Compact crossovers are the darling of the automotive trade proper now. Principally each automaker has a minimum of one, and a few have much more than that. Due to this truth, when a brand new entrant to the market comes out, it must be fairly spectacular to seize the eye of your common Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4 and Nissan Rogue purchaser. That’s precisely what Chevy is gunning for with the redesigned fourth-generation gas-powered Equinox.
To attraction to a market that’s at present obsessive about boxy automobiles which have the looks of off-road skill, the Bowtie took the swoops and curves of the earlier ‘Nox and reduce them down with an angle grinder. What you get now’s a extra truck-looking automobile, cosplaying as an off-roader even when it’s by no means meant to truly deal with an off-road path.
For probably the most half, Chevy succeeded in its mission to construct a aggressive and compelling compact crossover, however in a world dominated by the trio of automobiles I discussed earlier than, it must be rattling good to win over the hearts and minds of a crossover-obsessed market. I believe Chevy was in a position to do exactly that with the 2025 Equinox.
Full Disclosure: Chevy flew me out to Minneapolis, fed me all kinds of scrumptious meals and put me up in a elaborate Mariott all so I might drive the fourth-generation Equinox.
Chevy’s redesigned Equinox just isn’t a automotive for automotive lovers, individuals who derive pleasure from driving or individuals who even actually like getting behind the wheel. It’s an equipment automotive, and there’s nothing flawed with that. There are far more individuals who need an equipment automotive than lovers, and since Basic Motors is within the enterprise of earning money, it is sensible it could cater the Equinox to these people.
So don’t count on an inspiring drive. The brand new Equinox is slightly uninteresting, however once more, that’s form of the purpose. It’s designed to ferry individuals and issues from one place to a different with as few points as potential, and it’s so aggressively high quality to drive you virtually neglect you’re doing it. The entire automotive — its steering, its engine and its transmission — falls to the wayside as you go down the highway. Meaning it’s a reasonably stress-free expertise, a minimum of, which is what you need in a crossover like this.
Powering all three Equinox trims (LT, RS and Activ) is a turbocharged 1.5-liter inline-4 that places out 175 horsepower and 203 lb-ft of torque in the event you go for all-wheel drive, which makes use of an eight-speed computerized. Entrance-wheel-drive Equinoxes include 184 lb-ft of torque and a CVT. Neither of those are significantly robust numbers, however you received’t actually miss the additional 19 lb-ft of the AWD automotive, so I’d most likely skip it except you’re feeling you actually need AWD (you don’t). Steering and dealing with are additionally greater than enough. It’s not a sports activities automotive, so there’s some lean within the corners and the steering really feel is just about lifeless. Nonetheless, it’s weighted properly on and off-center, and there’s greater than sufficient grip from the all-season or all-terrain tires to deal with no matter form of mundane driving you throw on the Equinox.
To be honest, none of that actually issues. Nobody has ever purchased a Chevy Equinox — or every other compact crossover for that matter — based mostly on how properly it drove and the way fast it was. What really issues is the inside house, consolation and refinement. I’ve pushed all the massive names within the compact crossover phase, and the Equinox is among the many greatest in terms of inside house and design. There’s loads of room in every single place for you, your companion, your 2.2 youngsters and all of their shit. Head-, leg- and shoulder room can also be greater than enough within the rear seats, even for me at 6-foot-1-inch.
For those who fold down the rear seats, you get an especially beneficiant 63.5 cubic toes of cargo room. When it comes to consolation, the Equinox ain’t too dangerous. The seats are fairly properly bolstered and provide some lumbar help. One factor I actually admire is that Chevy added a little bit of padding on the highest of the door on your elbow. I’m a giant elbow-on-the-window-frame man, so this was actually welcome and one thing a whole lot of OEMs overlook in cheaper automobiles.
Up entrance you get a cool but acquainted GM inside design with two screens, an 11-inch gauge cluster show and an 11.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, and each work properly and might be simply personalized to your wishes. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto followers might be completely satisfied to listen to that each techniques nonetheless exist within the 2025 Equinox, regardless of GM shifting away from the techniques. Moreover, button followers will rejoice as a result of your complete local weather management system makes use of exhausting buttons. Positive, you should use the display as a redundancy, however a piano black button within the heart stack can management something you need to do. One downfall is that the lights are managed by the display like on another Chevys. No person’s good, I suppose.
Chevy determined to maneuver the gear selector from the middle console to the steering column, and that’s at all times a welcome resolution in my guide. There’s no want for a giant shifter to be taking on helpful actual property in a automotive like this. It frees up extra room for storage cubbies, cup holders and an obnoxiously giant drive mode selector.
Relying on what trim you go for, the Equinox’s interiors are barely completely different. The fundamental structure is just about the identical, however materials selections and colours differ relying on whether or not you go for the LT, RS or Activ. The Activ comes with the most important distinction, seats coated in Maple Sugar and suede microfiber upholstery. The LT and RS must accept black and grey. No matter what trim you select, the Equinox’s cabin feels slightly properly put collectively and durable. I might definitely see it holding up by years of day by day driving abuse. Piano black can also be saved to a minimal, so in the event you’re a hater, don’t be.
Whereas we’re as regards to trims, the three are just about the identical, simply look packages that add completely different options. The bottom LT will doubtless be the quantity vendor with a $29,995 base worth (together with $1,395 for vacation spot) for a front-wheel-drive mannequin. The RS provides some sporty touches, barely greater wheels (20s are coming) and purple and blue inside trimmings, and it begins at $34,395. Lastly, you get the Equinox Activ, and regardless of its off-roadish seems to be you don’t get any mechanical upgrades, save for 17-inch wheels sporting Basic Grabber all-terrain tires. Floor clearance stays the identical, as does nearly all the pieces else. Chevy tells me the suspension has been calibrated for every mannequin, however all of them really feel the identical if I’m being trustworthy. Anyway, a FWD Activ begins at an an identical $34,395. All three trims might be had with AWD and the eight-speed computerized for an additional $2,000.
The LT I drove got here in at $33,880, whereas the RS stickered at $39,065 and the big-dog Activ was $39,925, and that’s nearly as costly as the brand new Equinox might be. For the cash, it’s a reasonably strong worth. There’s a plethora of normal security gear and driver aids on each trim; stuff like adaptive cruise management and rear parking help at the moment are commonplace. There are, in fact, choices you possibly can choose like a comfort package deal that will get you extra seat controls, twin local weather zones, an influence liftgate, a wi-fi charger, and a special roof colour with a panoramic sunroof. All of that stuff is out there from the bottom LT trim, so you possibly can skip the RS and Activ trims altogether in the event that they aren’t chatting with you.
It’s as much as you whether or not or not the truck-ified 2025 Equinox matches your tastes. I believe it’s fairly good-looking, however a few of the design components and sharp seems to be are writing checks its compact crossover underpinnings can not actually money. It’s off-road cosplay, and if that’s what you’re into, who am I to say that you just’re flawed? There are nonetheless loads of smoothed-out choices (together with Chevy’s personal Blazer) to select from.
As increasingly firms enter the compact crossover phase, Chevy severely wanted to do one thing particular with the fourth-generation Equinox, particularly on the heels of the wonderful Equinox EV’s launch (a automotive that’s wholly unrelated). I’m not right here to say the Equinox resets the compact crossover market, however it’s one other strong entrant into the sector with seems to be that’ll make it stand out amongst a really giant crowd and an inside that’ll isolate its occupants from Toyota RAV4 patrons bragging about reliability.
