Holden celebrates spring equinox with art car

This year’s spring equinox – when day and night are equal length, and the name of the first of two new SUVs that will replace Holden’s aged Captiva -- takes place at 6:02am tomorrow morning.

To mark the occasion with a clever PR stunt that we couldn’t resist reporting since it involves Aussie actress and musician Natalie Bassingthwaighte, Holden has wheeled out a fleet of Equinox ‘Art Cars’.

Playing on the generic General Motors camouflage that normally hides the design of upcoming models, the neat marketing ‘synergy’ highlights the local tuning tweaks Holden continues to apply to the Equinox by draping them in ‘camouflage’ designed by Bassingthwaighte’s clothing brand Chi Khi.

Passersby are encouraged to take a picture of one of the three cars as they drive around Melbourne, upload it to their Instagram page and tag it with #HoldenEquinox to be in with a chance to win a trip for two to Noosa.

Designed to raise awareness of Equinox ahead of its launch, the ‘Snap. Tag. Win.’ campaign also involved ‘Holden heroes’ handing out bunches of fresh flowers at train stations across the country this morning, as well as billboards made of growing plants in Melbourne and Brisbane, and a painted wall design in Sydney.

Holden executive director of marketing Mark Harland said the launch of the all-new mid-size SUV comes at the right time with SUVs outselling passenger cars for the first time in the first half of this year.

“We’re really excited about the new Equinox, especially now our test vehicles look so great with Natalie’s design!” he said.

“Equinox is a brand-new car for Holden but it’s been kicking goals in North America and winning multiple awards in the process. It’s the perfect vehicle for substance-driven, adventure-seeking families, thanks to its long list of high-tech features and practicality.”

Aimed directly at the Mazda CX-5, Hyundai Tucson and Toyota RAV4 in the hotly-contested medium SUV segment, suggesting a $29,000-$50,000 range, the Equinox goes on sale at the end of this year and will be followed by the US-sourced seven-seat Acadia SUV next year.

At the top-end, it will be powered by a 188kW/353Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine and nine-speed automatic transmission combination that will also be fitted to the entry-level imported 2018 Commodore.

Matched with both front- and all-wheel drive, there will also be a 127kW/275Nm 1.5-litre petrol-turbo entry-level engine mated with either six-speed auto or manual transmissions, and a 100kW/320Nm 1.6-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder.

Multiple equipment grades will also be offered, and “available” safety technologies will include autonomous emergency braking, forward collision warning, following distance indicator, lane departure warning with lane keep assist, blind spot alert, rear cross traffic alert and even an alert via vibrating seats.

There’s also a reversing camera, park assist, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, push-button and remote start, wireless phone charging, hands-free powered tailgate, embedded sat-nav, LED headlights and daytime running lamps, ventilated and heated front seats, heated rear seats, a heated steering wheel, a two-panel panoramic sunroof, four USB ports, 230-volt power outlet and wheel sizes ranging between 17- and 19-inch.

Based on the new General Motors D2XX monocoque architecture and sold as a Chevrolet in North America, the Equinox has had its suspension, electric-assist steering, powertrains, safety functions, navigation and radio revised for Australian conditions.

Full details are yet to be revealed, but based on US specs the Equinox, which should come with a braked towing capacity of up to 2000kg here, is about 100mm longer, 3mm wider and 15mm lower than the top-selling CX-5, and has an 846-litre boot.