2021 Chevrolet Equinox Premier: Made in Ontario 

It’s a sunny weekend in Toronto, and even with though the parking lot next to the Humber River is full, Jay Yerex’s new Chevrolet Equinox is easy to spot. On top of the SUV is a bright yellow kayak, that Yerek easily detaches and prepares for his afternoon adventure. His nine-year-old son, Zen, isn’t quite sold on kayaking yet but is keen to support his dad from the riverbank. Before Yerex heads out for his first paddle of the season, he tells us why he and his family love their new 2021 Chevrolet Equinox Premier AWD.

“The lease was coming up on my Subaru Outback,” said Yerex, who got his Chevrolet Equinox this April from Old Mill Cadillac Chevrolet Buick GMC Ltd. on St. Clair Avenue West. “My husband and I adopted our little boy two years ago, so even though we haven’t been driving quite as much during the pandemic, we still needed a car to get around.

“I also do some driving for work — I’m an organizer with Unifor — and with all the job losses and so many people out of work, it was important to me to invest in a car that was made in Ontario,” he said.





“I’m a bit of a nerd and when I knew my lease was coming up, I started to do some research. I really nailed it down to two cars: it was between the Chevrolet Equinox or the Ford Edge, which is also made it Ontario.

“I did like the styling on the Equinox a bit better right from the get-go, but what really tipped the balance was the fact that if you have a roof rack on the Edge you can’t have a sunroof. Being an outdoorsy guy, I just didn’t want to compromise on that.

“I also wanted a crossover vehicle because I liked the option of all-wheel-drive in the winter while still having a hatch so that we could load lots of family stuff in there. I kayak, mostly on the Humber River or sometimes from Cherry Beach over to the islands, so it’s nice to have a car that is not too high. With bigger vehicles it can be difficult to load and unload a boat in the same way.

“Kayaking as well as family trips to see my mom and family in Cobourg will be the main reasons for using this car,” Yerex said. “It will be nice to have the space for us and our dog to just pick up and go.”

A CLOSER LOOK:

Great features

“The moonroof on the Equinox is absolutely beautiful,” said Yerex. “You feel you're outdoors even when you’re in the car.” The 2021 Chevrolet Equinox Premier’s panoramic moonroof is not the only feature on this vehicle that gets noticed. Its striking exterior boasts accents such as LED daytime running lamps and an available hands-free gesture liftgate. A closer look inside the vehicle will reveal Zen’s favourite feature: the dual-zone automatic climate control which lets him designate his preferred temperature in the back seat.

Driving reports

Though Zen is not old enough yet to get behind the wheel, this Equinox includes a feature that could come in handy down the road. Its Teen Driver technology assists new drivers by enabling such mechanisms as the muting of audio until front seat belts are buckled and the automatic switch-on of certain available advanced safety technologies when that driver gets moving. What’s more?  An in-vehicle report card shows how the new driver performed on each trip, so parents can identify problems and coach young drivers on improvements.

Safety first

Built with the modern family in mind, the 2021 Chevrolet Equinox is as sleek as it is safe. All 2021 models now include standard Chevrolet Safety Assist — a suite of six advanced active safety technologies that can help drivers detect and prevent potential hazards before they happen. Standard Automatic Braking and Forward Collision Alert are just two of these dynamic features. For further peace of mind, the Equinox offers available Safety Alert Seats, which use driver seat vibration pulses to help identify the direction of potential collisions.

This article was edited for space and clarity. Want to be featured in Why I Love My Vehicle? email us at wheels@thestar.ca with “Why I Love” in the subject line.