Can GMC Terrain and Chevrolet Equinox revive General Motors?

These days, General Motors gets most of the attention for products it hasn't yet put on sale, like the Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric car. But in terms of GM's survival, the launch of the GMC Terrain and Chevrolet Equinox small crossovers are far more important.

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Let's face it, most families need a roomy crossover SUV to haul kids, groceries and stuff. Goes to show, you can't make a truly successful run to Sam's Club in a Chevrolet Cobalt. So consumers are searching for the worthy successor to the Ford Explorer of a decade ago - an SUV that combines space with compact-car economy.

Last week, GM was formally introducing the GMC Terrain with presentations both to consumers and the press (the mechanically similar, stylistically different Equinox was rolled out over the summer). It's easy to see why GM thinks it may have a winner here - all the room yet with 32 miles-per-gallon highway, 22 mpg in the city, fuel economy from a 2.4-liter four-cylinder Ecotec engine with six-speed automatic transmission. That's 1 mpg better than the Ford Escape Hybrid, but to get the high-mileage in the Terrain you have to push the Eco-mode button on the dashboard that will obviously cut performance. And price?

Terrain is priced from $24,995, including destination charge, but what's more interesting is that GM added a rear-vision camera as standard equipment, along with air conditioning, 17-inch aluminum wheels and a USB-drive-equipped stereo. The top model, the SLT2, comes with 18-inch wheels, heated leather seats, rear park assist, a sunroof and the power liftgate for $29,995.

2010 Chevrolet Equinox shining move for GM

After all, the Detroit automaker, like its rival, Chrysler Group LLC, been propped up by your tax dollars. So, it seems fair to pay close attention to how our money is being spent.

Fair, but not entirely accurate.

Yes, the 2010 Chevrolet Equinox, due at dealers within a month, is new. But given the fact the typical development time of a product is three years, this SUV has been on the drawing boards since 2006.

So, what we see this year, or even next year, doesn't really reflect any sort of revised attitude and philosophy from GM or Auburn Hills-based Chrysler.

That said, it's lucky for GM that the 2010 Chevy Equinox is pretty much what the company is promising for the future: nicely designed, well-constructed, competitively priced.

But what you are likely to hear most about the new Equinox is fuel mileage. GM has managed to squeeze an EPA-rated 32 mpg out of the four-cylinder Equinox, which is supposed to account for two-thirds of Equinox sales, with the rest being a V-6.

That 32 mpg beats the Honda CR-V by five miles per gallon, and the Toyota RAV-4 by four. City mileage is a respectable 24 mpg, four better than the CRV, two better than the RAV4.

I've driven the front-wheel-drive, four-cylinder Equinox, base-priced at $22,440, but I spent more time in the all-wheel-drive Equinox LTZ, which has a gutsy 3.0-liter, 264-horsepower V-6. It gets an EPA-rated 17 mpg city, 24 mpg highway. This represents the top-of-the-line model, with an optional $3,440 navigation and rear-seat entertainment system, plus other options that raised the list price to a sobering $36,525.

You will be able to get a nice four-cylinder Equinox for less than $25,000 - and even at that price, you'll get six air bags, a six-speed automatic transmission, stability control, anti-lock disc brakes and standard OnStar and XM satellite radio.

The four-cylinder's acceleration is adequate, but the six-speed transmission gets a workout shifting up and down to maximize power.

Inside, even the base Equinox is surprisingly well-appointed.

Rear seats slide forward and aft eight inches - with the seats forward, there's a generous 31.4 cubic feet of cargo room. Road handling is precise, and the ride is smooth.