Chevy’s redesigned Equinox and Traverse reach new heights

Over the past 18 months, Chevrolet has renewed or replaced almost its entire stable of crossovers and SUVs. Changes range from the fairly modest “facelifts” the Tahoe and Suburban had to complete replacements of best-sellers. Let’s look at two of the most comprehensive overhauls.

Equinox Activ AWD

Chevrolet’s best seller (that isn’t a pickup) gets its first redesign since 2018, and overall it’s a success.

The styling is more rectilinear in the best off-roader tradition, with squared-off wheel wells and a front that seems inspired by the Silverado. The Activ model carries the overlanding vibe further with smaller 17-inch rims wrapped in all-terrain tires; LT and RS models can be had with 20s that have more road-oriented rubber. Dimensionally the Equinox is similar to the outgoing model inside and out, though a 2.5-inch increase in width adds welcome room for elbows.

The materials they might rub against are much nicer than before, too. The Equinox’s cabin is one of its highlights, with lots of intriguing details finished in contrasting colors and materials. The visual highlight is no doubt the large, angled horizontal display that houses two bright screens; an 11in instrument display that could do with more options for configuration and one of 11.3in for the infotainment. Its logical and fast-responding, and still works with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto—unlike the system in the new Equinox EV, which forces the use of Chevrolet’s own interface, which was developed by Google.

Room inside the Equinox is similar to the older version, with a well-shaped cargo hold and broad back seat. Support from the front chairs is good while going straight and one can finally tilt the base of the seat cushion up (at least the driver can) for proper under-thigh support, unlike the older model.

The Equinox drives better than its numbers suggest; its 0-60 run of 8.6sec puts it at the slow end of the pack, though the 203lb-ft of torque its 1.5-liter turbo pumps out makes it feel faster. But using such a small engine in a fairly hefty vehicle pinches at the pump, as shown by lower EPA ratings than the older version of this Chevy. This 175hp engine is also loud at full throttle; at least the din fades at a cruise.

Chevrolet is still a master at tuning a chassis; ride quality is excellent and handling is more than competent, though the Equinox won’t engage the driver like a Mazda or Honda. One bizarre choice that blights both the Equinox and Traverse is the need to manually engage AWD via a twist knob. Otherwise these crossovers revert to front-drive at restart.

All in the Equinox is good value proposition at its price point, which undercuts many competitors. It is solidly constructed, attractively styled inside and out, comfortable and loaded with desirable standard equipment like a heated steering wheel and front seats and adaptive cruise control.

Traverse Z71 AWD

Thanks to the breadth of Chevrolet’s SUV bench, the new 3-row Traverse is just the right size for its mission.

The rearmost split bench is comfortable enough for adults and easy to access, and there’s as much room behind it as in the body-on-frame Tahoe. The Traverse interior’s design is, like other Chevy SUVs, bold in its color choices and centered around the massive, curved display screen and large outboard HVAC vents. But materials that might be acceptable in lower-end models like the Trax, Trailblazer and even Equinox seem out of place here. There are too many hard plastics lower down on panels, and even the soft-touch ones are grained in such a way as to seem cheap, especially compared to the Hyundai Palisade, Kia Telluride and Mazda CX-90.

The displays mirror those in the Equinox in both pros and cons, though the touchscreen in the Traverse is much larger at 17.7 inches. Another area where the Travere is superior to rivals is in having the option of GM’s Supercruise, hands down the best hands-free driving aid on the market. It is very relaxing to let it zoom down major roads, changing lanes on its own and tracking straight and true.

Gone are the multiple engines of the last generation, replaced by a 328hp, turbo four. While its 7.3-second 0-60mph time is competitive, there’s not enough noise insulation, making the Traverse feel unrefined. That’s as shame, as it otherwise keeps out wind and road noise well. And despite a stout 326lb-ft of max torque, there’s a fair amount of lag apparent when moving off from rest. Thankfully the 8-speed transmission is smooth shifting.

The Traverse has an optional Trailering package with more cooling that enables towing of up to 5,000 pounds, along with a 220-amp alternator and “Hitch View” camera.Ride quality is really good—certainly better than the Mazda or Ford Explorer—and seems on par with the Kia and Hyundai. Fuel economy is below the CX-90’s quite amazing highway results but comparable to the Koreans’. Handling is deliberate as opposed to athletic, which is fine for the Traverse’s family-focused mission.Amongst its competition, the Traverse comes across as one that emphasizes interior size and technology. Unfortunately, Chevrolet still sometimes chooses to undercut great cockpit design with materials that are not as good as they could — or should-be for the price.

And while the Chevrolet’s acceleration is competitive, its powertrain refinement is not up to the level of the best either.

Equinox Activ AWD     

EPA Ratings:                            24/29/26mpg

0-60mph:                                8.6sec

Price as tested:                       $38,380

Rating:                                     4 Stars

Traverse Z71 AWD