Wow, What a Makeover! Introducing the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox
Yes, I’m Jealous of the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox Makeover. There, I said it.
I’d like to hire the engineers at Chevrolet to give me a full body makeover. Think about it: These incredibly talented people have reduced the weight of the new 2018 Equinox by approximately 400 pounds from previous models. They’ve given it an athletic, muscular appearance. And, they’ve managed a redesign that provides greater aero performance. Plus, the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox is better looking than ever. It’s smart too, with all the latest technology and an expanded suite of safety features. Yes it’s one of THOSE vehicles—the kind that has it all. And it’s affordable with a base price starting at around $30,000.
“We’ve got the strongest truck business in the industry and we’ve reinvigorated our car lineup with Volt, Cruze and Malibu,” said Alan Batey, Global Chevrolet president. “We’re applying the same customer focus to grow our crossover/SUV business – starting with the Chevrolet Equinox.”
Keeping in mind the needs of today’s compact SUV customers, Chevrolet has given the Equinox a fresh new design and all-new propulsion systems. (I could use one of those, too.)
The richer more detailed design features chrome trim on all models. Projector-beam headlamps are standard, along with LED daytime running lamps. Horizontal rear tail lights emphasize the Equinox’s wide stance. Ok, I probably don’t need that rear emphasis on my new body design but it looks nice on the Equinox.
Taking the New Beauty for a Drive
I was introduced to this new beauty on a drive from Greenville, South Carolina to Asheville, North Carolina. Chevrolet partnered with RoadTrippers.com to provide a variety of road trip itineraries with notable points of interest along the way. Our mission: #findnewroads
I set out with my driving partner, Mariana, along country roads past horses, cows and through picturesque small towns in search of the only remaining covered bridge in the state of South Carolina. Along the way we discovered quaint towns and a vintage Esso station as we were discovering the comforts of the new Equinox. Driving along on unfamiliar backroads makes a girl more than grateful for an intuitive navigation system.
Our return trip took us along winding mountain roads to the Blue Ridge Parkway where stunning vistas begged for photo stops. The expanded safety features like lane departure warning come in very handy when you’re navigating twisting turning roads with narrow shoulders.
The Top 10 Features of the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox
With a makeover as extensive as the one the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox received there are numerous details to explore. But the top 10 features will give you an idea of the key focus of this fresh new design.
1. Sculpted Design – The Equinox is a perfect balance of design and technology. But it’s not all about looks, the Equinox includes features to enhance aerodynamics and fuel efficiency.
2. Panoramic Sunroof – The sun shines in through the panoramic sunroof with power sunshade giving the feel of an open-air ride.
3. Lightweight and Durable Body Structure – The Equinox body is stronger and lighter thanks to high-strength steel combined with an optimized form to make the vehicle more fuel efficient and nimble.
4. Advanced Safety Technologies – Features like low-speed forward automatic braking, lane keep assist and the safety alert seat that vibrates work seamlessly to aid the driver and keep passengers safe.
5. Surround Vision – With a 360 degree bird’s-eye view of the vehicle on the available 8-inch diagonal color touch-screen parking, trailering and avoiding obstacles is much easier.
6. Intuitive Interior and User Interface – The thoughtfully designed dual-cockpit interior provides the right balance of comfort and style and helps keep eyes on the road where they belong.
7. Heated and Ventilated Front Seats – You and your family or friends will be comfortable no matter what the temperature with heated and cooling front seats and heated rear seats.
8. Fold Flat Rear Seats – A simple pull of the rear latches converts the rear of the Equinox into 63.5 cubic feet of cargo space. And the added feature of kneeling rear seats makes the cargo space completely flat for ease of loading.
9. Connectivity Technology – You’ll stay connected everywhere with the 4G LTE WI-FI and Chevrolet’s offer of an unlimited pre-paid data plan for just $20 per month. And listening to your favorite tunes is easy with Apple CarPlay & Android Auto. Just pair to your preferred smartphone via the color touch-screen display.
10. Power Choices – The Equinox offers Chevrolet’s first all-turbocharged multi-engine propulsion system lineup. Available in the standard 1.5L turbo engine or the 2.0L turbo with a new nine-speed automatic transmission, yes, you’ll have the power.
So How Much Will this Good Looking Vehicle Cost?
Base pricing ranges from $23,580 for the L Front Wheel Drive model to $34,495 for the Premier All Wheel Drive model.We drove the Premier Front Wheel Drive model with a base price of $30,790.
The Confidence and Convenience Package I with rear park assist, blind spot alert and rear cross traffic alert adds $1,895 to the base price and is only available on the LT Model and above. These package features are standard on Premier models.
A Confidence and Convenience Package II also priced at $1,895 is only available on Premier models adding the full technology package and features noted in this introduction.
The price for the model we drove with power sunroof was $35,470.
Celebrating the 2018 Equinox Design and Technology with a Killer Playlist
How would you celebrate your makeover? Chevrolet celebrated with music by teaming up with another technology master—Moog Music in Asheville to create a killer playlist for our drive back to Greenville. Having designed all types of synthesizers to forever change modern music, Moog appreciates all the technology that went into the new Equinox design. They put together this fantastic playlist which we were able to seamlessly integrate into the Equinox with Apple CarPlay. Cruising along the Blue Ridge Parkway listening to these tunes my jealousy of the Equinox makeover gave way to appreciation for the safe, comfortable ride. Besides when your car looks good, you look good, too.
The Moog Music Playlist
Disclosure: I was Chevrolet’s guest for this test drive; travel and accommodations were provided. Any opinions expressed are all my own.
Categorized:Car Culture Car Reviews SUVs