2018 Chevrolet Equinox Spied: New Platform, Less Bigness

What It Is: The next-generation Chevrolet Equinox crossover, seen here in prototype form and covered up for testing. Today, the Equinox exists in a gray zone in terms of size, bookended by mid-size two-row crossovers like Hyundai’s Santa Fe Sport and Ford’s Edge and by the overflowing compact class where the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, and Mazda CX-5 live. On entering its third generation, the Equinox will shrink somewhat to more comfortably take on the compact contenders it currently competes with on price.

Why It Matters: Although it has many superior and vastly newer rivals, Chevrolet Equinox sales have been on the rise in the past few years, growing from 238,192 in 2013 to 277,589 in 2015. That means the new version will be expected to deliver big sales volumes from the start, a task that should be made easier with a major upgrade in cabin technology—Chevy’s latest infotainment system, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, and perhaps wireless phone charging—as well as its clearer position against compact competitors.

Platform: Like Buick’s recently introduced Envision crossover, the new Equinox will seat five people in two rows and use General Motors’ latest Delta architecture, which also underpins the new Cruze. Of course, the component set will be optimized for high-riding crossover duty, and unlike the Cruze, the Equinox will offer all-wheel drive. We expect the Equinox will ride on the same front-strut and rear-multilink suspensions as the Envision, but it will wear totally different styling inside and out.

Speaking of the outside, not much of it is visible in these spy photos. Chevrolet’s camouflage team has this prototype well and truly covered, with only a few styling cues poking through. Notably, the headlights’ faceted shape mimics the peepers of the 2016 Cruze and the latest Volt plug-in hybrid, and these flank a plunging pentagonal grille with an aggressive slat design. Our spy photographer did manage to snag a look at the Equinox’s interior, although it remains mostly obscured. We can make out Chevrolet’s latest MyLink infotainment touchscreen and matching driver-information display, though.

Powertrain: The Equinox’s engine roster should parallel the Buick Envision’s, with a base 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and an uplevel turbo four. (An intercooler for the turbocharged powertrain is visible in one photo where the Equinox’s front bumper is removed.) That said, the Equinox might end up with a smaller turbo four than the Buick, which uses a 2.0-liter engine; the 1.5-liter from the new Malibu mid-size sedan could do the trick, offering decent power and improved fuel economy. Regardless of the engines, a six-speed automatic likely will be the only transmission choice (if GM doesn’t manage to slide in the nine-speed automatic it’s developing in partnership with Ford, that is). Front-wheel drive will be standard, and all-wheel drive will be optional. Expect Chevy to skip the top-level Buick Envision’s torque-vectoring all-wheel drive for a more pedestrian, non-torque-vectoring version like the one fitted to lower-spec Envisions.

Competition: Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, Hyundai Tucson, Mazda CX-5, Nissan Rogue.

Estimated Arrival and Price: Hot off a massive product push this past year that included the new Volt, Cruze, Malibu, and Camaro, Chevrolet may hold off a bit before reloading its product gun. That means the Equinox may not make its debut until later this year or even early next year, as a 2018 model. Even so, the prototypes seen here look fairly far along the development path, suggesting that the Equinox could arrive sooner rather than later. Pricing shouldn’t budge much, if at all, from today’s $23,495 starting figure, but if the new Cruze is any indicator, even the base Equinox should be well equipped—especially in the tech department.