This week the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox had its coming out party, the brand showing off its all-new mid-size crossover SUV to compete with the Ford Escapes, Toyota RAV4s and Honda CRV’s of the world.
Having lost some 400 pounds from the current model, the new 2018 Chevrolet Equinox gets an all-new styling treatment that’s right in line with the brand’s latest models like the Cruze and Malibu.
Its fresh new face gets projector-beam head lights and sharp LED daytime running lamps up front along with a healthy dose of chrome for its dual level grille. A well sculpted lower front fascia contrasts in flat black.
Down the sides are an interesting mix of creases that intermingle a lot like waves of water, something much easier to see in person than in pictures here. Out back are LED tail lights and a subtle new design element I’ll call a corbel at the rear corner of the upper lift gate, a piece that ties into its standard rear spoiler.
The look is much sleeker and more sophisticated than the current Equinox I think, but so close to existing models it’s hard to say its pushing any envelopes.
Pushing the edges however is what powers the Equinox. Three all-new engines will be available, all turbocharged. The first, a 1.5 liter turbocharged four with 170 horsepower will be the gas mileage play with 31 mpg highway says Chevrolet. For performance you can go up to a 252 horsepower 2.0 liter turbocharged four.
A segment first option for North America in any class competitive crossover SUV will be an available diesel engine. The 1.6 liter turbo-diesel will offer up 136 horsepower, Chevrolet says it will have up to 40 mpg highway. That’s big news for this class.
An all-new GM designed nine-speed automatic transmission will be available with the 2.0 liter engine, a transmission we’ll likely see in many other of the brand’s vehicles over time. All three will be available with the a new fully disconnecting all-wheel drive system that offers efficiency in passive driving and all-wheel traction when its needed or asked for by drive mode.
The interior design is much akin to the themes we’ve seen in the aforementioned Cruze and Malibu with high quality materials at touch points and liberal use of contrasting colors. An available denim seat fabric will be available for a shade of something new in addition to leather. Chevrolet also tells of a new “kneeling” rear seat design that folds in two steps for an entirely flat load floor.
Available safety features include a wide array of both passive and active systems. It gets the vibrating safety alert seat previously found in brands like Cadillac and GMC that’s tied to alerts from lane keeping, blind spot warning and rear cross traffic alert systems to name a few.
Forward collision alert and automatic forward emergency braking, the new rear seat reminder introduced by GMC this year, and a surround vision camera system will also be on the menu of available features.
The 2018 Chevrolet Equinox goes on sale next spring first with the 1.5 liter engines. 2.0 liter and 1.6 diesels will come along later in summer of 2017. Pricing and more detailed specs will come along closer to that time.
