STYLING | 8 out of 10
Expert Quotes:
bold modern look that's more muscular and better proportioned
Autoblog
We yearn for the day when GM finally understands that chrome isn't cool anymore.
Edmunds
Its new skin is seriously sexy—smooth and cool like “Equinox,” the Coltrane blues standard.
Car and Driver
a clean, modern look, which is simultaneously inoffensive and handsome
Jalopnik
the dual-cowl dashboard layout is attractive and classy
Edmunds
Just two years ago, the Equinox got a much-needed redesign, with the resulting look far crisper and sportier-looking. With nicely done proportions and carefully chosen details that fit in more closely the rest of the Chevy car lineup, the Equinox in itself looks more like a sort of like a scaled-down version of the Chevrolet Traverse now.
On the outside, we appreciate the Equinox's sharper details at the front and rear, combined with a softened look in between. The spacing of the headlights next to the grille help it look more like a tall station wagon than before--not at all a bad thing--while the edgy details over a rounded tail is a refreshing departure from the edgy, swept-up look that's become so common.
The cabin design has plenty of dramatic shapes that at first glance might seem a little overt for Chevy. But it all fits in well with the exterior. And the instrument-panel center stack comes strikingly close to that of the Cadillac SRX—with vents flanking the radio and climate controls. The new direction has now also filtered down to models like the Cruze and Sonic.
Conclusion
The 2012 Chevrolet Equinox is both unmistakable as a Chevy and uncontroversially good-looking.
