There comes a time in many families’ lives when that tired Camry or Civic just cannot handle the children, dog or cat, and the latest IKEA purchase, which is why CUVs – crossover utility vehicles – are so popular. They have a touch more room for the family, but take up roughly the same footprint in that suburban garage.

There are at least 20 possible domestic and import compact CUVs to choose from; including Kias, Toyotas, Chevys and Fords. So which one do you choose? And what if the family wants to do some roaming that involves a dirt road, or beach?

Reviews Of Competitors: Ford Bronco Sport | Nissan Murano

That’s where the 2026 Chevrolet Equinox ACTIV AWD makes its case. By the way, this road test is of the gasoline Equinox, not to be confused with Chevy’s EV Equinox, which rides on a separate platform and is quite different than our inline-4 version. Hopefully we’ll see Chevy send EV Rider an EV Equinox for testing somethime soon.

Chevrolet’s compact gas Equinox came on out in 2005. Now in a fourth generation, introduced for the 2026 model year, it replaces a design that came out in 2018. The fourth-gen is outselling the last year of the third-gen – 228,000 as of September 2025, versus just over 207,000 for all of 2024.

So let’s dive into the redesign, outside first.

The new Equinox is a tad longer and wider. It’s face is taller and boxier than 2024’s, with slit LED DRLs on the upper edges over a smoked chrome H-accent that divides slim upper, and wider lower honeycomb black plastic grille. There are fake side inlets on the lower grille, while stacked headlights live outboard on the sculpted edges. Another intake lives below the blue body-colored bumper, with black plastic lower cladding that flows around to frame wheels and outline the wide lower sills.

Knobby 17-inch Goodyear Grabber A/T tires, aimed at helping this Equinox handle some of its perceived off-road duties, lives on boxy 5-spoke brushed silver and gray alloy wheels. The beltline rises after the rear doors and into a kinked C-pillar, with blacked-out upper slits expanding into the rear corner windows that appear to wrap around to the hatchback window.

The ACTIV also gets a contrasting white roof, with slim cargo bars atop. The rear window sits high under the sunshade/spoiler, with slimmer Y-shaped LED taillights framing the taller sheet metal under it over a more aggressive black lower fascia.

The new shape certainly looks more macho in front and rear, with a bit more surface sculpting in its flanks, and a lightly metallic Reef Blue paint with white top, liked by many who saw it.

Gas Equinox’s Interior Gets Digital, Styling Overhaul For 2026

A more Western vibe is just part of a sweeping interior redesign done in a hard black plastic dash top and bottom, with padded, patterned stitched tan in between, shot through with a buff metal-finish spear. There are new digital displays, not a sweeping panel like some, but sculpted together; replacing 2024’s more dashboard center-forward look with more knobs and less digital.

The padded black dashtop caps a textured tan dash-front slashed by a buff silver accent and some stitching, running from left to right. Cool jet intake-like a/c vents are set in transparent cones with ribbed gray underneath bookend the tan dash front.

The fully digital 11-inch gauge display can be configured to show a central tachometer with digital mph, flanked by information like tire pressure, audio and more. Or you can pop in a navigation map with digital speed readout, or just the speed and some basic stuff. Head right after the sculpted edge, and a large 11.3-inch navigation display – or navigation and info, or audio, or more, is center stage over slim air vents.

Below that is a double-deck array of real buttons for climate control, heated and cooled seats and more; flanked by dual zone knobs with integral temperature displays. The only touch of more basic black plastic is below the central dashboard design. There’s wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto

The last-gen’s center console-mounted gearshift is gone, moved to the steering column. That clears the way for a wide center console with a drive mode knob and that’s it, outside of cup holders and an inductive phone slot. There’s a deep padded rubber storage nook ahead of it, and more space underneath, plus a bit of storage under the center armrest.

The bucket seats get nice patterned tan cloth inserts with black leatherette bolsters. “ACTIV” is embroidered on the head restraints with some orange piping on the seatbacks. The front seats are a bit flat. The driver gains dual memory presets and power adjustment. The fat, stitched leather steering wheel had a nice feel with the usual buttons in front, and small paddle shifters integrated with audio and radio preset buttons behind.

