2023 Volkswagen ID.4 vs 2022 Chevrolet Equinox

The 2022 Chevrolet Equinox featured several styling updates, including a new grille, LED headlights, and LED daytime running lights, along with subtle changes to the rear fascia. The headlights were bisected by trim pieces extending from the grille, giving it a sleeker look. The grille appeared more upright and was flanked by large fake air intakes, making the 2022 Equinox look chunkier than its predecessor. The Equinox maintained its car-based crossover identity, avoiding the rugged styling of competitors like the Subaru Forester and Toyota RAV4. Its tall roofline and puffed-up front fascia made it look less car-like than the Ford Escape, striking a balance for some buyers. The interior featured a creative dashboard design with a touchscreen and large air vents at the center, and materials and fit and finish were decent for the price. The new RS model added black exterior trim, darkened 19-inch wheels, and a black interior with red stitching, although the interior felt too subdued.

The 2023 Volkswagen ID.4 received subtle styling changes, including gloss black trim on the front bumper and a more squared-off rear bumper design to improve aerodynamics. New wheel designs and colors were introduced, and the rear VW logo now lit up. The ID.4, based on VW’s MEB platform designed specifically for EVs, lacked the upright profile and added ground clearance of traditional SUVs, which might have been a drawback for some buyers. However, it shared this characteristic with other current electric vehicles like the Chevrolet Bolt EUV. The interior carried over the best qualities from recent VW gasoline-car interiors, including a minimalist design and an overall feeling of quality. The base ID.4 Standard model, aside from a manual driver’s seat, didn’t feel like much of a downgrade from the higher-level ID.4 Pro S. Leatherette upholstery with seat and door-panel inserts made partly from recycled fibers were standard for 2023.

The 2022 Chevrolet Equinox was powered by a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 170 horsepower and 203 pound-feet of torque. It used a six-speed automatic transmission, with standard front-wheel drive (FWD) or optional all-wheel drive (AWD). The Equinox had more torque than most rivals but less horsepower. For instance, the Honda CR-V’s 1.5-liter turbo-four produced 190 hp and 179 lb-ft of torque, while the Nissan Rogue’s turbocharged 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine delivered 201 hp and 225 lb-ft of torque. The Equinox’s torque was appreciated in stop-and-go driving, with peak torque available between 2,000 rpm and 4,000 rpm. However, at higher speeds, the lack of horsepower became apparent, and the engine felt coarse and unresponsive at higher rpm. The automatic transmission’s shifts were also a bit rough. The Equinox wasn’t designed for sporty handling and lacked the solidity and refinement of the Honda CR-V, although it was decently comfortable on poorly maintained pavement.

The 2023 Volkswagen ID.4 offered a new 62-kWh battery pack for the base Standard and S models, available only with RWD. The Pro, Pro S, and Pro S Plus models retained the 82-kWh pack and were available with RWD or AWD. Single-motor RWD models were rated at 201 horsepower and 229 pound-feet of torque, while dual-motor AWD models produced 295 hp and 339 lb-ft of torque, allowing for zero to 60 mph in 5.7 seconds. The smaller battery pack reduced curb weight by 240 pounds, improving acceleration and handling. The 62-kWh ID.4 Standard felt spritely during a short drive, but more seat time was needed for a proper comparison with the larger-battery RWD version. With AWD, the ID.4 had acceleration comparable to hot hatchbacks like VW’s Golf GTI and Golf R, but not the handling. The ID.4 allowed too much body roll to be truly entertaining on twisty roads, although it was comfortable and refined for long drives. The ID.4’s regenerative braking system didn’t support one-pedal driving, providing a more familiar experience for EV first-timers.

