2010 Chevrolet Equinox crossover

ar From the Peak

2010 Chevrolet Equinox.

The Equinox — a crossover wagon that made its debut as a 2005 model — still has carlike underpinnings. It is aimed at vehicles like the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, Subaru Forester and Toyota RAV4.

For 2010 the Equinox has received additions, upgrades and a new look, but it is almost exactly the same length as the ’09 model. That makes it 13 inches longer than the Escape and about 6 inches longer than the RAV4. Chevrolet’s strategy is to provide more space than the competition in a vehicle that isn’t as big as midsize S.U.V.’s — like the TrailBlazer that Chevy has discontinued.

While the size is the same, there are big changes under the hood. Previously, the Equinox came with either of two V-6 engines. This year, there is a new 3-liter V-6 rated at 264 horsepower. And General Motors is offering a prescription for those suffering $4-a-gallon flashbacks: the base engine is a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder that produces 182 horsepower and carries an economy rating as high as 32 miles a gallon on the highway.

“We really wanted to give them a great value both in price and fuel economy,” Tim Herrick, the chief engineer for the Equinox, said.

The interior is also a great improvement. I drove the fancy LTZ, whose accommodations were upscale, well thought-out and nicely assembled, although there was more hard plastic than I’d have liked.

The Equinox also has as much as 4 inches more legroom in the second row than its main competitors. That means there is room for a 6-foot passenger behind a 6-foot driver.

Behind the second row is 31.4 cubic feet of cargo space. That is less than the previous model and significantly less than the Toyota or Honda.