There’s decent adult-size head and legroom for two in back, with a center armrest, more stitching and tan cloth. Overhead everyone is treated to a long moonroof with fabric shade and opening front section. The rear seatbacks split 60/40 and fold to expand a flat, 29.8-cu-ft cargo area with some wheel well intrusion. There is also storage space underneath. The power rear hatch opens high enough to clear my head.

It’s all very clean and easy to use, with some nice off-roader touches. That said, part of the dash had a slight buzz when the engine hit about 2,500 – 3,500 rpm.

2026 Gas Equinox Reaches 60 MPH In 8.8 Seconds

Speaking of the engine, while there are enough trim levels in the Equinox to satisfy anyone, there’s only one way to motivate them – a turbocharged 1.5-liter inline four with 175-hp, which is 5 more than the last-gen. Our all-wheel-drive ACTIV version gets an eight-speed automatic versus the CVT in the FWD version.. There’s no hybrid or PHEV available, but it does have an engine start/stop system to save a bit of fuel at traffic lights. It’s a bit clunky refiring when the light turns green.

Paddle shifters are included, which are more useful to tap and hold a gear going up or down a hill, or towing (up to 1,500 lbs.).

The Equinox gets three drive modes – Normal, Slippery and Off-Road, with no Sport option. Normal mode is front-wheel-drive, while all four get driven in Off-Road. We spent most of our drive in Normal mode, in cool, dry conditions; and found the Equinox is peppy in commuter use, if a bit lackluster. There’s a hint of torque-steer as our 2,100-mile-old Equinox moves out to hit 60 mph in 8.8 seconds, the 8-speed upshifting neatly, and downshifting when passing power is needed. Twist the knob into all-wheel-drive, and all four tires grab as we head to 60 mph in 9.4 seconds. We averaged 27 mpg in mixed-use commuting and neighborhood cruising. The 2022 Equinox RS I tested for a since-retired website got to 60 mph in 9.3 seconds in front-wheel-drive, and 9.5 seconds when switched to all-wheel-drive, and averaged 24 mpg over days of mostly highway driving.

Under the skin, there are MacPherson struts with specifically-tuned coil springs and a stabilizer bar in front, and a four-link independent rear suspension in back. For our Equinox’s off-road aspirations, the suspension tuning is a bit softer to handle bumps (more later). This 3,428-lb. soft-roader has a very comfortable ride on the highway, absorbing bumps easily and nicely, although there’s some after-bounce off speed bumps.

Those knobby tires do make a bit of noise at highway speed, but the Equinox is mostly quiet. We appreciated the video rearview mirror, crisp and wide-screen in daytime, and great in low light conditions. The butt buzzers – the seat bottom vibrates left, right or in back when you reverse to alert you to stuff you might nudge – also help, even when people walk behind or next to you in a parking lot.

In FWD, the Equinox tracked true with minimal body roll. Pushed harder and some understeer hissed a bit, but was easy to rein in. Pushed hard on our skidpad, and we had more push due to knobby rubber, but easy to handle with throttle – it’s a wanna-be SUV, not a sports car. Its dual pinion rack electric power steering had a direct feel with decent feedback as we felt it load up nicely in turns. It was accurate and direct. The disc brakes had a nice pedal bite and decent stops with minimal nose dive. There was no fade after some repeated hard use. The switch from front- to all-wheel-drive was instant once the knob was turned.

ACTIV means this Equinox can do a bit of off-roading, although there’s no skidplates underneath its 8.05-inch ground clearance. So we twisted the knob into Off-Road and tackled a deeply-potholed mud road along a saltmarsh in Florida. Splashing through those muddy holes, we appreciated the softer suspension as the Equinox just absorbed them with a bit of bounce, and we moved on. The Equinox structure was stiff and creak-free as the tires and all-wheel-drive – indicated on a gauge screen display – just grabbed and moved us along the slippery stuff. So the verdict – this Equinox is ACTIV enough to handle some light off-roading. But it’s not as nimble on-road as some of the competition, which is partly due to its off-road gear.

For safety it includes automatic emergency braking, forward collision alert, front pedestrian braking, lane-keep assist with lane departure warning and auto-high beams. The smart cruise control maintains speed and distance to a full stop, and stays put until you hit resume.

