Today is the autumnal equinox, making it a perfect time for Chevrolet to release an all-new Equinox. Why else? Because the crossover market is hot. Really hot.

Keeping those two key points in mind, Chevrolet has taken the wraps off of its new compact crossover. So, say hello to the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox.

Fresh Design, Smaller Packaging

The 2018 Equinox wears the latest Chevrolet design language, borrowing cues from the 2017 Chevrolet Volt, 2016 Chevrolet Malibu and 2016 Chevrolet Cruze. The sleek, chiseled look comes from plenty of time spent in the wind tunnel for aero development, according to the brand.

“Customers who previewed the vehicle early on had a strong emotional response to the sleek and sophisticated exterior design,” said John Cafaro, executive director, GM Design. “Those same themes are carried through to the interior, making the space beautifully intuitive.”

Projector headlamps are standard across all trim levels, while LED taillamps enhance the rear’s wide stance on uplevel trims.

The interior takes advantage of the 2018 Equinox’s new bones, the D2XX platform, and rearranges things to present a “down-and-away” instrument panel coupled with a low windshield base for greater outward visibility. Those new bones also mean for substantial weight loss as well; the 2018 Equinox is now officially a compact crossover shedding 400 pounds from its predecessor. Even so, it still manages 63.5 cubic-feet of cargo area.

The cabin also gets a few new nifty design cues as well, such as available denim-style seat fabric, and a new “kneeling” rear seat, which allows the bottom seat cushions to tilt forward when folding the seatbacks.

A Tale Of Three Turbos, Including A Diesel

We’ll get to the two other engines momentarily. First, let’s discuss Chevrolet’s intentions to fit this third-generation Equinox with a four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine. Displacing 1.6 liters, the oil burner is expected to be a segment exclusive.

It’s the same engine that will likely be fitted under the hood of the upcoming 2017 Cruze diesel, which shares an identical vehicle architecture. It’s also possible Chevrolet wants to capitalize on spurned Volkswagen customers in search of a new identity.

Now, to the regular, gasoline burning engines. GM’s new 1.5-liter turbocharged LYX four-cylinder and the now-prevalent 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder LTG round out Chevy’s three-way punch of an all-turbo powertrain lineup. Both engines are also found in the ninth-generation Chevy Malibu.

Shifting duties will be performed by GM’s all-new nine-speed automatic transmission, marking the unit’s first use in a production vehicle (alongside the 2017 Chevy Malibu). The 1.6L turbo-diesel will sit the nine-cog gearbox out, though, for an undisclosed transmission.

A Swift Kick Of Technology And Safety

It wouldn’t be a new Chevrolet launch if it didn’t have technology and stuff. Have no fear, the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox is chock full of it. Seven and eight-inch touchscreens are front and center, obviously featuring Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.

When it comes to safety, a suite of active features complements passive ones, including GM’s patented safety alert seat, surround vision, low-speed automatic braking, rear cross traffic alert and more.

Big Shoes To Fill With A Smaller Size

The Chevrolet Equinox has become the brand’s second-best selling vehicle after the Silverado, and that’s saying something. The midsize sedan segment remains important, but consumers’ shift to crossovers is here, and here in a big way. With more than 2 million of them sold to date, the newly compact Equinox will have quite a task when it goes on sale in the first quarter of 2017.