Electric vehicle sales are rising and mid-sized SUVs are hot property, so it’s no surprise Chevrolet is introducing a mid-sized electric SUV.
The Chevrolet Equinox EV is set to launch in 2023, and the company is targeting a starting price of US$30,000 (A$41,551) in its home market.
It won’t be the only electric Chevy crossover launching in 2023, with the brand confirming a Blazer EV will slot above it.
The Equinox EV will launch in the Northern Hemisphere’s autumn and the Blazer EV, which has yet to be revealed, will launch in spring.
Both are set to share the Ultium platform with, among other vehicles, the Cadillac Lyriq.
The Equinox EV will be launched in both fleet and retail versions and will be offered in bread-and-butter LT and sporty RS trims, just like the petrol-powered Equinox.
Chevrolet hasn’t released any technical specifications for the Equinox EV, though it has published a clutch of photos.
Externally, it looks lower and sleeker than the unrelated petrol-powered Equinox, with full-width lighting elements front and rear.
There appears to be only a slim opening for cooling at the front, though there’s a patterned area where a grille would be on a petrol-powered car. On the RS, this is finished in black.
The beltline rises sharply ahead of the C-pillar and there are prominent hips at the rear. Both of these elements give it a familial resemblance to the current Blazer crossover, and give it a more athletic look than the current Equinox.
Inside, there’s a wraparound cockpit with a large digital instrument cluster and infotainment touchscreen and an otherwise quite minimalist centre console.
Physical climate controls have been retained, and GM’s Super Cruise Level 2 autonomous driving technology is available as indicated by the green light on the steering wheel.
There’s a floating centre console with a sizeable storage space underneath, while the RS features bold red interior highlights and the other previewed model swaps this out for blue.
Finally, circular air vents provide yet another link to the current Blazer and, in turn, the Camaro.
“The Equinox has always played an important role for Chevrolet as the second-highest selling brand nameplate,” said Chevrolet vice president Steve Hill.
“Providing an affordable EV option in the industry’s highest volume segment proves Chevy is going to make EVs available to everyone.”
The petrol-powered Equinox – previously sold here as a Holden – starts at US$25,800 (A$35,743).
The larger Blazer, a two-row crossover that shares its platform with the GMC (and previously, Holden) Acadia, starts at US$28,800 (A$39,889).
As also seen with the Silverado EV, Chevrolet is introducing electric vehicles completely unrelated to comparable petrol-powered ones and yet using the same name.
That allows the company to harness the name recognition of existing, popular nameplates.
Equinox 
Blazer
In 2021, the Equinox was still the 18th best-selling vehicle in the US despite semiconductor-related supply issues, outselling rivals like the Subaru Forester, Hyundai Tucson and Ford Escape.
The current model is the third generation of a nameplate launched in 2004 for the 2005 model year.
It was introduced here in 2018, though its life was cut short in 2020 with the shuttering of the Holden brand.
Since then, the Chevrolet Equinox has received a facelift and a new, sporty-looking RS trim level, though it’s lost its turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine and is now available only with a turbo 1.5-litre.
