New 2007 Chevrolet Equinox Safety Review [ 2009 , 2008 ]
Chevrolet Equinox Safety Review
Safety - 9.1 (Excellent)
The federal government gives the 2007 Equinox five out of five stars for performance in front and side impact crashes, and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gives the Equinox a score of "Good," its highest rating, for performance in frontal offset crash tests.
Accident Avoidance
The Equinox has both an anti-lock brake system (ABS) and a Traction Control System that uses wheel-speed sensors to detect slippage and reduce torque using Electronic Throttle Control.
Available OnStar with a one-year Safe & Sound Plan offers 24-hour support including Vehicle Diagnostics to check the engine, air bags and brakes. Turn-by-Turn Navigation, included in an optional Directions & Connections Plan, provides detailed voice directions without an in-car map-based navigation system (which is not yet available on the Equinox).
Crash Protection
The Equinox comes standard with advanced dual-stage driver and front passenger air bags. A Passenger Sensing System switches the front passenger air bag on and off based on the passenger's weight and the amount of pressure on the seat. Head-curtain side-impact bags are also available.
In the event of a crash, OnStar's Advanced Automatic Crash Notification attempts to make contact with the vehicle and dispatches emergency help to your location if there is no answer. There are also three standard LATCH devices (Lower Anchors and Top tethers for CHildren) with lower and top tether anchors. Child seats can be fastened using two of the LATCH positions at a time.
The rear seat can also accommodate three child safety seats at a time using seatbelts, a safety feature that many reviewers praise. "You forget that it can also accommodate up to three child safety seats," says the Detroit News. The reviewer continues, "I am always intrigued by the moms that I see at the Detroit Auto Show who haul toy wagons filled with car seats so they can test how many they can fit abreast in the rear seats of different vehicles. I say to them, 'Your search is over with the Equinox.'"
