CHEVY’S NO. 2 SELLER, EQUINOX SHEDS

A FEW POUNDS IN 2018 REDESIGN

Chevrolet has managed to do with the Equinox what I wish someone, or something, would do for me in 2018, which is reduce my weight by 10 percent.

Not that I need to shed 400 pounds, which is what Chevy did in getting the Equinox down to just over 3,300 pounds, but 10 percent of that would get me down to my weight in college. (Quit laughing. I’ll accept 5 percent.)

Alas, Chevy is a bit light on details when it comes to what it did to get those pounds off other than referring to “an all-new, mass-efficient body structure,” which is a good idea but not very practical for me. At 183.1 inches long, the new Equinox is also nearly 5 inches shorter than its predecessor, and I don’t think I can get 5 inches shorter.

Oh, well. I’ll keep looking.

Back to the Equinox.

Chevy says the use of high-strength and ultra-high strength steel in the body structure has added to the safety and improved the ride and handling of the 2018 Equinox while making for a quieter, more fuel-efficient ride.

Among new safety features available in the upgrading for 2018 are a safety alert seat (it vibrates the driver’s seat if a crash risk is detected), surround vision system, forward collision alert with a following distance indicator, low-speed automatic braking, lane-keep assist with lane-departure warning, new rear-seat reminder (don’t forget the baby!), lane-change alert with blind-zone alert, and rear cross-traffic alert.

The Equinox is offered with three engine choices, all 4-cylinder turbos with a 1.5-liter (26 miles-per-gallon city, 32 highway) as standard. Optional are a 2.0-liter gas engine (22/29) and a segment exclusive 1.6-liter diesel (40 mpg highway).

At 170 horsepower and 203 pound-feet of torque, the 1.5L seems a bit underpowered. The optional 2.0L carries the day with 252 ponies and 260 pound-feet of torque, while the torque-heavy diesel is rated at 240 lb.-ft. to go with 137 hp.

The base and diesel get their own version of a 6-speed automatic transmission while the 2-liter turbo gets a 9-speed. The Equinox is offered in either front-wheel or all-wheel-drive configuration.

A five-passenger vehicle, the Equinox comes in four trim levels starting with the base L and continuing with the LS, LT, and Premier. The latter two are broken down into 1LT/1.5LT, 2LT/2.0L, and 3LT diesel and Premier into 1LZ/1.5L, 2LZ/2.0L and 3LZ/diesel.


My test vehicle was the top-of-the-line Premier with the 2.0L engine.

Standard equipment included keyless open and start, rear vision camera, teen driver technology (which allows you to set limits for speed and volume and provides a “report card” on your teen’s performance), rear park assist and rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot alert, 19-inch wheels, LED headlamps and tail lamps, power hands-free liftgate, trailer package, leather appointed seat trim, dual zone automatic A/C, leather-wrapped steering wheel, a 6-speaker audio system, and connectivity systems such as Chevy’s MyLink with Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, OnStar, and a 4G LET wi-fi hotspot.

There were no options, leaving the total cost to $34,480 with the $895 destination charge thrown in.

The cabin is roomy and nicely appointed, a big improvement over that found in earlier Equinox models. Legroom in the back is 39.7 inches, about an inch less than the 40.9 offered up front.

Without a third row to contend with, cargo capacity is a generous 29.9 cubic feet behind the second row and 63.5 with those seats folded. Chevy has somehow managed to reduce the overall size without making riders feel cramped.

Reducing overall size. If only I could accomplish a similar achievement.

What I liked about the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox: It’s big enough to handle five passengers comfortably with lots of room for their stuff. The wi-fi is very easy to sign on to.

What I didn’t like about the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox: There seemed to be a an excessive amount of road noise when driving on the interstate. It made conducting a conversation with the radio on difficult.

Would I buy the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox? It’s a very functional, competitive crossover and easy to see why it is Chevy’s second-leading selling vehicle behind the Silverado pickup. I’d certainly give it a look if I was shopping in the segment.

POPULAR CHEVY EQUINOX CROSSOVER

GETS A BOOST IN POWER FOR 2018

The Equinox served as Chevrolet’s first venture into the crossover market when it was introduced over a decade ago, and after years of producing truck-based SUVs, it looks like Chevy made a wise decision.

The Equinox is now the company's best-seller behind only the Silverado pickup with nearly 2 million sold since its introduction as a 2005 model. With the improvements made for 2018, it figures to maintain that pace.

First though, I want to mention this. One of the more surprising things about the Equinox to me was that it is classified as a compact crossover.

