Talk about surprise and delight. My first mile in Chevy’s electron-powered Equinox EV and I’m nodding my head in approval and mouthing the word “Hmmm”.
Which is proving a little disconcerting to my wife in the passenger seat.
By mile 10, I’m pulling over to Walgreens to buy flowers and chocolates and declaring unrequited love to this hugely-appealing electric crossover.
My wife? Oh, she’s taking an Uber home, and booking me in for therapy.
No, Chevy’s 2025 Equinox EV doesn’t do anything ground-breaking compared to the ever-growing cadre of rivals, like Tesla’s Model Y, Hyundai’s Ioniq5, Kia’s EV6, Ford’s Mustang Mach-E or VW’s ID4.
What it delivers, however, is a supremely-lovable, all-round package of features and qualities that, for me, really boosts the appeal of this jack-of-all-trades Chevy. And builds a strong case for switching to electric.
Take range. This front-drive, single-motor Equinox LT I’m driving, will whirr along for 319 miles on a single charge. Unless you’re making road trips to grandma’s house in Biloxi every weekend, that’s more than sufficient for the commuting, shopping, school and beach-runs.
And if the ohms start depleting, the Equinox comes with a NACS DC adaptor that gives you access to over 20,000 Tesla Supercharger stations for fast charging. Plug in, and you should be able to add 70 miles of range to the battery in as little as 10 minutes.
Then there’s the sticker. A base single-motor LT kicks off at a blue-light-special $34,995. Who knows how long it will last, but for now Uncle Sam will still give you a $7,500 tax credit on the Equinox, bringing it down to just $27,495.
Then there’s the way it looks. I think GM designers have hit one right out of the park with those zoomy, futuristic lines. I just love the high-waist, low-roof profile, that raked-back windshield and muscley haunches over the super-cool 21-inch rims.
And this thing has a most distinctive snout than Adrien Brody’s. It’s all funky curves and different textures and blade-like wrap-around LED lights. See it in your rear-view and it looks like an extra from a Tron movie.
Of course our test car’s striking Riptide Blue Metallic paint with contrasting white roof adds to the visual drama.
Climb aboard and there are more surprises and delights. Like the impressive 17.7-inch diagonal touch screen, plus 11-inch digital instrument cluster, that sprawls across the dash. With its pin-sharp graphics and vibrant colors, it’s like being at the movies.
And the cabin feels huge inside. Climb into the back seat and old Lincoln Town Cars didn’t offer this much legroom. And the $1,500 it costs for the panoramic glass roof is worth every cent.
Talking of cents, Chevy, somewhat strangely, offers a $11,400 30-option package it unimaginatively calls “Convenience Package II”. This comes with all the goodies you’d ever desire, including standouts like Super Cruise self-driving, those 21-inch wheels, heated and vented front seats, wireless charging. The list goes on. And on.
But don’t go looking for Apple Car Play or Android Auto connectivity. It’s not even offered. Welcome back to the Nineties.
On the road, the Equinox’s 220-hp single electric motor up front juiced by an 85 kWh battery, delivers ample though not quite athletic performance.
While anyone expecting typical EV rock-out-of-a-catapult off-the-line sprinting, the Chevy’s more leisurely performance might disappoint. Here we’re talking 0-to-60 mph in around 7.5 seconds.
But in day-to-day driving it feels plenty sufficient, with a focus on Teflon-smooth power delivery, relaxed rather than jack-rabbit acceleration and easy cruising.
Need more? Splash the extra cash for the dual-motor, all-wheel drive Equinox and you get a nice round 300 hp and more zippy 0-to-60 time of 5.8 seconds. Range, however, drops to 307 miles. But it’s the one I’d go for.
Add to all that a suprisingly smooth and supple ride, nicely weighted and precise steering, and plenty of poise, balance and grip through the curves. Excellent one-pedal driving too, where you lift off the “gas” and it slows without touching the brakes.
As for those Walgreens flowers and candy I bought, I guess I’ll just leave them in the back seat.
