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Consumer Focus Groups Had a Big Say In How The 2018 Chevy Equinox Looks

Chevrolet sold tons of the second-generation Equinox. Model years 2010 to 2017, that is. But for all that, I couldn’t get myself to like the way it looks. It’s refreshing that Chevy tried its best to make the all-new one more attractive than the Equinox it replaces, but the 2018’s original design wasn’t this nice.
2018 Chevrolet Equinox 9 photos
Photo: Chevrolet
2018 Chevrolet Equinox2018 Chevrolet Equinox2018 Chevrolet Equinox2018 Chevrolet Equinox2018 Chevrolet Equinox2018 Chevrolet Equinox2018 Chevrolet Equinox2018 Chevrolet Equinox
As Automotive News reports, the 2018 Equinox went back to the drawing board three years ago, when consumer focus groups called it too bulky, odd styling, and not compelling enough. "Back in the day [i.e. Old GM], we would have probably just kept going," explained Mark Cieslak, the chief engineer of the third-gen Equinox. “What we had on paper we felt was not going to win."

In layman’s terms, Chevrolet wouldn’t have given a damn about the focus groups’ opinion on the original styling of the 2018 Equinox. But this is post-bankruptcy General Motors, a company whose bean counters can be made to change their viewpoint in this sort of scenario. You see, the Equinox is a make-or-break model for General Motors. 242,195 units were sold in 2016, which makes it second to the Silverado line of workhorses. That important.

To keep those sales going strong, even the higher-ups knew they couldn't let the bean counters mess up the exterior styling of the 2018 model. And so, Chevy took the right decision and changed the primordial design into what you can now find today in any Chevy dealer lot across the United States.

Pricing for the 2018 Equinox starts at $23,580 minus the destination and delivery charge. There are four trim levels on offer (L, LS, LT, and range-topping Premier), whereas the engine list consists of three mills. A 1.5L turbocharged unit with 170 horsepower and 203 pound-feet comes as standard. In the nearest of futures, a 2.0L turbo with more than enough fortitude will be added to the lineup, joined by a 1.6-liter turbo diesel.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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