A base front-wheel-drive Equinox LS starts at $30,495. Our AWD ACTIV starts at $35,000, options were limited to the $1,495 panoramic sunroof; $950 convenience package with cooled front seats, power driver seat with memory and heated rear outboard seats; and $945 safety systems with surround vision cameras, rearview camera and traffic safety – the final MSRP was $39,785.

Bottom line: A sweeping redesign called “cute” by some, with well done and well designed interior with lots of room. A bit more power would be nice, plus a hybrid again.

2026 Chevrolet Equinox RS AWD Specifications

Vehicle type – 5-passenger compact crossover SUV
Base price – $31,700 ($36,515 as tested)
Engine type – Turbocharged DOHC 16-valve cast aluminum block inline-4
Displacement – 1.5 liter
Horsepower (net) – 175 @ 5,600 rpm
Torque (lb-ft) – 203 @ 2,000 – 4,000 rpm
Transmission – 8-speed automatic with manual shifting
Wheelbase – 107.5 inches
Overall length – 183.2 inches
Overall width – 74.9 inches
Height – 65.4 inchesGround clearance: 8.05 inches
Front headroom – 38.2 inches
Front/rear legroom – n/a
Second row headroom – 37.8 inches
Cargo capacity – 29.8 cu. ft./63.5 w/2nd row folded
Towing – up to 1,500 lbs.
Curb weight – 3,428 lbs.
Fuel capacity – 15.6 gallons
Mileage rating – 25 mpg city/29 mpg highway

The post 2026 Gas Equinox Ups Its Game With Redesign appeared first on EV Rider.

It’s great to see Chevy committing to a sub-$30,000 mass market EV, but in most cases the 2027 Bolt won’t end up being as affordable as it looks at first glance.

Let’s begin with the price: It starts at $29,990 before tax, title, license, any dealer fees, interest payments or options. Later in the model year, a $28,995 version is expected. It’s too soon to know with the Bolt, but often times manufacturers and dealers tend to keep just a few base models in stock, perferring to keep inventories filled with the more expensive versions.

A fully optioned Bolt with things like a sunroof and Super Cruise is expected to run about $36,000 before taxes and fees. So out the door, it’s likely many Bolts will end up costing more than $40,000.

However, many Many Americans will pay significantly more than that for their Bolts since they’ll need to take out loans and brand new models rarely start out with discounts or financing deals. So next, let’s look at financing.

The average car loan length has risen to roughly six years for buyers with prime credit scores, according to bankrate.com, and eight year loans are becoming more common.

The interest rate is going to depend on your credit score, but here’s a general look illustrating what median income shoppers can expect. The average new car interest rate is 6.7%, according to Experian, while Kelley Blue Book says a typical down payment is about 20%. That means – on average – many buyers will be financing roughly $32,000 to buy their Bolt.

When you put all those averages together, by the time the loan is paid off that affordable Bolt will cost a typical buyer more than $46,000.

Automakers Expect To Rely More On Subscription Fees

But wait, we’re not done with the car’s cost yet. Car and Driver reports GM is counting on monthly subscription fees for things like cellular connectivity to help keep the Bolt profitable. And, before you say “I’ll just use Android Auto or Apple Car Play,” no you won’t. GM doesn’t support either one in the Bolt and is phasing both out across its lineups.

GM Authority reports top tier subscription plans can top $50 a month on some existing GM models. Navigation alone can run $26.99, according to GM Authority.

This video and post isn’t meant to slam GM. If anything, Chevy should be applauded for bringing back the Bolt. But it does illustrate the larger, troubling industry trend. Even an automobile meant to be practical and affordable, really isn’t for many Americans.

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An AI analysis put together by Microsoft Copilot using some data from Financial Samurai asserts the average price of a new car has risen approximately 103% over 20 years while income grew more slowly at 68%. Fiancial Samuri also points out that car prices have been rising faster than the rate of inflation.

As far as the 2027 Bolt itself goes, based on early first looks, it appears to be a very solid choice with a 150 kW DC charging speed and 255 miles of GM-estimated range. We’ll look forward to road testing the 2027 Bolt once a media fleet car makes its way to Jacksonville, likely sometime in 2026.

