The 2025 Chevrolet Equinox RS.
Chevrolet
Brad Franz, director of Chevy auto and crossover marketing, said the changes to the Equinox are intended to broaden the appeal of the vehicle that GM introduced about 20 years ago. The compact crossover has become one of GM's best-selling vehicles.
“It is critical for us to launch this product now. We believe it will be just as important, if not more so.” [before]”, he said. “We still expect it to be Chevy's second-largest volume vehicle, and frankly, it's in the largest segment in the industry at 22%. [market share]. We don’t see any decline.”
Sales of the Equinox remained flat over the past two years at more than 212,000 units. Sales remain well below pre-Covid levels of nearly 350,000 units in 2019.
The 2025 Chevrolet Equinox RS.
Chevrolet
The 2025 model will feature heated seats and a heated steering wheel as standard, a first for the Equinox and many mainstream brands. Some automakers have implemented or discussed including such features in monthly or annual subscription fees, rather than offering them as standard or optional features. According to GM, about 90% of owners surveyed wanted these features.
Franz declined to reveal pricing for the next-generation Equinox, which is expected to arrive at dealers mid-year in three trim levels: LT, RS and Activ. He said the company “has no intention of deviating too far from our current pricing.”
Pricing for the 2024 Equinox ranges from $28,000 to $35,000, including mandatory destination fees.
According to GM, customers most often cite price and utility as reasons for purchasing an Equinox. The entry-level LT should account for about 60% of sales, Franz said.
“While we intend to bring this vehicle to market, as we have done with some of our other announced iterations, we are still very focused on value,” he said.
The next-generation Equinox's exterior design is similar to other recently redesigned Chevy vehicles. It features a large hourglass grille, a more sculptural design and sleek front and taillights. The design is similar but different to an all-electric Equinox, which is expected to launch this year after a delay in 2023.
Inside, GM made changes to the compact crossover to make it more spacious for the driver and passengers, including moving the shifter to the steering wheel column instead of between the passenger and driver or as buttons or knobs on the instrument panel.
The 2025 Chevrolet Equinox Activ.
Chevrolet
For drivers who have used steering column switches before, it's not like it used to be. It's a growing technology in the automotive industry called “Shift by Wire” that eliminates the need for many manual components and allows the car to change gears more easily. With traditional column shifters, the driver must pull the lever forward and manually shift the vehicle into a gear.
The new Equinox features a new 11-inch diagonal configurable driver information center and an 11.3-inch diagonal infotainment screen in front of the driver.
“The first thing you notice when you walk in there is the technology, the screens — it just doesn’t feel like an equinox,” Franz said.
The vehicle will be produced at a plant in Mexico, where GM has room to increase production if necessary, according to Franz.
The 2025 Equinox continues to be powered by a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that produces up to 175 horsepower and 203 pound-feet of torque. The vehicle is equipped with front-wheel drive as standard and is available with all-wheel drive.
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