Holden introduces sub-$36K Equinox diesel

Holden will be hoping the launch of a new 1.6-litre diesel engine for its Equinox medium SUV will help lift languishing sales, which slumped more than 20 per cent last month.

On sale from early May, the Holden Equinox diesel range will start at $35,990 and top out at $49,290 – representing a $3000 premium over equivalent petrol models.

Powered by a 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, the Equinox oiler pumps out 100kW/320Nm, while fuel economy is rated at 5.6L/100km.

The engine is hooked up to a six-speed automatic transmission as standard and both front- and all-wheel drive variants are available.

Although the diesel Holden Equinox is not the most powerful or torquiest model in the range – that honour goes to the 2.0-litre turbo-petrol model (188kW/353Nm) – it will offer a longer driving range per fuel fill says Holden.

The diesel Equinox line-up replicates that of the five-model petrol range except for the entry-level LS model. The four diesel models are the Equinox LS+, LT and LTZ and LTZ-V, all of which come standard with a rear parking camera, blind spot alert, lane departure warning with lane keep assist, autonomous emergency braking (AEB), 17-inch alloy wheels, six airbags and active noise cancellation to make the cabin quieter.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto work with the 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system and other standard features include rear cross traffic alert, two ISOFIX child anchorages and automatic high-beam assist to name a few.

Top shelf models add things like wireless phone charging, powered tailgate, heated and cooled front seat plus a larger infotainment screen.

Seven colours are offered, Summit White, Nitrate Silver, Pepperdust (light grey), Son of a Gun Grey (regular grey), Glory Red, Blue Steel and Tuxedo Black.

All models come with a class-leading seven-year/unlimited kilometre warranty and seven year's roadside assistance – although the fine print explains that the seven-year warranty offer runs out in June 2018.

In terms of buyer popularity, the first four months of 2018 haven't been kind to the Holden Equinox. It has found 1581 buyers, accounting for just 2.8 per cent of the medium SUV segment. The top three in the segment are the Mazda CX-5 (8329), Toyota RAV4 (7017) and Nissan X-TRAIL (6897), with 14.8, 12.5 and 12.3 per cent market share respectively.

How much does a Holden Equinox diesel cost?
LS+ – $35,990 (FWD)
LT – $39,990 (FWD)
LTZ – $47,290 (AWD)
LTZ-V – $49,290 (AWD)