2018 Chevrolet Equinox
One of GM’s bestselling
vehicles in America, the Chevrolet Equinox, is getting a long-overdue successor
in early 2017. The Chevy SUV will shrink in size for a better fitment in the
bow tie brand’s range as well as to compete more directly against popular
compact models like Honda’s CR-V, instead of floating in-between categories.
It’s part of a broader
crossover re-sizing strategy from General Motors that will result in creating
some space between the compact Equinox and the next full-size 8-seater Traverse
to squeeze in a new mid-size model.
Similar actions are being
taken across GM brands, with the new GMC Acadia shrinking in size and becoming
a 5-7 seater mid-size crossover to compete with the likes of Nissan’s
Pathfinder, while the Equinox’s GMC twin, will also scale down.
Spied here in Colorado by
our reader-extraordinaire Brett Borgard, the heavily disguised 2018 Chevrolet
Equinox adopts a more stylish silhouette than either its predecessor or the
upcoming 2018 Traverse, but shares the more upright and boxier front end design
with its larger sibling, ditching Chevy’s dual-port grille for a wider opening.
Inside, we should see a design along the lines of the newest Malibu
and Cruze interiors with Chevrolet’s latest and fanciest MyLink infotainment
touchscreen.
As with the Equinox’s Buick
twin, the Chinese-built 2016 Envision, the Chevy crossover is built around GM’s
new global compact platform that also underpins a number of other high-volume
cars, including the Chevy Cruze.
Engine options could include
a base 2.5-liter naturally aspirated four with 197 hp, with GM’s 1.5-liter
and/or 2.0-liter turbocharged fours possibly being offered at an extra charge.
Unless GM surprises with the new 9-speed automatic that they’re developing with
Ford at launch, the Equinox will get a 6-speed automatic and optional all-wheel
drive.