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MIDDLEBOROUGH, Mass./KENNEBUNKPORT, Maine – My journey from the South Shore of Massachusetts to the Atlantic Coast of Maine during the annual New England Motor Press Association (NEMPA) Ragtop Ramble allowed me to test drive two of the newer electric sport-utility vehicles: the 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV and the Volvo XC60 Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV).
This brief test drive edition highlights my short stints in these two electrified compact sport utilities (SUVs).
Chevrolet Equinox EV
The Chevrolet Equinox EV marks the brand’s entry into the subcompact SUV electric vehicle (EV) marketplace, rounding off the brand’s electric offerings which also covers the full-size pickup truck and midsize SUV segments.
The 44-mile portion of the trip I traveled from Middleborough to Kennebunkport in the Equinox EV was a piece of cake for the comfortable SUV which has a federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) range rating of 319 miles. According to the range indicator, there were still 173 miles left in the battery after the Chevy had traveled more than 125.
The drive was like the ones I have made in other EVs – smooth and extremely quiet. The only sounds came when I turned off the radio: a bit of wind and road noise.
Wind noise picked up when I stepped on the accelerator. The eAWD (electric all-wheel drive) system with 288 horsepower and 333 pounds-feet of torque instantaneously available meant lightning-fast acceleration whenever I wanted to pass a slow poke on Interstate 95 North. (Car and Driver testing resulted in 0-60 miles per hour times of 5.8 seconds.)
In the opposite manner, I was yet again impressed by General Motors’s regenerative braking capabilities and the smooth operation of one-pedal driving. As such, I could abandon the brake pedal, using the accelerator one to both motivate the Equinox EV (by depressing it) and slow it down, including bringing it to a complete stop (by lifting off the pedal).
The advanced driver-assistance features (ADAS) coming standard on the Equinox EV include:
- chevy safety assist, which includes automatic emergency braking, following distance indicator, forward collision alert, front pedestrian braking, lane keep assist with lane departure warning and Intellibeam automatic high beams
- rear-park assist
- reverse automatic braking
- safety alert seat
- rear cross traffic braking
- blind zone steering assist
- adaptive cruise control
Inside a 17.7-inch infotainment touchscreen dominates the futuristic dashboard (with an 11-inch customizable information cluster to its left, behind the steering wheel). The Google/Android operating system underpins the Equinox EV’s infotainment system.
My time in the Equinox EV was short – less than an hour of mostly highway driving (the vehicle used 2.9 miles per kWh of energy thanks to my averaging close to 70 miles per hour; 3.4 kWh at more modest speeds around Kennebunkport) – during which I was yet again impressed by the overall design and execution of this mainstream EV offered by America’s largest auto maker.
2024 Volvo XC60 Recharge AWD Ultimate Black Edition
The 2024 Volvo XC60 Recharge AWD Ultimate Black Edition offered a different electrified-vehicle experience. The luxurious Volvo – it had a fully equipped price of $76,695 – married a 143-horsepower electric motor with a 312-horsepower gasoline engine for 455 total horsepower, and thanks to the plug-in-hybrid configuration, excellent fuel economy.
The EPA rates this Volvo XC60 at 63 MPGe on electrical power and 28 mpg on gasoline-fueled power. My results were an overall consumption of 36.2 mpg combining electrical and gasoline energy – a superb figure for such a fast, quiet, comfortable and luxurious SUV.
Some of the premium features included laminated panoramic sunroof with power sunshade; heated front seats; two-zone automatic climate control; power front seats with front seat memory; four-way power lumbar support, front seats; air purifier; graphical head-up display and Nappa leather.
The Ultimate Black Edition features also brought Harman Kardon Premium sound system, crystal gear shifter by Orrefors; power folding rear headrests; passenger memory, front seats; power cushion extension, front seats; park assist front, rear and side and 360 surround-view monitor.
The total package was one of luxury, quiet comfort and reassuring motoring, a Volvo trademark.
I hope to present longer, more in-depth features on both electrified SUVs in a future test drive segment.
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