Chevy, GMC plan new and improved crossovers

Chevrolet executives acknowledge they have some of the industry's oldest crossovers. That will change soon, as Chevy prepares to launch redesigns of the Equinox and Traverse in 2017, along with a new midsize crossover a year later. GMC will bolster its lineup with a next-gen Terrain next year and likely a compact SUV several years out.

Spark: A redesign of the minicar came out in late 2015. Look for a freshening in 2019 with a redesign slated for 2021. The Spark EV should remain in the lineup, for sale in California and a few other markets, even after the Bolt EV's arrival late this year. 

Sonic: Chevy has freshened the Sonic for the 2017 model year with a new front fascia, LED lights and an updated infotainment system, the first significant changes since the subcompact's mid-2011 debut. Those updates likely will have to hold the Sonic over for several more years: A redesign isn't on tap until 2020 or 2021.

Cruze: Chevy will follow the April launch of the sedan with a hatch-back this fall. Planned for the first half of 2017: a diesel sedan and possibly a hatch. A hybrid Cruze is a good bet to appear by 2018. But it's unclear whether Chevy will give enthusiasts what they want most: a go-fast variant to rival VW's Golf R, Ford's Focus RS and other hot hatches.

Malibu: The hybrid model of the midsize sedan went on sale in June. A freshening of the Malibu is slated for the second half of 2018, with a redesign planned for 2021.

Impala: The big sedan is slated for a re-engineering in 2017, which likely would include cosmetic and interior updates and the addition of a nine-speed automatic transmission. A redesign isn't expected before 2020 -- if the iconic nameplate survives the industry's sedan slump.

SS: Sales of the Australia-built large, rear-wheel-drive performance sedan are expected to wind down by late 2017, after GM ends Aussie manufacturing operations. Enthusiasts hoping for a successor based on the same rwd platform that underpins the Camaro are likely to be disappointed. 

Bolt EV: GM is scheduled to begin production of the 200-plus-mile EV in October. The initial annual production target is around 25,000 cars, which could include vehicles slated for export to China.

Volt: The second generation of the plug-in hybrid that went on sale in fall 2015 should get a face-lift for the 2019 model year. It's also likely to get incremental improvements in its EPA-estimated 53-mile electric range as it moves through its life cycle.

Camaro: High-end models should begin to appear over the next year, including the ZL1 coupe and convertible rated at 640 hp. A Z/28 should follow. The base Camaro, redesigned for the '16 model year, should get a freshening in 2019, with the next generation coming by 2022. 

Corvette: The rumor mill is in overdrive with speculation about a midengine Corvette, stoked by several Car and Driver reports over the past two years. There also have been recent spy photos that purport to show midengine prototypes. 

Some industry production-tracking firms in recent months have added a midengine Corvette to their forecasts, pegging a 2019 arrival. It remains speculation for now. But signs are stronger than ever that decades of fanboy longing for a midengine Corvette could become a reality. 

Trax: Chevy freshened the subcompact crossover for the 2017 model year with an improved interior and updated front fascia. A redesign is scheduled to arrive sometime in 2019.

GMC small crossover? The on-again, off-again rumor of a small crossover for GMC -- first stirred by the Granite concept shown in 2010 -- appears to be off again. GMC chief Duncan Aldred has said he believes the brand should have one, but industry sources say there is no activity afoot as of now.

GMC compact SUV: It's looking likely that GMC will debut an off-road SUV based on the Chevy Colorado's body-on-frame platform as a potential Jeep Wrangler fighter. Some industry forecasters expect a 2020 launch. 

Equinox/Terrain: GM is set to begin production of the next generation of its popular compact crossovers in early 2017, probably as '18 models. The redesigned crossovers will shed weight and should shrink as they move to the global compact platform that underpins the Chevy Cruze and Buick Envision. 

The same 1.5-liter, four-cylinder engine used in the Malibu should be the Equinox/Terrain's base engine. A 2.0-liter turbo is a good bet as an optional upgrade. 

Blazer: Chevy is developing a midsize crossover, likely to be tagged Blazer and built on the same platform as the recently redesigned GMC Acadia. It's scheduled to begin production in 2018. 

Acadia: A redesign launched in the spring as a 2017 model, the first since the nameplate debuted in 2006. A nine-speed transmission could be added when the midsize crossover gets its first freshening, probably in 2019.

Traverse: The second generation of Chevy's large crossover is scheduled to go into production by mid-2017 for the '18 model year. GM's new 3.6-liter V-6 is expected to be the only engine choice, a more powerful and fuel-efficient version of the big crossover's current engine. 

Tahoe/Suburban/Yukon/Yukon XL: A freshening of the big SUVs is likely for the 2018 model year and could include an upgrade to eight- or 10-speed transmissions. A redesign is likely to arrive by early 2020.

Colorado/Canyon: Expect an off-road ZR2 Colorado to debut in 2017. A freshening of the pickups is slated for 2018. They could get an eight-speed transmission at that point, if not sooner. A redesign of the Colorado and Canyon isn't likely until 2022 or later.

Silverado/Sierra 1500: GM has set a speedy cadence for the current generation of its full-size pickups, rolling out an extensive freshening in late 2015, two-and-a-half years after the trucks' debut. The life cycle will be relatively short, too: GM is targeting production of its next-gen light-duty pickups to begin in the fourth quarter of 2018, for the '19 model year, sources say.

The redesigned pickups will use more aluminum -- likely for the doors and liftgate but not the bed, a point Chevy hammered home last month with its commercials that poked holes in the aluminum bed of Ford's F-150. A diesel engine option is likely, countering Ram's 1500 EcoDiesel. 

Silverado/Sierra 2500/3500: The 2017 models of GM's heavy-duty trucks were revised with a new air-intake system via a new hood scoop but stopped short of adopting the sportier front ends added to the light duties for '16. The next generation is scheduled to arrive by late 2019 or early 2020, about a year after the redesigned light duties.

City Express: No changes on the horizon over the next few years for Chevy's rebadged version of Nissan's NV200.

Express/Savana: GM's aging, body-on-frame cargo vans in early 2017 will adopt a 2.8-liter Duramax turbodiesel engine combined with a new eight-speed transmission. A new generation of the vans doesn't look likely before 2020, unless GM partners with Renault-Nissan or another automaker.