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Pros and Cons*
Pros
The 2013 Chevrolet Equinox distinguishes itself from its competition with its passenger-friendly cabin, excellent build quality, generous interior space and sliding rear seats.

Cons
The oversized A-pillars that reduce forward visibility, complex audio controls, anemic 4-cylinder engine and expensive options hinder its desirability.


Price
The base LS model starts at $26,935, to which $1,950 must be added for those who desire all-wheel drive bringing the total to $28,885.

The 1LT version starts at $30,025, or $31,975 with all-wheel drive.

The base price of the 2LT model starts at $31,825 and climbs to $33,775 with all-wheel drive.

The well-equipped LTZ version has a MSRP of $36,005 for the front wheel drive version and $37,995 if equipped with all-wheel drive.

The V6 option is available for every version except the base model for an additional $1,725.

Fuel Economy
In its front-wheel drive 4-cylinder engine configuration, the Chevrolet Equinox consumes an estimated 9.2 L/100 km city and 6.1 L/100 km highway.

The all-wheel drive option raises these figures to an estimated 10.1 L/100 km city and 6.9 L/100 km highway.

Fuel economy ratings for the V6 front-wheel drive version are an estimated 12.4 L/100 km city and 8.1 L/100 km highway. The all-wheel drive option raises these totals by 0.8 L/100 km and 0.4 L/100 km in city and highway tests.

New and Improved
A 3.6-litre engine replaces the previous (and smaller) 3.0-litre option.

Exterior Styling
This crossover was totally redesigned for 2010. It projects a less austere image than its GMC Terrain sibling. It has a muscular, modern, yet friendly front end. Its linear beltline and bulging fenders give it a unique profile.

Drivetrain
The base engine consists of a 2.4 litre 4-cylinder that produces 182 hp and 172 lb-ft torque.

The 3.6 litre V6 option raises the output to 301 hp and 262 lb-ft torque.

These engine choices are mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission which powers either the front or all four wheels.

Cargo Capacity
The 2013 Chevrolet Equinox offers between 889 and 1803 litres of cargo room.

Safety
This model has a total of six airbags.

Comparable Models
Ford Escape, GMC Terrain, Honda CR-V, Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, Mazda CX-5, Mitsubishi Outlander, Nissan Rogue, Subaru Forester, Suzuki Grand Vitara, Toyota RAV4, Volkswagen Tiguan

Photo: Chevrolet

*References
Joubert Antoine, L'annuel de l'automobile 2013, Montréal Transcontinental, 2012, p.176
Desjardins Guy, Le guide de l'auto 2013, Montréal, Les éditions de l'Homme, 2012, p.214
www.gm.ca

Alex Lynn has claimed a triple pole position in today's European Formula 3 qualifying session at Brands Hatch.

The Brit topped all three qualifying sessions and enjoyed a battle with Prema Powerteam Dallara-Mercedes teammate, Lucas Auer, in the second session to finished ahead of the Austrian by a mere 0.049 seconds.

Alex Lynn (Photo: fiaf3europe.com)

Rafaelle Marciello topped the time sheets at the red flag period in session three, which was brought out as a result of Michael Lewis heavily shunting at Paddock Hill Bend.

The American was not extracted from his car for some 20 minutes and was taken to the medical centre on a stretcher immediately after. Despite being fully conscious after the crash, no official updates have been made on his state as of yet.

When the session once again resumed, Lynn once again topped the time sheets ahead of Marciello and Auer, which will be the top three for all three races.

Mucke Motorsport's Felix Rosenqvist will start from the third row in each of the three races, with the Swede not quite being able to live with the pace set by Lynn and Auer.

Martin Tomczyk has claimed pole position for tomorrow's DTM race at Brands Hatch by a mere 0.035 seconds ahead of Audi's Mike Rockenfeller and BMW stablemate Augusto Farfus.

