2025 Chevy Equinox Preview: Everything we know about new gas-engine Equinox

Chevrolet is betting big on electric cars, and one of the keys is the Equinox EV, since it will likely be the volume-selling EV for the brand. But not everyone is ready for EVs just yet, and GM as a whole is still sorting out its Ultium electric models. As such, it's still going to need an internal combustion option, and thankfully, it will not be the existing gas-powered Equinox. That uncompetitive compact SUV is finally being replaced by this far more compelling new model you see here, the 2025 Chevrolet Equinox. 

It's a thoroughly comprehensive design, too. Chevrolet says that aside from the new exterior and interior, the Equinox even rides on a new platform. Compared to the old SUV's styling, the new Equinox is far chunkier and more upright. The grille is much larger, the wheel arches are squared-off, the fender flares are pronounced, and there's more sharp creases throughout. There's a bit of a floating roof look, which is accentuated by available contrasting colors, and the C-pillars have a distinct triangular sail shape that stops just short of the roof. Different trims get different styling, too. The RS is the sportier trim, and comes with a black roof, black mesh grille and 19-inch wheels. The Activ trim, while equipped nearly the same, gets a whole new front fascia with big, bold grille, 17-inch wheels with aggressive all-terrain tires and a white roof. The interior gets a similarly comprehensive makeover, closely following the sporty, tech-focused design language seen in more recently introduced Chevy interiors. That includes a standard 11-inch instrument panel and 11.3-inch infotainment touchscreen. 

As impressive as these aesthetic changes are, what's under the hood underwhelms. The 1.5-liter inline-four barely gets a horsepower bump to a rather anemic 175 horses, while the option of a CVT (front-wheel drive) or eight-speed automatic (all-wheel drive) is a lukewarm improvement over the old six-speed. Fuel economy should be better, but performance? We doubt it. We do know that there will be an Equinox plug-in hybrid for China, and although we think it would make good sense given increased demand for PHEVs in America, we didn't know at the time of this writing if it would come here. It would certainly make the Equinox more competitive against top competitors that offer hybrids. And just to be clear, despite sharing its name and market segment with the Equinox EV, the two have little else in common.

We have yet to drive the new 2025 Chevy Equinox, but this preview provides everything we know to this point, including pricing. 

Interior & Technology   |   Passenger & Cargo Space   |   Performance & Fuel Economy

Pricing & Trim Levels   |   Crash Ratings & Safety Features

What are the Equinox interior and in-car technology like?

The new Equinox interior is a bold departure from its nondescript predecessor (seriously, we forgot what it looks like, we had to look it up). It does follow the same playbook as the new Chevy Trax, Blazer EV and, yes, the Equinox EV, but no problem there. It looks good, with a sporty, tech-forward aesthetic. The dash is angular with unique protruding trim pieces and turbine-inspired air vents. The plastic on some of the trim and around the air vents is translucent and different colors based on the trims. The Activ and RS each have particularly sharp interiors, with the former getting a contrasting black and tan leatherette both on the seats and the dash, whereas the RS gets black and red. They each have unique perforated patterns in the inserts, and the RS has red and blue contrast stitching. 

Standard on every Equinox will be an 11.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system running Chevy's now-familiar Google-based infotainment system that's been consistently easy to use. Despite running on an Android-based OS, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are still included. We also like that Chevrolet did not move away completely from including buttons and knobs, while its electronic shifter is the same easy-to-use column-mountain stalk we've seen in other recent GM products. It's also similar in concept to more than a decade's worth of Mercedes models as well as some Teslas.  

How big is the Equinox?

The 2025 Equinox is about 2 inches wider than the last generation, but within tenths of inches in all other exterior dimensions. That means it's still a compact crossover SUV. It seems to have picked up about an inch of rear headroom, but legroom dimensions were not available at the time of this writing. Considering the almost equal wheelbase, we'd be surprised if it changed much. Cargo volume is basically the same at 29.8 cubic-feet behind the back seat, which is well short of the segment best. There is now a hidden underfloor cargo space, though, which may improve capacity or functionality. 

What are the Equinox fuel economy and performance specs?

Every Equinox is powered by a 1.5-liter turbocharged inline-four that produces 175 horsepower. Distinctively, torque output differs by drivetrain. It produces a weak 184 pound-feet of torque with the combination of front-wheel drive and continuously variable automatic transmission. It gets slightly more competitive at 203 lb-ft with the all-wheel drive and eight-speed automatic combo. 

Fuel economy information was not available at the time of this writing.

2025 Equinox LT 

What is the 2025 Equinox price?

The base Equinox LT FWD starts at $29,995, including destination. That version, along with the starting prices for all other trim and driveline options are listed below:

• LT FWD: $29,995
• LT AWD: $31,995
• RS FWD: $34,395
• RS AWD: $36,395
• Activ FWD: $34,395
• Activ AWD: $36,395

The Equinox LT comes reasonably well-equipped out of the box. It gets an 11.3-inch infotainment display, heated front seats and steering wheel, remote start, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and adaptive cruise control.

The 2025 Equinox’s new Activ trim brings a more off-road-y look to the decidedly suburban SUV (but not that Suburban). Chevy equips 17-inch wheels with all-terrain tires, blacked-out exterior trim, and an available two-tone paint job. Other trims picked up new interior styling with unique materials depending on the variant. The sportier RS trim has red and blue stitching on synthetic leather upholstery and a flat-bottom steering wheel.

What are the Equinox safety ratings and driver assistance features?

Third party crash test data was not available at the time of this writing.

Every 2025 Chevy Equinox includes forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking with forward pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot and rear cross-traffic warning, a side bicyclist alert system, rear parking sensors and adaptive cruise control. This is a substantial amount of standard equipment.