The 2010 Chevy Equinox is starting to show its face in the media and on dealer lots, and so far we like what we see. With a body style that looks to be a mash up of Cadillac, Saturn and the standard Chevy grille, along side power and fuel efficiency, Chevrolet seems to have taken another step in the right direction with their popular compact crossover. Most impressive are recently certified epa gas mileage ratings of 32 mpg highway for the front wheel drive model, and this one isn’t even a hybrid (yet).

For the 2009 model year, the Mercury Mariner hybrid and nearly identical Ford Escape hybrid SUVs appeared to have the market cornered on fuel efficiency, both getting 34/31 miles per gallon for city/highway driving. But under the hood of the ‘10 Equinox sits something called a direct injection engine. This technology could improve mileage by 25% over the previous model, and comes in a 2.4L EcoTec four cylinder and a 3.0L DOHC V6.

With the new direct injected four cylinder (six-speed automatic) mileage jumps from 17/24 mpg to 22/32 mpg. The V6 is rated at 17/25 mpg.  Plus, the new and smaller V6 is a 3.0L engine as opposed to the 3.6L engine previously offered, which helps boost the overall fuel efficiency. There is plenty of power to be had, as well; you’ll find the four cylinder engine produces 182 horsepower (HP) and 172 foot pounds of torque, while the V6 delivers 260 HP and 222 foot pounds of torque.

While the exterior got a major makeover, the inside looks similar to the current Chevy Malibu or Traverse, with all the electronic toys a driver could want: audio port, Bluetooth enabled and rear view camera. Pricing starts at about $23,000 for FWD, which comes in several trim levels. AWD models are also available.

What do you think of the upcoming direct injection crossovers versus hybrid SUVs? Will we eventually see the demise of one or the other? Or can the two coexist peacefully, just competing for top efficiency and mileage? Does this new vehicle have what it takes to “fix” GM?

Although the following video originally aired in 2009 it shows the 2010 model Equinox. In it, GM claims this is the most fuel efficient crossover on the highway, even beating out the Ford Escape hybrid. This claim is true, since it only takes into consideration the highway mileage rating. When you look at combined mileage (city and highway) the above mentioned hybrids’ 28 mpg rating comes out just ahead of the Equinox at 26 mpg. Even so, I believe this is the best fuel economy rating for a non-hybrid suv yet.

Here is the official website.