2023 is a big year for the Chevrolet Equinox as it will most likely be the last year this current generation will be produced. News has already populated about a new generation Equinox for 2024 with an all-new EV powertrain; but no news has broken whether there will be a gas option available. Until that information comes, this very well may be the last gasoline Equinox you can buy.

But before it goes, the Equinox has been updated for one last go around the block with crisp new styling.  Both the front and rear fascia has been updated with split LED headlights and Blazer styled LED taillights, a new grille design has been added and there is now a sporty RS trim available near the top end of the Equinox trim line, just below the Premier starting at $32,095.

The RS is the handsomer Equinox of the bunch with a chic black honeycomb mesh grille, blacked out badges and standard 19-inch black wheels. New for 2023 added a gorgeous Radiant Red tint coat paint that showcased the Equinox lines like pantyhose on stunning long legs. As for the interior, things remain the same with some minor tweaks to the materials due to the RS trim adding in red stitching and a thick bolstered steering wheel. Overall, the interior is plain jane compared to some of its newer competitors like the Kia Sportage or Honda CR-V; however, its plainness doesn’t out way its functional-ness as everything is easy to reach and simple to manage through the 8-inch touch screen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto Connectivity.

With the drop of the 2.0-liter turbocharged engine back in 2021, the Equinox was left to its sole 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder propulsion. As fitting as the 2.0-T would have been for the RS trim, at least for 2023, the 1.5-turbo engine received a boost in power, although minor, it now produces 175-horsepower over the previous 170. Paired to a 6-speed automatic transmission, the Equinox is merely average at best in terms of performance. Getting to 60-mph requires just under 9-seconds of your life and sadly for the RS trim, there is no sport button to spice things up.

Overall, the Equinox does make for a pleasant crossover. It handles itself well on the road with decent road mannerisms and balanced body control; steering is fairly decent with nicely tuned feedback. The suspension copes with the road roughness, even on its larger 19-inch wheels. However, with the pleasantness of the Equinox’s ride quality and controllability, it is let down by its transmission. The 1.5-turbo engine is sufficient to get the job, and carries its moments of perky willingness, but with its paired 6-speed automatic, the transmission makes for a dramatic let down over the Equinox’s capabilities. The transmission is extremely dull with slow gear changes and delayed downshift moments, finding that it constant downshifts into second gear long after it was needed.

It is no secret that Chevrolet loves to add its options list, but I guess at least they’re not nearly as bad as Porsche. None the less, the options list starts to push the Equinox closer to the $40,000 range with equipment like the $1200 Safety and Infotainment Package that adds in Adaptive Cruise Control, a Heated Steering Wheel, 360-degree surround view camera and the 8-inch infotainment system. Then there’s the $495 panoramic sunroof, $1580 RS Leather Package, $1600 for All-Wheel Drive and $495 for Radiant Red paint. However, among all these options, blind-spot monitoring was missing from this equipment list, if only we  could have spared the extra $200 for an option that is now standard on many other competitors’ high trimmed models.

Overall, the Equinox is falling short of its main objective. With such excellentness from the Trailblazer and from the same company that brings back the new Hummer, the Equinox is disappointing. One only hopes that its new generation makes a dramatic difference.