Chevrolet designers go “truck-like” with compact SUV

The mugginess of Nashville, Tennessee is unmatched in late September. Rain hangs heavy in the air, and as the temperature continues to climb well beyond 30 degrees celsius, the effect is like being in a giant steam room. My colleagues and I make the dash from a lovely cool studio, which has been our home for a month, into the car. Air conditioning brings sweet relief.

Despite its compact build, the 2025 Chevrolet Equinox feels plenty spacious on the inside, particularly from the passenger’s perspective. There is ample leg and head room both up front and in the back, and the furniture has been well designed for functionality without getting in the way. Seats are plump and well cushioned, offering ample squidgyness and support. This is perhaps the area in which the Equinox excels the most – providing comfort and functionality, doing the simple things and doing them well.

These attributes are highlighted when on the road. The SUV glides effortlessly forward, easing over potholes and bumps, making them appear non-existent. The engine and gearbox work perfectly in tandem and quietly go about their business. It is only when climbing a steep gradient that the 1.5-litre petrol engine becomes audible. A fairly lengthy drive from Nashville to Fort Payne, Alabama, passed quickly and without complaint as my colleagues relaxed, breaking the silence only to point out the occasional enormous billboard supporting the current Republican nominee and former US President. We are in the deep south.

For the driver, the IP sits back in the bonnet, extending just enough to bring the 11-inch digital instrument cluster and adjoining 11.3-inch infotainment system into comfortable focus. The latter is angled towards the driver, as are the vents and buttons underneath. The floating centre console provides everything necessary but is not cluttered. It includes a driving mode dial, a wireless charging pad for phones, two water bottle holders, and several surfaces and cubbies for storage.

There is plenty of tech to help out too, with Chevy Safety Assist fitted as standard. This includes automatic emergency braking and lane departure warning, both of which kicked in when a Class 8 truck forced us off the road by swerving into our lane without any warning. Luckily the verge was relatively flat and we quickly came to an abrupt stop before continuing on our way unharmed, though a little shaken up.

Aesthetically, the cabin looks the part, certainly with the RS trim that CDN tested. This includes some additional blue and red stitching on the seats and doors, black and red gradient accents on the air vents and dash divider, and textured 3D cube pattern cladding sections of the IP, doors and centre console. The glossy black surround of the screen housing is also used on the doors and centre console. It all looks cohesive but unfortunately feels a little flimsy to touch, suggesting that this is where Chevrolet saves on costs to ensure the Equinox remains affordable for the consumer.

With chiselled bodywork and sharp features, the Equinox strikes a surprisingly menacing figure for a compact SUV. It is 2.3-inches wider than the previous generation – a subtle increase but enough to enhance its prowling stance. The face is dominated by a wide grille, its chunky hexagonal design finished in ‘Midnight Edition High Gloss Black’. A glossy blade runs through the upper section and houses the Chevrolet badge while simultaneously underlining the slitted headlamps. Large daytime running lights are placed beneath, reaching towards the matt black front bumper and lower grille section.

The matt black of the bumper continues around the entire vehicle, emphasising the flared wheel arches as well as acting as a rear bumper, which rises up towards the boot door. This, along with the giant boomerang rear lamps and glossy black rear window hood, makes the back of the car appear stockier than it really is. Finished in a deep red and complete with 19-inch ‘Carbon Flash’ machined aluminium wheels, our RS model was certainly pleasant on the eye without being too flashy.

Speaking to Car Design News, Hwasup Lee, Chevrolet’s exterior design director, explains how his team developed the exterior. “It all started with a sketch,” he recalls. “After the sketch theme was selected, the GM design studios engaged with engineering for architecture development to collaborate on how to bring the sketch, with the wider vehicle stance, to life. As the design theme matured, the team went through a series of hand sculpting and digital surface development processes to assure every surface and line we delivered was intentional and had a sophisticated balance.”

This series of events is typical when designing the exterior, Lee continues. He says that his team will often work closely with various others in the wider GM organisation throughout the development process, making sure that efficiency, performance, and product strategy are well aligned to deliver a competitive final product.

Weighing in on the design of the Equinox, Josh Thurber, Chevrolet design manager, suggests that the new model is a sign of things to come. He refers to the incessant consumer appetite for pick-up trucks, and implies that many of the design choices for the Equinox were influenced by existing models in the Chevy portfolio.

“One goal was to deliver a bolder, more muscular design,” Thurber notes. “We know that customers are increasingly leaning towards truck-like personas. Chevy delivers a full lineup, trucks included, so we are well positioned to execute, and some truck design DNA was naturally infused into our thought process for the Equinox.”

Listing the added width, broad shoulders, dramatic wheel arches and sharp body lines, Thurber hails this latest Equinox as a natural evolution of the SUV. These design choices were made intentionally, he confirms, and will likely be made again.

“We have seen a strong customer preference for truck-like design through clinics and feedback,” Thurber says. “Chevrolet has always had a great legacy of truck design, the strength of which we carried into the crossover and SUV market on nameplates such as the Traverse and Equinox. In just a short period of time, we have been able to look at data and see how well the truck persona resonates with customers and sets us apart from other competitors.”