Chevy Reshapes 2018 Equinox To Take On RAV4, CR-V And Escape

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, while we don’t have any pictures yet, 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 197hp, 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.