2024 Chevrolet Equinox (Best Sellling Compact SUV In US) Review By Larry Nutson

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2024 Chevrolet Equinox
A Good Fit,

By Larry Nutson
Executive Editor and Bureau Chief
Chicago Bureau
THE AUTO CHANNEL

The Equinox carline has been a part of Chevrolet since 2004. The present iteration of the Equinox was introduced in 2018 and was refreshed in 2022.

Equinox has been popular with nearly 350,000 sold in the year before the pandemic took hold. Sales in 2022 climbed back to over 210,000. The Equinox is the third best-selling compact utility vehicle in the U.S.

The 2024 Equinox small crossover utility vehicle is offered in LS, LT, RS and Premier trims. Under the hood the sole powertrain offering is a 175-HP 1.5-L turbo 4-cylinder paired with a 6-speed automatic. There’s a choice of front-wheel or all-wheel drive.

Updates for 2024 include two new colors, Riptide Blue Metallic and Lakeshore Blue Metallic. Additionally, the Driver Confidence II Package now includes Lane Change Alert with Side Blind Zone Alert and Rear Cross Traffic Alert. It is standard on LT, RS and Premier and includes Front and Rear Park Assist. It’s also available on LS and includes Rear Park Assist. Some comfort and convenience features now come standard on certain trims.

Auto industry forecasters say 2024 is probably the final model year for the Chevrolet Equinox in its current generation. Expected is an all-new 2025 model to be sold alongside the all-new Equinox EV. The Equinox EV will be available in early 2024, according to Chevrolet, but there is some industry talk it may come a bit later.

A pure battery-electric vehicle (BEV) may not be suitable for everyone at this point in time. Nothing against BEVs. They perform wonderfully in their best use-case which is local or medium-distance driving for those who can charge the battery at home. Once the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program gets built out over the upcoming years, longer distance drives will be more feasible.

Meanwhile, back to today’s Equinox. There’s seating for five, with a roomy rear seat. At 183.1 inches long maneuvering and parking are not a challenge. Rear cargo space is just shy of 30 cu.ft. and it expands to around 64 cu.ft with the rear seat folded. Ground clearance ranges from 7.6 inches to 8 inches, depending on model. Equinox has a 1,500 lb. trailering capacity making it suitable to tow power sports equipment or a small camper. All these features make the Equinox suitable for weekend getaways to your favorite campsite or lakefront.

The 1.5-L engine develops good mid-range torque and delivers decent acceleration performance. It’s not the quickest, but it delivers what’s needed. Balancing the performance are EPA-certified fuel economy ratings of 26 city mpg and 31 highway mpg for front-drive models. With all-wheel drive the EPA-ratings are 24 city mpg and 30 highway mpg. Equinox has a comfortable and compliant ride and good overall handling.

Equinox is available with a long list of collision warning, collision intervention, and driving control assistance features. A 7-inch- or 8-inch-diagonal color touchscreen is available, depending on trim. Connected Navigation as well as Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, Wi-Fi Hotspot capable and Wireless phone charging are offered.

2024 Equinox prices start at $26,600 and top out at $33,400, plus the $1,395 destination charge. Visit www.chevrolet.com for more info, facts and figures.

My recent drive experience was in a 2024 RS trim with all-wheel drive and finished in the new Lakeshore Blue Metallic. Base price on this RS is $32,550. Options fitted included the RS Leather Package ($1,580) which includes Bose Premium 7-speaker audio, Power Sunroof ($1,495), and the Safety & Infotainment Package ($1,200) which includes heated steering wheel, the 8-inch touchscreen with infotainment features, surround vision, adaptive cruise control and other items.

The RS trim has a sporty look, both outside and in. From once being a big fan of polished alloy wheels, the black wheel trend is winning me over.

Living in a crowded city like Chicago I made good use of the rear-view camera, 360-degree camera systems, parking sensors, and rear cross-traffic alert. These ADAS features make maneuvering so much easier and more confident. One can almost say that a concern with a blind spot is no longer.

The Chevrolet Equinox compact utility vehicle (UV) is one of many good choices in a segment that offers lots of suitable utilities for both young singles and couples as well as city-folk looking for versatility in compact package. Equinox rates high on value.

Happy motoring!

About Review Author Larry Nutson, The Chicago Car Guy

Larry has been the executive producer for The Auto Channel for more than 20 years.

Larry is a graduate mechanical engineer and an automobile enthusiast at heart. "I’ve enjoyed a diverse automotive corporate career that began in product planning and expanded into marketing and communications. I’m established as a successful contractor, a founder of the Individual Communicators Network (ICN) and operated a well-regarded 1000-home residential property management service. I'm equally at ease with technical matters, strategic planning, architectural plans, or communicating to an audience. Project management suits me well and I love to travel.

A Founding member and past-Chairman of the Individual Communicators Network. Past chairperson of the SAE International Public Affairs Committee. Public relations services for SAE Congress and Formula SAE. Sponsorship representative for and early-supporter of the Woodward Dream Cruise, Detroit, Michigan.

Independent management and communications professional since 1997.

Guest commentator on Drive Chicago-WLS 890AM, Consumer Guide Automotive Car Stuff Podcast, KRTK 93.3 Automotive Insights, Shunpiker's Journal-Michigan Business Network and Talk Lansing.net Radio. Executive Producer for The Auto Channel. Contributing writer to ClassicCars.com Blog and Chicago Tribune/Autos.

Past member of the Board and Treasurer of the Midwest Automotive Media Association

Specialties: Automotive Product Evaluation, Brand Communication, Automotive Event Planning and Management, Government Liaison, Automotive Marketing, Education Advocacy, Homeowner Association Management, German Language