With the Bolt out of commission for the time being, the Chevrolet Equinox EV is now the entry-level electric offering in the lineup. The compact crossover packs pleasant styling, competitive pricing for the segment and lots of tech.

“We are at a turning point where EVs will be the mainstream choice for the next generation of customers and Equinox EV will lead this charge for us,” said General Motors CEO Mary Barra in a media statement. “With the flexibility of GM’s Ultium Platform, we are bringing to market vehicles at nearly every price point and for every purpose.

Speaking of Ultium, if the SUV looks vaguely familiar it’s because the same platform underpins the Blazer EV, Cadillac Lyriq and even Japanese competitors the Honda Prologue and Acura ZDX. The top-of-the-line 3RS is the sportiest of the bunch wearing a blacked out front bumper opening and lots of mesh, LED light bar, 21-inch black blade wheels, and available black roof.

Addressing the elephant in the room — no, the Equinox doesn’t have Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, but rather utilizes Google built-in OS allowing Google Maps and other Play store apps to run natively. For the former, consider the aforementioned Prologue or ZDX providing a very similar driving experience.

It can be a little tricky to find certain content within the 17.7-inch infotainment system’s unconventional menu structure, and I didn’t even notice the oversized volume knob hiding on the top left corner until it lit up when I was using the steering wheel buttons.

The dual electric motors found in the press vehicle sends 288 horsepower and 333 lb-ft of torque to both axles. A single-motor variant is also sold generating 213 horsepower and 236 lb-ft of torque. A variable one-pedal mode helps send recirculate unused kinetic energy, and in the maximum setting is enough to leave a seatbelt tattoo whenever the accelerator is released.

An 85-kilowatt-hour battery feeds the powertrain and on full lasts about 458 kilometres. Approximately 58 kilometres is added per hour at Level 2 charging, and when connected to a maximum 150-kilowatt Level 3 source around 124 kilometres is gained in 10 minutes.

The 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV is assembled at the Ramos Arizpe factory located in Mexico.