The 2025 Chevrolet Equinox Does Enough

The 2025 Chevrolet Equinox is aimed at someone like me: A dad with a growing kid who’ll soon be able to drive. The Equinox isn’t trying to be everything to everyone. Instead, Chevrolet attempts to broaden this SUV’s appeal with a new, rugged Activ trim and a fresh design.

The updated Equinox is enough—practical enough, safe enough, and powerful enough for parents to feel comfortable ferrying their kids to school before they’re old enough to do so themselves, all without breaking the budget. What it lacks in performance (what did you expect from the 175-horsepower, turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder?) the Equinox makes up for in safety and technology.

Chevy Safety Assist, which includes enhanced automatic emergency braking, front pedestrian and bicycle braking, forward collision alert, lane-keep assist with lane departure warning, and more, is standard equipment alongside a host of other safety tech. Rear park assist, adaptive cruise control, and reverse automatic braking are just some of the other goodies you get in the entry-level LT trim that starts at $29,995 (with the $1,395 destination charge included).

The RS and Activ trims start at $34,395. All three aforementioned trims are available with front-wheel drive and a continuously variable transmission, or all-wheel drive and a new eight-speed automatic. The Activ, with its 17-inch Continental all-terrain tires, felt the most adept at soaking up the bumps and potholes that littered the streets of Minneapolis when I drove it last week alongside the RS.

I thought the chunkier tires would have translated into more road noise in the cabin, but there was no audible difference between the Activ and the RS models. The 1.5-liter engine is the same as before, capable of scooting you into traffic or past a semi without hesitation, but don’t expect a kick in the butt when you slam the accelerator. You’re well aware of when the engine is working—just give it time to do its job.

The transmission has no trouble picking a cog despite the two additional forward gears, but the ‘box feels like it needs a moment to perform the necessary calculations before shifting. It’s like Chevy programmed the computer to measure twice and shift once. But once the ECU has decided what the transmission should do, it shifts quickly.

All-wheel-drive Equinox models get the added benefit of a new Off-Road mode, in addition to Normal and Snow modes. Off-Road mode allows more wheel spin and vehicle yaw, but the dirt road Chevy selected for us, with its 20-mile-per-hour posted speed limit, didn’t really allow for evaluating those claims. Not that I was expecting to scale a mountain in rural Minnesota.

Anthony Alaniz / Motor1

Anthony Alaniz / Motor1

The Equinox’s wider platform and all-new exterior design help give it a more workmanlike appearance, borrowing the squared-off wheel wells from the Silverado and Colorado. It also makes the rear opening slightly larger. Each trim has a unique fascia and bumper, with the Activ wearing the widest one. The two-tone white roof is available on the LT and Activ, while the black roof is an option on the LT and RS.

Inside, the Equinox Activ features Evotex faux leather and suede microfiber seating that feels premium enough for the price point. It’s soft and supple, like most of the important touchpoints inside the cabin. However, there’s also plenty of hard plastic on the forward door cards, pillars, and anywhere else you’d expect an automaker like Chevy to save a few pennies. Only the driver seat features an adjustable-height seatbelt.

Anthony Alaniz / Motor1

Chevrolet moved the shifter to the steering column, freeing up room in the center console for the oversized driving-mode selector that now sits behind a finicky wireless charging pad. Its upright, horizontal orientation made placing my phone in the right spot difficult, hampering charging.

The 11.0-inch driver’s display and 11.3-inch infotainment screen were large and easy to read, and the tactile HVAC controls underneath the central screen were easy to use. It was a breeze engaging the optional ventilated seats and keeping the automatic climate control set to Lo without looking away from the road.

The RS was the sportier of the two trims I drove, but only if you counted its looks. The flat-bottom steering wheel, red trim, and red and blue accent stitching evoked a racier aesthetic that did not translate to the driving experience. Cruising around felt unremarkable, but maybe that’s the point.

Anthony Alaniz / Motor1

The new Equinox doesn’t get in the way of what you need it to do. It has an all-new design inside and out, but Chevy didn’t want to alienate the buyers who have made the Equinox the brand’s best-selling SUV. It has sold three million Equinoxes in 20 years, and I can’t imagine buyers will shy away from this new one—they just have to pick the trim they like the best.

It might come wrapped in a new package, but it’s still the familiar Equinox underneath, and that’s very comforting to many buyers.