Merit, gutsy diesels and denim fabric: Chevy's retooled Equinox and what people think - Automotive News (subscription) (blog)

Chevrolet, after a slew of redesigned car launches, is turning to the core of the hot crossover market with plans to retool the Equinox for the 2018 model year. The redesigned crossover, which was unveiled last week in Chicago, is shorter and lighter than the version it replaces. It’s also the first compact crossover offered in the U.S. with a diesel engine. Here’s what people are saying about the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox.

“If there is one single attention-grabbing highlight for the 2018 Equinox, it’s the claimed 400-pound weight reduction. The weight loss likely indicates a slightly smaller footprint that would put the model in step with competitors such as the Honda CR-V and Ford Escape. Size-wise, the previous Equinox always felt as if it were an eighth grader sitting in a fifth-grade class.” -- Andrew Wendler, Car and Driver

“Chevrolet says the design of the Equinox is inspired by the Malibu sedan, and that’s especially apparent up front. On the old model, the bulbous headlights sat well above the grille. But on the new version, the narrow headlights align themselves in a straight line with the grille. The new Equinox breaks away from the Malibu’s styling by changing up the inner grille design. The body-colored bar that separated the grille in two sections on the old model has been replaced by a more subtle chrome piece.” -- Kelly Pleskot, Motor Trend

Photo credit: CHEVROLET

“C'mon. An American SUV with a diesel engine? For reals? It's a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with a lot of low-end punch: It's estimated to put out 136 hp (at 3,500-4,000 rpm) and 236 pound-feet of torque (at 2,000 rpm). The real headliner: an estimated 40 miles per gallon on the highway. That's a serious number. Think about that, it's one thing to get 40 mpg in a Smart car, but 40 in a Labrador-hauling SUV? This could fit a lot of families' lifestyles. Dropping a diesel into the Equinox is also gutsy. It's almost one year to the day Volkswagen's diesel scandal blew up. Short of shrapnel-spewing Takata airbags, few technologies are less popular with US buyers.” -- Greg Migliore, Autoblog

“Although this new compact crossover carries over the same nameplate, it shares little with its predecessor. In fact, this one boasts -- along with some evolutionary but handsomely styled body lines -- a slew of techie connectivity features. Just like its compact stablemate, the Chevy Cruze, the 2018 Equinox comes with a 7- or 8-inch-diagonal MyLink infotainment system, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as an OnStar 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot. And all of that is packaged in a seriously chic and airy interior, if I do say so myself.” -- Nick Jaynes, Mashable

“The Chevy Equinox -- wait, keep reading! It happens to be the second-best selling General Motors product so far this year, right behind the unstoppable Silverado. And if it really can hit GM’s claim of 40 MPG now with your family and all the [stuff] they need to carry, it suddenly seems a lot more interesting … But! A high-volume mainstream market SUV like the Chevy Equinox offering a diesel option would seem to bode well for this fuel’s future. And make no mistake, the Equinox matters. As of August, the Equinox is eking out second place on GM’s 2016 sales scoreboard at 158,475 units shipped according to the company. That’s a very distant second to Silverado which stands at 380,176 but more than Suburban and Tahoe combined.” -- Andrew P Collins, Jalopnik

“A coworker told me that the Chevrolet Equinox is probably the most-hyped vehicle the automaker produces, save for its performance models. That's because the Equinox is wildly popular, and with the all-new 2018 Equinox, I'm thinking the masses will start overcrowding dealerships to the point where fire marshals need to get involved. … Inside, the instrument panel is a bit lower, as well, to aid forward vision. Think of it as the anti-Camaro in that regard. There's a new denim-style seat fabric, which I can assure you is much more tasteful than AMC's denim interior from the 1970s. The rear seat now ‘kneels’ when the seatbacks are folded, to provide a flat loading floor.” -- Andrew Krok, Roadshow by CNET

“The compact SUV continues to be one of the hottest segments in the U.S. with the likes of the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, Nissan Rogue, Ford Escape and Jeep Cherokee pulling in buyers by the thousands. The old man on the block has been the Chevrolet Equinox, which sold well despite being long in the tooth. Now Chevy is ready to show us an all-new 2018 Equinox, redesigned from the ground up and set to bring shoppers into Chevy showrooms on merits instead of just on deals.” -- Aaron Bragman, Cars.com

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