Road trips are as American as apple pie, baseball, and the Chevy Corvette. A new Chevy vehicle could make road trips more enjoyable with its impressive driving range. The new Chevrolet Equinox Plus just hit the Chinese market as a plug-in hybrid SUV with up to 621 miles of driving range.

Driving farther could be a serious selling point

The early push for EVs is basically done, which means it’s time for automakers to give drivers more value. Much of that value can be in the driving range offered. This could mean the door is wide open for hybrid and plug-in hybrid models to become the right choice for many consumers. This puts the new Chevrolet Equinox Plus in a good position, should it head to America.

This new PHEV version of the Equinox has a 1.5-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine that’s good for 177 horsepower. An electric motor that reaches 188 horsepower during the drive aids the gas-powered moto. The electric driving range with the 24.4-kWh battery pack is 96 miles, and 63 miles when using the 16.5-kWh battery pack. These ranges are based on the CLTC standard, which is much more generous than the European WLTC test cycle or the EPA. The WLTC lists these driving ranges at 74 and 49 miles, respectively.

Using the CLTC cycle figures and the 12.2-gallon fuel tank, the Equinox Plus has a 621-mile driving range. This is more than enough to handle road trips. It keeps you from filling the tank for a couple of weeks.

The top trim has a great party trick

The Activ trim is the top version of the Chevrolet Equinox Plus and it has a 3.3-kW vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability. This feature allows you to charge tools or power an external sound system. It’s probably not strong enough to charge electric vehicles. However, it can be useful for keeping external items charged or providing power in remote settings.

This V2L feature could be useful when you take this PHEV SUV on a road trip to your favorite camping spots. The V2L system can power your lights, a pump to inflate an air mattress or anything that needs electricity to make your camping experience more comfortable.

The Equinox Plus is only available in China

So far, the new Chevrolet Equinox Plus has only been revealed for China. We haven’t received any information showing this new PHEV SUV coming our way. Still, with 621 miles of potential driving range and the wide expanse of country available, the Equinox Plus could be ideal for American road trips.

Source: The Autopian