In an effort to elevate the gas-powered Chevrolet Equinox crossover upmarket and draw in new customers, General Motors is revamping it to look more tough than it did before.
GM unveiled the 2025 Equinox on Tuesday, and it will come with more standard convenience and safety features.
The goal of the Equinox’s modifications, according to Brad Franz, head of Chevy car and crossover marketing, is to increase the car’s attractiveness. GM debuted the Equinox almost 20 years ago. The little crossover has become one of GM’s best-selling automobiles.
It is vitally necessary that we launch this product at this time. We believe it will be equally as significant as it was previously, if not more so,” he remarked. “We still anticipate it to be the second-best-selling Chevy vehicle, and to be honest, with a 22% market share, it competes in the largest industry segment. That doesn’t appear to be waning.
Over 212,000 Equinox units have been sold over the previous two years, leveling off. Sales in 2019 are still far behind the almost 350,000 devices sold before to the COVID outbreak.
For the first time for the Equinox and many other popular manufacturers, all variants of the 2025 will come equipped with heated seats and a heated steering wheel. Some automakers have either adopted or suggested charging a monthly or annual subscription fee for these features instead of providing them as optional or standard options. About 90% of owners polled, according to GM, desired the features.
Franz declined to reveal the price of the upcoming Equinox, which is anticipated to go on sale in three trim levels by the middle of the year: LT, RS, and Activ. “No intention of deviating too far from our current pricing,” he stated on behalf of the corporation.
The cost of the 2024 Equinox, including necessary destination costs, starts at $28,000 and goes up to $35,000.
Price and value are the two main factors that buyers mention when choosing an Equinox, according to General Motors. According to Franz, the entry-level LT is anticipated to make up roughly 60% of sales.
“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 stated.
Modifications to the design
The next-generation Equinox shares an exterior appearance with other newly revised Chevy cars. It has slimmer front and back lights, a more sculpted look, and a sizable hourglass grille. Although it was postponed until 2023, an all-electric Equinox is anticipated to debut on sale this year. The designs are similar but distinct.
In order to create more interior space for the driver and passengers, GM redesigned the interior of the small crossover. One such adjustment was to relocate the gear changer to the steering wheel column, rather than between the driver and passenger or as buttons or knobs on the instrument panel.
This column shifter is not like the ones from the past, for drivers who have used them previously. “Shift by wire” is a rapidly developing auto industry technology that eliminates numerous manual components and facilitates seamless gear changes. When using a standard column shifter, the driver must physically shift the car into gear by pulling the lever forward.
In front of the driver, the 2018 Equinox has an 11.3-inch diagonal infotainment screen and an 11-inch diagonal adjustable driver information center.
It simply doesn’t seem like an Equinox, Franz said. “The first thing you’re going to notice when you get in there is the technology, the screens.”
The car will be made in a plant in Mexico, and according to Franz, GM has space to expand production there if necessary.
The 1.5-liter, four-cylinder turbocharged engine that powers the 2025 Equinox will still be capable of producing up to 175 horsepower and 203 foot-pounds of torque. The car can be ordered with all-wheel drive or front-wheel drive as standard.
