All About Cars
By G. CHAMBERS WILLIAMS III
The all-new 2018 Chevrolet Equinox is a fresh and modern SUV sized and designed to meet the needs of the crossover customer. Its expressive exterior has an all-new, athletic look echoing the global Chevrolet design cues seen on vehicles such as the Cruze, Bolt EV and 2017 Trax.
The five-passenger Chevrolet Equinox compact crossover will enter its third generation for 2018, with a roomier interior, lots of new technology, and a choice of three turbocharged engines – two gasoline powered, and, for the first time, a diesel.
Equinox also gets a new exterior design “echoing the global Chevrolet design cues and sculpted shapes seen in the Volt, Malibu and Cruze,” the automaker says.
There is more chrome trim on all models, and “Malibu-inspired styling,” with such new features projector-beam headlights, LED daytime running lights, and horizontal taillights (which are LEDs on upper trim levels).
The cabin has also been extensively restyled, with a “down-and-away instrument panel” with a “low windshield base” that gives a “commanding outward view,” General Motors says.
Among new interior features are an optional denim-style seat fabric, and a “kneeling” rear seat in which “the bottom cushions tilt forward when the split-folding seatbacks are lowered, allowing a flat floor for easier loading,” the company says.
Engine choices are a 1.5-liter inline four-cylinder with 170 horsepower (12 less than the current 2.4-liter four-cylinder) and 203 foot-pounds of torque; a 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder with 252 horsepower (48 less than the current 3.6-liter V-6, which will no longer be offered) and 260 foot-pounds of torque; and the same 1.6-liter inline four-cylinder diesel that will also be available in the Chevrolet Cruze compact, with 136 horsepower and 236 foot-pounds of torque.
The 2.0-liter gasoline engine will come with a new nine-speed automatic transmission, while the base 1.5-liter and the diesel will be paired with six-speed automatics.
EPA fuel-economy ratings are expected to be as high as 31 mpg highway for the 1.5-liter, 28 highway for the 2.0-liter, and 40 highway for the diesel.
The new Equinox will be 183.1 inches long, which is 4.7 inches shorter than the current model. With a base weight of 3,327 pounds, it will also be about 450 pounds lighter than the current generation.
Chevy says the 2018 Equinox will go on sale in early 2017 with the two gasoline engines, and the diesel option will arrive by summer.
The 2018 Equinox will also have new safety and connectivity technology, including the seven- and eight-inch-diagonal MyLink infotainment systems designed to support Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as the OnStar 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot.
The interior of the recently unveiled 2018 Chevrolet Equinox takes advantage of the Equinox’s all-new architecture to offer a down-and-away instrument panel, while a low windshield base provides a commanding outward view. Leather seating and a panoramic moon roof are also available.
Safety gear will include “features to enhance driver awareness on the road,” including “radar- and camera-based adaptive technologies that can provide alerts to potential crash threats, allowing the driver to react and make changes to avoid them.”
Among these will be a Safety Alert Seat, Surround Vision, Forward Collision Alert with Following Distance Indicator, Low-Speed Forward Automatic Braking, Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning, Rear Seat Reminder (when there’s a child back there and you’re departing the vehicle), Lane Change Alert with Side Blind Zone Alert, and Rear Cross Traffic Alert.
“It is an all-new SUV from the ground up, and one that takes on the industry’s biggest competitors with a stronger architecture, greater efficiency and more technology,” said Rick Spina, the Equinox’s executive chief engineer.
Front-wheel drive is standard. The optional switchable all-wheel-drive system disconnects from the rear axle when not needed, helping to conserve fuel by allowing the vehicle to operate only on front drive.
The unique kneeling rear seat gives the vehicle a flat rear load floor and up to 63.5 cubic feet of cargo space when the rear seat is not needed for passengers.
Equinox is Chevrolet’s second-best-selling retail vehicle, after the Silverado, and more than 2 million have been sold since it was introduced for the 2005 model year.
With the redesign, the 2018 Equinox will also be rolled out to about 115 additional global markets later in the year, GM says.
The automotive columns of G. Chambers Williams III have appeared regularly in the Express-News since 2000. Contact him at chambers@auto-writer.com or on Twitter @gchambers3.