In the meantime, here’s a summary of highlights about the 2027 Bolt:

• GM-estimated 255 miles of range
• Peak charging speed of 150 kW+, more than 2.5x faster than the previous Bolt EV. Charges 10% to 80% in 26 minutes with public DC fast charging
• First Chevrolet with native NACS charging port
• New, sporty RS trim
• Larger 11.3-inch-diagonal infotainment screen for navigation, playlists, and entertainment apps like Angry Birds, HBO Max, and more through Google built-in, plus a larger 11-inch-diagonal driver information screen
• Available Super Cruise driver assistance technology with more hands-free miles than previous models
• More than 20 standard safety and driver assistance features including Intersection Collision Mitigation, Rear Automatic Braking and Rear Cross Traffic Alert with Braking
• New interior with open console and all-new passenger dash storage
• Multiple USB-C ports and available wireless phone charging
• Vehicle-to-Home (V2H) bi-directional capability

Editor’s note: Some of the listed highlights include extra cost options.

The post 2027 Chevy Bolt Attempts To Tackle EV Affordability appeared first on EV Rider.

It’s a legend within its own wheelbase – the descendant of the first SUV, many say, with the apt name of Suburban.

Beginning production in 1934 as an all-steel “carryall-suburban,” it had bench seats for many inside, and became a go-anywhere alternative to the wood-clad station wagons of the day.

Suburban EV Competitors to check out: Cadillac Escalade | Rivian R1S

Now in its 12th generation, the Chevrolet Suburban – introduced in 2020 with a blunt, squint-eyed nose – has been refreshed for 2025.

One friend took one look at our Lakeshore Blue ‘Burb and said, “It just goes on and on and on.” And at about 210 inches, the plushest of all – our High Country does look very long in its resplendent deep light blue metallic paint.

There’s lots of versions, from the Z71 and Texas Edition to the Midnight, Premier Plus and RST Edition in recent years. And they do seem to be everywhere – federal agents like theirs in basic black – with 83,673 sold in 2007, it’s all-time recent high. About 51,000 ‘Burbs were sold in 2022, dropping a tad to 44,400 in 2024.

This generation was born in 2021, so it was time for its facelift. Chevy began by tweaking the grill design with a body-color cross bar and thinner bars dividing new upper LED DRL bars that also become amber animated turn signals, and moving headlights below. C-shaped DRLs divide the grille from lights, the latter neatly integrated into side intake slits. The bumper is higher and trimmer, with brush guard accenting its lower intake.

The flanks remain the same – a high design line spearing off the upper DRL’s, under High Country fender badges, then into tail taillights with glowing LED elements. The lower rear fascia gets tweaked under the step bumper. And we like the quad, square steel exhaust tips..

The roofline is shared by other GM SUVs, even Cadillac’s Escalade, and the doors look alike. Down low, what looks like black sills are power running boards in between huge 24-inch Bridgestone Alenza rubber on 14-spoke silver and black alloy wheels. Side windows get gloss black trim. The power hatch opens high, while puddle lights glow from under the running boards on unlock.

This is a massive SUV. The hood is chest-high for me, with the steel roof and its slim racks high above. For weight savings, the hood, doors and hatchback are aluminum. The rear hatch has a window that can be opened separately.

You use the power steps to ascend into the cockpit, although I still wish there were pillar grab handles vs. grabbing the steering wheel for leverage. That’s where you see that screens are the things – two of them to handle information, entertainment and education. And it’s surrounded by a mocha leather interior with some nice warm wood, stitching, brown seat piping, and some subtle patterned/perforated stripes.

Chevrolet Updates The Suburban’s Interior

In its mid-generation restyle, Chevrolet replaces the inset gauges with a full 11-inch digital screen that gains multiple versions at a tap of a steering wheel button, from a simple digital speed readout to a classic 140-mph speedometer and 7,000-rpm digital tach with configurable info screen in between, or even a full-screen navigation map with inset speedo. Then there’s a new 17.7-inch center screen angled toward the driver with a nice big volume button on top of the display. Main menu icons along the top access what you need, including a smaller map and choice of audio or other info screens. At the screen’s base, climate controls including seat heat and cooling, plus dual-zone temperature adjustment. Below that, some of that woodgrain, then air vents and a simplified climate control – with big dual-zone temperature knobs.