The 2022 Chevrolet Equinox offered seating for five across two rows, with a decent amount of headroom in both rows. Second-row legroom was good for the segment, but some competitors offered more legroom for front seat occupants. The tall seating position provided an unobstructed forward view, although the rear pillars created a bit of a blind spot, and the relatively small rear window hampered rear visibility. The climate control buttons and knobs were prominently placed below the touchscreen, avoiding the need to dig into touchscreen menus to change the temperature. The Equinox offered 29.9 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats up and 63.9 cubic feet with the rear seats folded, near the bottom of the segment. A power liftgate was available, but the Equinox lacked a sliding second-row seat and cargo-area storage bins found in some competitors.

The 2023 Volkswagen ID.4 provided more interior space than other affordable EVs, with more front-seat and rear-seat legroom than the Chevrolet Bolt EV or Nissan Leaf, and more headroom than the 2023 Kia Niro EV. It offered 30.3 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats up and 64.2 cubic feet with the rear seats folded, more than most other entry-level EVs. While it fell short of gasoline crossovers like the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 in interior space, it was the most practical among affordable EVs. The ID.4 also offered some towing capability, with a quoted towing capacity of 2,200 pounds for RWD models and 2,700 pounds for AWD models. VW made small changes to the interior for 2023, including a conventional lid for the center console, a better spot for a phone, and three-zone climate control with rear-seat controls and heated outboard rear seats.

The 2022 Chevrolet Equinox came standard with a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system featuring wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity, Bluetooth, SiriusXM satellite radio, and a built-in 4G LTE WiFi hotspot. Higher trim levels received an 8-inch touchscreen and a 4.2-inch instrument-cluster screen. Navigation and a Bose 7-speaker audio system were available. The 8-inch touchscreen in our test car was responsive and easy to use, with large, smartphone-like menu icons and good screen graphics. The addition of wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto was a major advantage, as most competitors still required users to plug in. The Equinox also offered a plethora of USB ports and power outlets, although the center-console slot for a phone was too small. Overall, the infotainment system covered the bases without too much fuss.

For 2023, the Volkswagen ID.4 made the formerly optional 12.0-inch touchscreen standard on all models, replacing the 10.0-inch screen on lower trim levels. The infotainment system received software updates to improve responsiveness, while wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto remained standard, along with the ID.Cockpit digital instrument cluster. The user experience remained largely unchanged, with sharp graphics, a choice of smartphone-like icons or a traditional automotive split-screen view, and natural-language voice recognition. However, the haptic touchpads on the dashboard and steering wheel, which replaced conventional buttons, were distracting and lacked physical feedback. The ID.4 also featured ID.Light, an ambient lighting system that changed color depending on the drive mode and provided visual cues for navigation directions.

The 2022 Chevrolet Equinox received top “Good” scores in most Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) crash tests but received a “Marginal” rating in the updated side crash test. It received the highest “Superior” rating for front-crash prevention tech in vehicle-to-vehicle situations and the second-tier “Advanced” rating for vehicle-to-pedestrian scenarios. The Equinox also received an “Acceptable” score for LATCH child-seat anchor ease of use. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gave the 2022 Equinox a five-star overall safety rating, with five stars in frontal and side crash tests, and four stars in rollover crash tests. Standard driver-assist features included automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, automatic high beams, a Safety Alert Seat, and Chevy’s Teen Driver system. Optional features included adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-change alert, and a surround-view camera system.

The 2023 Volkswagen ID.4 received a five-star overall safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), with five stars in frontal and side crash tests, and four stars in rollover crash tests. The 2022 model received the IIHS’ highest “Top Safety Pick+” rating, with top “Good” scores in all crash tests, the top “Superior” rating for vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention, and an “Advanced” rating for vehicle-to-pedestrian collision prevention in daylight. The ID.4 also received an “Average” score for the standard headlights, while the Pro S model’s headlights received a “Good” score. Standard driver-assist features included forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, blind-spot monitoring, rear park distance control, automatic high beams, traffic-sign recognition, and VW’s Travel Assist 2.0. The ID.4 also added standard Park Assist Plus automated parking, an automated lane-change feature for Travel Assist, and a 360-degree camera system for 2023.