Joey Hand was fourth, registering his best ever DTM career grid slot, ahead of current champion Bruno Spengler, who was just two-hundredths of a second behind the pole sitter Tomczyk. Timo Scheider's Audi was sixth.

Marco Wittmann, who had set the pace in the morning's practice session, was seventh, ahead of the best-placed Brit, Andy Priaulx in eighth.

Edoardo Mortara's Phoenix Audi was ninth, one place ahead of stablemate Miguel Molina who was on course to make Q4 until he made a mistake on his quick lap.

Brits Gary Paffett and Jamie Green had a miserable day in front of their home crowd and finished 12th and 18th respectively.


UPDATE: Martin Tomczyk was stripped from his pole following scrutineering. Because his car was underweight, he will have to start the race from the back of the grid.

Second-place Rockenfeller will therefore lead the pack for the start of tomorrow's race.

Tesla's impressive first-quarter sales topped the news Monday, as the Model S outsold the luxury competition.

A research study commissioned by UAW labor organizers claims that Nissan could receive four times the previously reported level of state and local incentives and tax breaks to operate its assembly plant in Canton, Miss.

This week in 1979, Mario Andretti takes notice of Formula One and#8220;youngsterand#8221; Nelson Piquet Sr., who we now know as a three-time Formula One champion.

2013 Ram Heavy Duty First Drive

The heaviest of haulers.

If the towing wars between Detroit's heavy-duty pickups are an automotive cold war, the 2013 Ram 3500 is the Tsar Bomba. The Tsar Bomba was the largest nuclear bomb ever detonated. It had a theoretical yield of 100 megatons of power but had to be reduced to 50 megatons for testing purposes. Unleashing the full potential of the Tsar Bomba during a test would have yielded too much fallout, much like trying to tow 30,000 pounds without a commercial driver's license on public roads.

Photo Gallery: 2013 Ram Heavy Duty First Drive - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: 2013 Ram Heavy Duty First Drive - Automobile Magazine

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2013 Hyundai Elantra GT

The Elantra GT hatchback impresses us in every way, except for how it drives.

Someone once very astutely remarked to me that "Hyundai is very good at putting shiny things right in front of the customer in the showroom." The new Elantra GT may embody this more than any Hyundai right now. At $22,000 this Elantra GT came with such high-end goodies as heated leather seats, a panoramic glass moonroof, and sleek European-feeling design inside and out. The interior feels especially premium with its piano black trim, cool blue lighting, and dampened buttons.

Photo Gallery: 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT - Editors' Notebook - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT - Editors' Notebook - Automobile Magazine

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Instead of searching through that luggage, Ruudolf and Karri Koira are rolling down the street in the object of his affection: a 1977 Lincoln Continental Mark V, somewhere in the Bay Area.

Last year, Mitsubishi added a pair of motors to its

If you're in the market for a BMW 6-series -- including the low-slung Gran Coupe -- but don't have the extra coin to step into an M6 or the

The big news this week out of England was the announcement of and#8220;

When the sixth installment of "Gran Turismo" hits store shelves this holiday season for the PlayStation 3, it will include 1,200 cars, 33 tracks in 71 layouts, a new track editor with 10 square kilometers of scenery, and more ways to connect with...

News 19 May, 2013

One-off Aston Martin CC100 sports car revealed to celebrate Aston Martin's centenary

Tesla Motors increased the size of its equity and debt offerings by 30 percent to as much as $1.08 billion to repay its U.S. loan and build up cash reserves.

Shares in GM topped its $33 initial public offering price for the first time in more than two years as the automaker prepares to introduce redesigned full-sized pickups.

The Nürburgring racetrack in Germany is officially up for sale this week. The sale of the 12.

Last week, the Hell Garage acquired

What are Opel's 3,000 odd workers at its Bochum plant in the heavily-industrialised region of North-Rhine Westphalia (NRW) thinking today?

Workers at a PSA/Peugeot-Citroen factory near Paris have agreed to end a four-month strike in protest at its planned closure.