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Original 2018 Chevrolet Equinox Design Received Poor Marks From Customers

The 2018 Chevrolet Equinox may have looked quite different from the vehicle you see today. Automotive News reports the original design slated for production scored so poorly with consumer focus groups, it led Chevrolet back to the drawing board. And that’s a big deal for General Motors.

“Back in the day, we would have probably just kept going,” said Mark Cieslak, chief engineer for the Equinox. “What we had on paper we felt was not going to win.”

Negative phrases such as “too bulky”, “odd styling” and “not compelling enough” stung the brand, which was already deep into the design and engineering of the 2018 Equinox. But, instead of chugging along, the design was vetoed and the Equinox team started again. And they did it without falling behind schedule.

We likely won’t ever know what GM and Chevrolet were initially planning with the third-generation Equinox, but the vehicle certainly has come out poised for success. The team shrunk the crossover to become a compact CUV, ditching the old Equinox’s in-betweener nature, all while sacrificing just three-tenths of an inch of legroom and actually increasing passenger volume 3.5 cubic feet.

“That brought it into the heart of the segment,” Cieslak said.

In the process, the 2018 Equinox became leaner, too, shedding 400 pounds over the outgoing Equinox.

“We had engineers lined up down the hall every Friday to show how they could take a gram out of their part until we pulled out 400 pounds,” Cieslak said.

The stakes are high with the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. As the crossover segment continues to grow and eat into passenger car sales, consumers are turning to vehicles like the Equinox as their daily drivers. From our initial time with the new Equinox, it looks like Chevrolet may have a winner on its hands.

Former GM Authority staff writer.

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Comments

  1. With the nine speed transmission and the optional 252 hp motor, the new Equinox should post some good performance numbers. The 400 lb weight reduction will also show up in those numbers.

    There are big volume numbers for this segment, and GM now has a serious offering able to take share.

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  2. Without seeing pictures of the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox it’s difficult to say one way or another; but one thing to remember is that focus groups thought the Pontiac Aztek looked great.

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  3. I wonder what the original design looks like

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  4. This doesn’t surprise me — the design GM went with for the Nox is utterly generic — and I don’t say that as a bad thing. In this segment, it would be very risky to have a design that stood out too much and GM is not trying to play catchup but to maintain the sales winner that is the Equinox.

    Just don’t do too much “design by focus group” for the luxury space — in my opinion, Cadillac needs to stand out to be a winner.

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  5. Just remember, FOCUS GROUPS are “people”, People make mistakes-look inside WDC, people elected them folks there, them folks put some “dilly of laws” in place. …. AND, did a FOCUS GROUP design that bumper step on the GM pickups-??….. my I think that is “so bad looking”, sorta like the Aztec, lol, lol, lol, lol. Anyhow, designers are “artists” and trained to build “continuity”. The public BUYS and DECIDES. HUGE, HUGE balancing act. I just hope GM FOCUS GROUPS are large bodies of people and, NOT A FEW. ….. THANKS, e.e.

    Reply

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