Holden Captiva replacement takes shape

GM Holden has given its upcoming Equinox SUV a huge vote of confidence, with stakeholders adamant that it will be a hit with Australian consumers.

The new SUV will arrive in the fourth quarter of 2017 as a replacement for the unloved yet still value-packed Captiva, which phases out after 13 years of service.

It will be followed by the larger seven-seat Acadia SUV shortly thereafter, a vehicle which will only be converted to right-hand drive specification for Australia in the foreseeable future.

Chief among the changes in the Captiva replacement is the deletion of the predecessor’s seven-seat option. The Equinox, despite being longer in size than the outgoing Captiva (4652mm versus 4637mm) and riding on a longer wheelbase (2725mm versus 2707mm), will only be available in five-seat format instead.

The Equinox will also be the recipient of extensive Australia engineering input that will purportedly make it more compatible with Australian buyers.

Equinox global performance manager Larry Mihalko said members of Holden’s engineering team were completing Australian-specific tuning in the US.

“[Holden's led dynamics engineer] Rob Trubiani is with my engineering team in the south-west of the United States right now doing tuning on the Holden version,” he said.

“We know that Australia tends like a European-style ride and tuning that biases handling, steering precision as a high priority. Holden will probably do a different calibration on the car’s electric power steering as well.”

Holden has confirmed the Equinox will be available with at least one turbocharged petrol four-cylinder engine and one turbo-diesel four-cylinder.

Holden will import a 127kW 1.5-litre petrol version and/or a 188kW 2.0-litre petrol variant, the latter mated with a nine-speed transmission. The diesel confirmed is a 1.6-litre unit with 101kW of power and, like the petrol units, features an aluminium design with direct injection.

The Equinox will be available in front-drive and all-wheel drive configurations, riding on Macpherson front strut suspension and four-link rear.

The new model has shed 180kg over its predecessor courtesy of a new architecture, tipping the scales at about 1500kg.

The Equinox features better sculpted rear seats and an adjustable seat bottom which, with the rear seat folded down, affords an almost flat rear floor.

Boot space is rated at 846 litres with the back seats up, which extends to 1798 litres with the seats folded.

According to Holden spokesperson Sean Poppitt, there was no hesitation in scraping the Captiva nameplate.

“We really wanted to align our global products, and in terms of sharing resources… it makes a lot more sense to have one name,” he said of Equinox.