2018 Chevrolet Equinox Features Leaner Body for Safer Driving Experience

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The redesigned Chevrolet Equinox debuted yesterday after shedding 400 pounds, nearly 10 percent of its mass, for a nimbler, more responsive driving experience. The vehicle’s mass-efficient body structure was designed and optimized for increased safety capability, and helps make the most of the available turbo engine options.

The 1.5L turbo engine offers a balance of fuel efficiency and performance, while the 2.0L turbo engine boasts 252 horsepower and can reach 0-60 mile per hour in 7.2 seconds. The 1.5L turbo engine is currently available at dealers, while the 2.0L turbo option will become available later this month.

“Think of it as core strength training,” says Jill Dennis, lead development engineer. “The new Equinox’s structure is leaner yet stronger, resulting in efficient performance that inspires confidence while also creating a more fun, safe, and comfortable driving experience.”

The 2018 Equinox’s stronger structure has several benefits including:

  • Safety: The strategic placement of high-strength and ultra-high strength steel in the body structure is the foundation of a robust “safety cage” surrounding passengers. It is complemented with the Equinox’s restraint systems and other standard and available safety features to manage energy in the event of a crash and help protect occupants.
  • Ride and handling: Reducing the need to account for chassis flex in the suspension system’s tuning, the stiffer body structure allowed engineers to focus more on ride comfort and fine-tune ride and handling attributes with greater precision. It also supports hard-mounting the front and rear suspension cradles at six points apiece on the body, further enhancing nimbleness and responsiveness.
  • Quietness and refinement:  A stiffer body structure is better at preventing noise and vibrations, for a quieter and smoother ride. By helping to block noise and vibration paths, fewer sound-absorbing and other dissipative materials are required, contributing to the Equinox’s overall weight loss.
  • Fuel economy: Lower weight makes a difference in fuel economy, and the 2018 Equinox delivers EPA ratings of 32 mpg and 29 mpg highway, respectively, for the standard 1.5L turbo and 2.0L turbo gas engines. The Equinox’s new 1.6L diesel model offers an estimated 40 mpg highway fuel efficiency.
  • Dennis adds that from accelerating to turning corners, the 2018 Equinox drives “lighter,” which translates to a “greater feeling of precision.”

The mixed-material design strategy employed by the 2018 Equinox is also used on other recently announced Chevrolet models, including the Malibu, Bolt EV, and 2018 Traverse.