Loss leader: 2018 Chevy Equinox gets smaller, lighter, tidier

General Motors has made vehicle weight reduction something of a mission for all its brands-and as with every other example we've seen, the weight chopped from the all-new 2018 Chevrolet Equinox delivers nothing (well, almost nothing) but good tidings.

Nothing all that radical happened: most of the 2018 Equinox's approximate 400-lb (181-kg) weight loss came from adopting the new D2XX vehicle architecture (also see GMC Terrain and Buick Envision) that brought a hefty 5.2-in (132-mm) wheelbase reduction from the former 112.5 in (2858 cm) and a 4.7-in (119-cm) clip from the overall length. Engineers also credit the use of a full lineup of downsized turbocharged engines (the first-ever Chevy vehicle to feature all turbocharged engine choices), considerably more use of high-strength steels and an aluminium hood.