black we have here which asks for $550 extra – bringing the as-tested price tag to $44,840 before ORCs.
Supplementary specs include 175mm of ground clearance, a massive 846L boot (we assume that's measured to the roof, not the window line) which expands to 1798L with the rear seats folded, and a maximum braked towing capacity of 2000kg – 500kg more than the diesel.
In terms of sales, the Mexico-sourced Equinox saw 563 registrations in April 2019, a 11.3% improvement on the same month last year.
Year-to-date it's also 10.2% up, though it only commands 5.1% of the medium SUV market, paling in comparison to the top-selling Mazda CX-5 (16.4% market share).
Stay tuned for regular long-term updates over the coming months, where we'll test the Equinox in urban and long-distance driving situations, assess its infotainment and tech suite, interior comfort and practicality, along with input from the wider team.
Any questions for us? Leave a comment below!