The leather front seats were firm, comfortable and very supportive. They are heated and cooled with “High Country” embroidered on head restraints. The driver also had two seat memory presets. The thick leather-clad wheel has a tiny paddle shifter paired with audio controls in back, and controls for smart cruise, digital dash info screen/layout and more up front.

The steering wheel is power adjustable. Controls for trailer brake bias, 4-wheel-drive, drive mode, surround-view camera and more are a bit hidden on the left of the wheel.

The wide center console gets padded sides with a deep inductive phone charger at the front, joined by dual USBs and a 12-volt port and twin cup holders. Under the wide center armrest, lots of storage underneath. The 10-speaker Bose sound system is good, with Google built-in with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and a Wi-Fi hotspot.

Climb through the back doors – there’s glowing puddle lights under the power steps at night – and you’ll find dual captain’s chairs with video screens on the back of the front seat head restraints. The front center console has dual rear cup holders and climate controls for overhead vents, and seat heat controls. There’s plenty of head and leg room.

The center row seats slide fore and aft a bit, making it easy to get into the third row, where a 3-spot bench seat can actually hold two adults for trips. The last row splits and power folds flat via cargo area buttons — the second row can be remotely dropped from there as well.

There’s a deep and usable cargo spot aft of the third row, with 25.5-cu.ft. – 72.6 cu.ft with the back row dropped, and 122.9-cu.ft. with second and third row dropped. The rear hatch powers open, with headroom under it.

Other goodies include a big head-up display, and nice “High Country” door sill plates. Simple black GM plastic marks the dashboard, center console and some other areas below the real woodgrain and leather.

Suburban Performs But Refueling Will Be Expensive

There’s 420-hp from this aluminum 6.2-liter V-8 and a handy 460 lb-ft of torque at 4,100 rpm, which is plenty to move this 6,051-lb. SUV through a 10-speed automatic transmission with Normal, Sport, Off-Road and Tow/Haul modes. Its Active Response 4WD system has electronic limited-slip differential and two-speed transfer case along with rear-wheel, 4-wheel-drive auto/high and low settings. Chevy says it can tow a decent 8,200 lbs.

Sport drive brings firmer steering with more feel along with all 420 horses out of the High Country, and firms up the Magnetic Ride suspension just enough to tighten body control.

Gas pedal floored, the Suburban jumped off the line quickly in rear wheel drive mode with a hint of wheelspin, hitting 60 mph in a satisfying 6 seconds with a nicely meaty exhaust snarl. Tap in all-wheel-drive with Sport, and all four tires grabbed and the nose rose a bit as we launched to 60 mph in 5.8 seconds.

Set in Normal mode/RWD, and this truck is still quick – 60 mph in 6.2 seconds, delivering an average 12 mpg – sometimes as high as 16 mpg in highway driving.

The 10 speed transmission never seemed to be at a loss to find the right gear. Downshifts were quick and smooth with great passing power even in Normal mode. But the shifter stalk is a bit clunky to use.

Give me buttons if you want to keep the center console clear. The small paddle shifters don’t work until you engage low gear. That’s done with a steering wheel button, then you can manually shift. Auto-engine off is pretty seamless when it refires as you lift off the brake.

Suburban Handling Features Include Automatic Load-Leveling

Under its skin, independent coil-over-shocks live up front, with independent multi-link with coil-overs in back. It has stabilizer bars for the front and rear, with Air Ride Adaptive Suspension offering automatic load-leveling and ride-height adjustment.

During highway driving it automatically lowers the ride height to help reduce aerodynamic drag. You can raise the body for additional ground clearance when driving off-road, or have it drop lower for ease of entry/exit.

The Magnetic Ride Control and stiff body gave this truck a supple ride with good bump resistance, and pretty quiet bar some tire noise.

This rig also swallowed speed bumps in any drive mode, with no head toss after running over them a tad faster than the speed limit sign suggested.

Set in Sport and Auto 4-wheel-drive, it actually felt a bit smaller than it was, hanging on neutrally with little body roll on expressway ramps. Push harder and there’s some initial understeer, but again, quite drama-free as power shifted where needed. Power into a 90-degree corner and understeer is there again, scrubbed off by traction control with secure handling.

