2018 Holden Equinox diesel launched in Australia

Holden has added a third engine option to its Equinox medium SUV, with a 1.6-litre turbo diesel now on sale in Australia. The 2018 Holden Equinox diesel is now on same, and is offered in every spec except the LS base model, and in front- and all-wheel drive.

Priced from $35,990 plus on-road costs, the Equinox diesel offers more fuel efficiency than its petrol siblings, and will appeal to the diesel portion of the medium SUV segment. Going for the diesel option adds $3,000 to the price of a petrol Equinox.

“The new 1.6-litre turbo diesel engine boasts leading efficiency while remaining so smooth and refined, you forget you’re driving a diesel,” said Holden’s Executive Director – Marketing, Kristian Aquilina.

“The turbo diesel joins the 1.5-litre and 2.0-litre turbo petrol engines currently sold in the range, meaning we’ve got an Equinox to suit every taste, and with our extended seven-year warranty, now is a great time to buy.”

The diesel powerplant at the heart of the 2018 Holden Equinox diesel range is a 1.6-litre four-cylinder unit from General Motors’ North American range. It produces 100kW of power and 320Nm of torque, and is matched to a six-speed automatic transmission. LS+ and LT models are front-wheel drive, whilst LTZ and LTZ-V diesels are all-wheel drive.

Holden claims that the Equinox diesel uses 5.6L/100km of fuel on a combined cycle – just 0.3L/100km less than the updated 140kW/450Nm Mazda CX-5 diesel. Combined with the Equinox’s 55-litre fuel tank, buyers should see almost 1,000km from a tank of fuel on a combined cycle, whilst even more would be possible in highway driving.

Unlike the petrol engines, the 2018 Holden Equinox diesel is only available from the LS+ and above. This means that all Equinox diesel models are equipped with autonomous emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, rear traffic alert and lane departure warning as standard – potentially life saving technology. The LS+ also has a 7.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, keyless entry and start, automatic projector headlights with automatic high beam, a reversing camera and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.

The $39,990 LT then adds xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights, a larger 8.0-inch touchscreen with integrated satellite navigation with live traffic, dual-zone climate control, heated front seats and 18-inch alloy wheels.

The $7,300 jump to the LTZ adds LED headlights with LED tailights, leather upholstery with heated rear seats, an electric tailgate, an electric driver’s seat with memory functionality, chrome roof rails, 19-inch alloy wheels and a Bose sound system with a DAB+ digital radio. The $49,290 LTZ-V then adds ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, a panoramic glass sunroof and an electric front passenger seat with memory functionality.

Holden Equinox sales have been slow so far in Australia, though last month a third of the car’s 2018 total sales were sold, which would indicate that momentum is building. Still, at 1,581 sales or 3.0 percent market share so far in 2018, the Equinox is sitting behind even the Ford Escape’s 1,699 sales total, let alone the top-selling Mazda CX-5’s 8,329 sales. Holden’s sales are also down year on year by 22.5 percent to 20,100 units thanks to local production shutting down and the ZB Commodore sales yet to hit their full stride.