2018 Chevrolet Equinox Debuts With 40 MPG Diesel Option

Chevrolet is going to offer the segment’s first turbo-diesel with the new 2018 Equinox.

The available 1.6-liter turbocharged diesel four-cylinder engine joins the lineup which consists of two gas powered units: a 1.5-liter turbo four and an available 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo.

The entry-level 1.5-liter model will return a GM-estimated 31 mpg on the highway in front-wheel-drive trim and will deliver a GM-estimated 170 horsepower.

More performance can be had with the larger 2.0-liter engine boasting an estimated 252 hp, while returning a GM-estimated 28 mpg on the highway. Although GM didn’t reveal exact torque specifications, it did say that 90 percent of the torque is available from 2,000 to 5,600 rpm. That allows the Equinox to offer a 3,500-pound [1,585 kilogram] max trailering capacity that is equal to the current V6 model’s capacity.

The 2.0-liter engine is mated to GM’s new nine-speed automatic transmission.

SEE ALSO: Chevrolet Equinox, Traverse Adds Flair with Special Edition Models

As for the turbo-diesel engine, it is an all-new design that will deliver an estimated 136 hp and 236 pound-feet of torque. GM expects it to return an estimated 40 mpg on the highway.

The 2018 Chevrolet Equinox will go on sale spring 2017, while the 2.0-liter option and the turbo-diesel engine will arrive in summer 2017.

“With three choices, customers can select an engine that offers more of the attributes that are important to them: efficiency, performance and capability,” said Dan Nicholson, vice president, Global Propulsion Systems. “The advantage for each is the power of a larger engine and the fuel economy of a smaller engine.”

Discuss this story on our General Motors Forum