Tested: 2025 Chevy Equinox Gets with the Program

10/14/24 UPDATE: This review has been updated with instrumented test results.

We can’t really blame Chevrolet for not focusing more of its attention on its gas-powered Equinox compact SUV, which was last redesigned for 2018. Despite the bow-tie brand updating every other SUV in its lineup in the interim, plus recently introducing a separate Equinox EV model, the ol’ fire-and-brimstone Equinox has remained Chevy’s bestselling vehicle that isn’t a pickup truck. But even money printers require fresh ink eventually, and the 2025 Equinox finally receives a meaningful makeover befitting its high-volume status.

Dressing Up

Looking like a Chevy Traverse that’s been shrunk in the wash, the redesigned two-row Equinox is a stocky, handsome thing with a Silverado-inspired snout that lends it some visual heft at the curb. The new Equinox’s wheel openings are more squared off, adding to its rugged flair, and you can now opt for a contrasting roof color. Different grille treatments distinguish the three trim levels—base LT in chrome, the RS in gloss black, and the Activ in dark chrome—with the Activ leaning into the off-road schtick with 17-inch wheels wrapped with all-terrain tires (19s and 20s are available, depending on the trim).

Exterior dimensions are similar to before, save for a 2.5-inch increase in width, which adds some welcome elbow room inside. The back seat’s flat floor is adult friendly, and cargo room is essentially unchanged at 30 cubic feet in the way back and 64 cubes with the rear seats folded—more than you get in the Equinox EV but not class-leading. Interior material quality, however, has improved, with even the base model cutting back on the hard, grainy plastics in direct view. Or at least accenting them with nicer bits of finish, whether it be dollops of chrome, piano black, or the textured pieces dressing up the dash, vents, and door panels. The faux leather upholstery on higher trims is pleasing enough, with the RS adding red contrasting stitching and the Activ sporting microfiber seat inserts.

The overall theme of the Equinox’s dashboard also mimics that of the larger Traverse as well as the EVs, which isn’t a bad thing. The centerpiece is the 11.0-inch configurable instrument display and adjacent 11.3-inch touchscreen running General Motors’s Google-based infotainment system with standard wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. It’s a crisp, easy-to-use interface that elicits few complaints in practice, though we’re still not fans of locking headlight controls behind a screen. We could also do with less gloss-black trim that will quickly attract dust and fingerprints, but at least there are physical buttons and knobs for the climate controls. The center console benefits from the relocation of the Equinox’s gear selector to the steering column, which cleans up its design and frees up space for additional storage cubbies, including an available wireless charging dock.

Modest Motivation

Driving the new Equinox is less of a sea change, with the sole powerplant being a 175-hp turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder. Gone is the previous generation’s six-speed automatic transmission, replaced by a decently responsive continuously variable automatic with seven stepped “gears.” Front-wheel drive is standard on all trims; all-wheel drive is a $2000 option that both swaps in an eight-speed torque-converter automatic and ups the four-banger’s torque output from 184 to 203 pound-feet. Both setups work well, with the front-driver exhibiting minimal droning from the engine and feeling easier to wield around town. AWD versions like our RS test car, on the other hand, are a smidge more planted on the move, but the eight-speed transmission races for top gear, which means it must hunt around for a lower ratio when you summon the wee four-cylinder’s grunt.

Acceleration is adequate if a bit pokey for our tastes, with our example moseying to 60 mph in 8.6 seconds and covering the quarter-mile in 16.6 seconds at 84 mph. Both metrics are several tenths of a second (and 1 mph) slower than the last Equinox we tested, a 2023 all-wheel-drive RS model. While the 1.5-liter engine generates only a modest ruckus, limited amounts of sound insulation seem to be where Chevy shaved some development costs: At full throttle, our sound meter picked up a noisy 80-decibel din inside, while a 70-mph cruise registered 70 decibels—increases of 6 and 1 decibels, respectively. Continuing this trend, our test car, rolling on 19-inch Continental CrossContact RX all-season tires, needed an additional 18 feet to stop from 70 mph (177 feet versus the outgoing version’s 159) and returned a smidge less grip (0.81 g to 0.82) around the skidpad.

An additional downer is that EPA combined fuel economy drops compared to its predecessor, but only by 1 or 2 mpg. Unfortunately, we have yet to verify how these estimates translate to the real world. Cross-shoppers take note that even the slowest Equinox EV will beat the gas model in a drag race, though the latter’s 400-plus miles of EPA range dwarfs the EV, which tops out at 319 miles.

Turn the Equinox’s chunky steering wheel and it changes direction smoothly and predictably, albeit with more effort at low speeds than we remember. Overall chassis tuning has largely held course, and so has the over-the-road driving experience: Competent, stable, and comfortable is the way. We imagine most buyers will be more pleased with the new Equinox’s general refinement and solid-feeling structure than they will be saddened by its lack of sportiness. Shoppers also shouldn’t get too excited about the Activ’s implied off-road capability, as it’s not outfitted to tackle much more than a muddy dirt road. There’s no lifted suspension or underbody protection, though AWD models do feature an Off-Road drive mode that relaxes traction- and stability-control intervention.

Priced to Play

As before, value is one of the Equinox’s greatest strengths. Prices open at $31,080 for the LT and $35,480 for the RS and Activ, and all trims come standard with a heated steering wheel and front seats, plus most of the active safety tech in GM’s arsenal. Primary options include ventilated front seats, heated outboard rear seats, a digital rearview camera mirror, traffic-sign recognition, and a 360-degree camera system. Notably absent is Super Cruise (adaptive cruise control is standard), but that could be good fodder for a mid-cycle update. Yet, load up one of the higher trims with options, and its sticker number will climb north of $40K, which is more than we’d like to spend for the Equinox’s underwhelming driving behavior, even if that price is well below the initial ask of a comparable EV version. While a hybrid model with more power could make for a more compelling proposition in the compact-SUV segment, these latest updates should help keep the Equinox a solid fixture in Chevy’s lineup for the foreseeable future.

Source: Reviews - aranddriver.com