Rugged design, standard heated seats

DETROIT — General Motors is redesigning its gas-powered Chevrolet Equinox crossover to look more rugged than its predecessors in an attempt to move the vehicle upmarket and attract new buyers.

The 2025 Equinox, which GM revealed Tuesday, will feature additional standard safety and convenience features.

Brad Franz, director of Chevy car and crossover marketing, said the changes to the Equinox are meant to boost the appeal of the vehicle, which GM introduced about 20 years ago. The compact crossover has grown to be among GM’s best-selling vehicles.

“It’s critically important for us to be introducing this product right now. We feel it’s going to be just as important, if not more, than [before],” he said. “We still expect it to be the No. 2 Chevy volume vehicle and, frankly, it plays in the biggest segment in the industry at 22% [market share]. We don’t see that declining.”

Sales of the Equinox have been level the past two years at more than 212,000 units. The sales remain far below pre-Covid pandemic levels of nearly 350,000 units in 2019.

The 2025 model will have heated seats and a heated steering wheel standard on all models — 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. GM said about 90% of owners surveyed wanted the features.

Franz declined to disclose pricing for the next-generation Equinox, which is expected to arrive in dealer showrooms midyear in three trims: 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 between $28,000 and $35,000, including mandatory destination fees.

Among the reasons to buy an Equinox, customers most often cite price and value, according to GM. The entry-level LT is expected to account for about 60% of sales, Franz said.

“Even though we are intending to push this vehicle upmarket like we have with some of our other executions we’ve announced, we are still highly focused on value,” he said.

The exterior design of the next-generation Equinox is similar to other recently redesigned Chevy vehicles. It features a large hour-glass grille, a more sculpted design and slim front and rear lights. The design is similar but different than an all-electric Equinox that’s expected to go on sale this year after being delayed in 2023.

On the interior, GM made changes to the compact crossover to make it roomier for the driver and passengers, including moving the gear shifter to the steering wheel column rather than between the passenger and driver or as buttons or knobs on the instrument panel.

For drivers who have used column shifters before, this is not like the ones of the past. It’s a growing technology in the auto industry called “shift by wire” that removes many manual components and allows the car to change gears with ease. With traditional column shifters, the driver needs to pull the lever forward and manually shift the vehicle into gears.

The new Equinox features a new 11 inch diagonal configurable driver information center and 11.3 inch diagonal infotainment screen in front of the driver.

“The first thing you’re going to notice when you get 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 Franz says GM has room to increase production, if needed.

The 2025 Equinox will continue to be powered by a 1.5 liter, four-cylinder turbocharged engine that produces up to 175 horsepower and 203 foot-pounds of torque. The vehicle is standard with front-wheel drive and available in all-wheel drive.

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