The rack-and-pinion steering in Sport mode had a direct and neatly weighted feel, and we liked the tight turning circle.

On our relatively young 1,600-mile-old Suburban, there’s great initial bite high on the brake pedal with decent stops with no fade after some repeated hard use.

We never got off road due to bad weather, but a GMC I tested a few months ago tackled some rutted muddy roads with a sure-footed, stride that was not mushy over bumps. And along with low range, there’s hill descent control and overhead 360-degree camera.

For safety, the Suburban includes adapative cruise control that starts and stops with traffic along with lane change with side blind zone alert. The lane keep assist gently keeps you between the lines fairly well. It also includes rear cross traffic alert and automatic emergency braking. Like many GM trucks, if get too close to anything the seat buzzers seriously alert you.

A base Suburban LS with rear wheel drive starts at $63,495; our loaded Suburban High Country 4WD started at $84,200. The $4,835 High Country package adds sunroof, retractable running boards, trailer package and more while a $2,495 tech package with rear TV system and advanced security brought the total to $95,000.

Bottom line – Its big, but fairly luxurious and tech-filled as well as able to hold six adults. It drives very well, feeling a bit smaller than it is. It’s quiet and comfortable.

2025 Chevrolet Suburban High Country Specifications

Vehicle type – full-size 7-passenger four-wheel-drive SUV
Base price $84,200 ($95,000 as tested)
Engine type – OHV 16-valve aluminum V-8Displacement – 6.2-liter
Horsepower (net) – 420 @ 5,600 rpm
Torque (lb-ft) – 460 @ 4,100 rpm
Transmission – 10-speed automatic
Wheelbase – 120.9 inches
Overall length – 210 inches
Overall width – 81 inches
Height – 76.5 inches
Ground clearance: 8 inches/up to 10 in off-road mode
Front headroom – 40.4 inches w/moonroof
Front legroom – 44.5 inches
Second row headroom – 37.5 inches
Second row legroom – 42 inches
Rear headroom – 38.2 inches
Rear legroom – 34.9 inches
Cargo capacity – 25.5 cu. ft./72.6 w/3rd row folded/122.9 w/2nd and 3rd row folded
Towing capacity – up to 8,100 lbs.
Curb weight – 5,859 lbs.
Fuel capacity – 26 gallons
Mileage rating – 14-mpg city/18-mpg highway 

The post Chevy Suburban Raises Bar For 2025 appeared first on EV Rider.

These days, most jobs demand a badge to prove you deserve to be there, from an ID photo to a shiny shield on a uniform. So it’s no surprise that the new Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison wears a badge to prove its ability – an off-road tire bolted behind the cab.

The midsize Colorado’s third-gen arose in 2022 with a new engine in a reborn chassis. And this most aggressive off-road version horned its way in this year – the Bison, ours in Radiant Red.

Some EV Alternatives: Rivian R1T | Ford F-150 Lightning | Tesla Cybertruck

There’s a blunt nose, 2025’s version getting a revised, aggressive grille/bumper shape under a chest-high aluminum hood with black power bulges. A slit upper grille flows into LED DRLs over small, powerful headlights. A gloss black nose bar with Chevy emblem lives over a deeper intake.

ZR2 Bison Gets Added Off Road Chops

Then comes the collaboration with American Expedition Vehicles (AEV).

The off-road equipment supplier offers stronger bumpers, tightly tucked in so there’s less chance of snagging something. There’s boron-steel skidplates. Special AEV wheels are also 1.2-inches fatter under squared-off fender flares almost a half-inch wider than regular ZR2s. That offers extra room when the suspension compresses gold Multimatic DSSV dampers, with hydraulic jounce bumpers to help buffer compression in extreme off-roading.

The lower sills get serious double-bar frame protection and because those 35-inch Goodyear Wrangler tires are so wide, the only place for the spare is bolted into the bed. That means less rearward vision for the driver, who now really needs those side mirrors since no rear view camera mirror option is available.

With a 12.2-inch suspension lift, the steering wheel is handy to grab to pull oneself into the black-over-gray interior and leather driver’s seat. The passengers all get grab handles. There’s a basic hard plastic interior, nicely padded on passenger dashboard, doors panels and center armrest. But door tops are hard plastic, which is tough on elbows.