Certainly the dimensions -- an overall length of 183.1 inches, width of 72.6 and height of 65.4 compared to 204.3/78.6/67.3 for Chevy’s Traverse -- would seem to validate that classification. It is about 400 pounds lighter and just under five inches shorter than its predecessor.

Just looking at it sitting in my driveway, however, I got the impression it was simply bigger than that. (Maybe the dress made it look fatter! Rim shot!)

It also looked nice sitting there.

Chevy says that designers borrowed some styling cues from the Volt, Malibu, and Cruze for the 2018 Equinox and included new touches for the interior that included denim-style fabric for the seats that not only looks good but has increased durability. Among new safety features offered are the Safety Alert Seat system that alerts a driver to the possibility of an impending crash, low-speed forward automatic braking, and surround vision.

A major change is under the hood.

The base engine for the 2018 Equinox is a 1.5-liter turbo-4, and a 2.0-liter serves as an option. A 1.6-liter turbo diesel also is offered. Those engines replace the 2.4L inline-4 and the 3.6L V6 offered on 2017 models.

The 1.5L and the diesel come with a six-speed automatic transmission, the 2.0L with a new nine-speed that makes for a smooth operation. All-wheel drive also is available 

The new powertrain offers fuel efficiency of 26 miles-per-gallon city, 32 highway with the 1.5L FWD and 22/29 with the 2.0L, also with FWD. AWD alters the figures slightly, and the diesel gets up to a GM-estimated 40 mpg.

Those figures are somewhat of an improvement over the numbers for the 2017 model that came with either a 2.4L inline-4 or a 3.6L V6.

The biggest difference with the turbo 4s comes in the power put out by the 2.0L. It is rated at 252 horsepower, an increase of 70 hp over the 2017's 2.4 in-line-4. With 203 pound-feet of torque, the 2018 2.0L turbo-4 rates the same towing capacity of 3,500 pounds as the 2017's V6. That'll tow your boat!

Chevy offers the Equinox in L (though you'll likely have to order it), LS, and LT (1LT/1.5L, 2LT/2.0L) trims as well as Premier editions (1LZ/1.5, 2LZ/2.0L0,) and diesel versions designated 3LT/diesel and Premier 3LZ/diesel).

I don't know about you but I find all the trim levels and various models Chevy puts out sometimes hard to keep track of, but that's a subject for another day.

I drove the LT 2.0T with FWD for the week and found it really satisfies a lot of what you would be shopping for in the compact crossover market. The cloth seats were comfortable and looked to be pretty durable, though it's hard to really test them in just seven days.

I didn't do any towing, but I found the power to be very adequate for daily driving, and the fuel mileage is pretty good for its class, especially with the 1.5L engine. That said, I would sacrifice the couple of extra miles the 1.5L gets for the power boost from the 2.0L. Horsepower and torque for the smaller engine are only 170 hp and 203 lb.-ft. or 82 and 57, respectively, less than the 2.0L.

The list of standard features included in the $29,145 MSRP of the LT 2.0L included keyless entry and start, HID headlamps, LED daytime running lights, trailering equipment, 18-inch aluminum wheels, 8-way power adjustable driver's seat with 2-way lumbar support, and connectivity features that included Chevy MyLink with a 7-inch screen, Bluetooth, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability.

Options that included dual-zone A/C over the standard single zone, power liftgate, remote start, heated front seats, blind spot and rear cross traffic alert, rear park assist and a pearl white tricoat paint job, plus the $895 destination and delivery charge, ran the final MSRP of my test vehicle to $32,980.

What I liked about the 2018 Chevy Equinox LT 2.0T: I liked the way it drove on the highway. It accelerated with no grunting and was quiet overall. And I really liked the big storage area in the center console. Crossovers and SUVs are about carrying stuff as well as getting you there, and storage, even in the console, is no place to skimp.

What I didn't like about the 2018 Chevy Equinox LT 2.0T: A stop-start system that shuts off the engine when you are idling at an intersection is standard, and you can't turn it off. At least I couldn't find a button to disengage it, and the owner's manual offered no clue. What you can do to disengage is take a slight bit of pressure off the brake and the engine fires back up.

Would I buy the 2018 Chevy Equinox LT 2.0T? Frankly, I went into the week thinking I probably would not, but yes, I would give it consideration now. I would like to see Chevy continue making upgrades to the interior, which it has gone over the last decade or so. Some more soft-touch materials would be nice like across the dash panel. A bit more cargo space than the 29.9 cubic feet offered behind the second row could make the deal.