Colorado Interior Includes Wide Center Touchscreen

The digital gauge display now has multiple configurations like a 7,000-rpm tach circling a digital speedometer; a single big speed readout, or one with pitch, roll, steering angle and 4-wheel-drive status. You can fire up a G-force display, or full engine gauges.

The two-tone gray leather interior has contrasting stitching, carbon fiber inserts and a padded dashboard.

A wide center touchscreen offers navigation, apps, audio, phone and wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, with 4G Wi-Fi Hotspot. The touchscreen gets a real volume knob, and our EV Rider test truck had heated and cooled seats.

The driver’s seat has basic power adjustments and dual memory presets, comfortable if a bit flat. A stitched leather steering wheel gets audio volume and tuning behind along with the usual buttons up front. There’s no headlight knob or control. Instead, you have to access a sub-menu in the touchscreen to activate automatic headlights.

The gearshift gets a manual shift rocker switch next to the 2-wheel/4-wheel-drive high and low range knob. There are Normal, Off-Road, Terrain and Baja drive modes, plus Tow/Haul, with trailer brake bias control. USB ports and a cellphone inductive charger are in the center console.

The back seat bench has good head room, but only just enough leg room for adults. Seatbacks split and fold 60/40 forward into a fairly flat cargo floor, while flip-up seat bottoms reveal cargo bins. The cargo box has tie-down hooks, and a damped tailgate with integrated cargo box.

Colorado V-6 Option Dropped

There’s no V-6 anymore. Lesser Colorados get a 2.7 inline four with 237 hp. This off-road boss had the 310 hp version with 390 lb-ft of torque, hooked to an eight-speed automatic transmission with selectable rear-wheel-drive, automatic or full-time four-wheel-drive, as well as low range.

Our 500-mile-old truck’s turbocharged four sounds busy under load, but had decent power, hitting 60 mph in 7.4 seconds. A highway slog in Normal/rear-wheel-drive modes only averaged 15 mpg. For comparison, a 2,700-mile-old 2019 Colorado Z71 I tested then with V-6 hit 60 mph in 6.8 seconds, averaging 17 mpg.

The off-road suspension with Multimatic DSSV dampers was actually pretty good at asphalt-based commuting. Within its fully boxed perimeter frame are independent coil-over-shocks and solid front and rear axles that made it taut but comfortable on road.

Colorado ZR2 Bison Off Road Impressions

Speed bumps and potholes were smoothed out with decent buffering on rebound and no harsh impacts. Handling was OK in rear wheel drive mode with the back end staying put as it tracked through curves. In auto all-wheel-drive it was mostly neutral in tighter turns, predictable with a bit of understeer — and body roll — circling our skidpad.

Steering was tight with a nice feel. It had a bit of lightness dead center due to off-road tread squirm, and a tight enough turning circle. The 13.4-inch front/13.3-inch rear disc brakes had a nice pedal bite up high and good control, but a bit of nose dive and ABS chatter under simulated panic stops. While our 4,971-lb. Colorado may be smaller than the big Daddy Silverado it can carry up to 1,151 pounds of stuff, and tow up to 6,000 pounds.

Then we took the Bison to a rut-filled field in 4-wheel-drive, and it did not buffalo us. Deeply treaded Goodyears grabbed easily as it neatly handled everything with a comfortable ride and very good bump absorption, no head bounce or mushiness from the long-travel suspension. Bouncing over a small hill saw the Bison just absorb the bump and land with aplomb. Terrain mode allowed for near-one pedal driving at slow speeds – the Bison can easily handle rough stuff.

Ground clearance was just fine. I like the pitch/roll and steering angle displays in dash and center screen, graphically showing us on a shallow hill, where traction was just fine.

The Chevrolet Colorado WT base crew cab starts at $33,796; our crew cab adds $11,700 Bison package with all the offroad stuff and a bit more for a final of $50,680.

Bottom line: The most capable Colorado ever. It easily chews through the bush, yet is fairly comfy on the road, and maybe just enough truck for almost anybody.

2025 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison Crew Cab Specifications

Vehicle type – mid-size 5-passenger four-wheel-drive pickup truck

Base price – $48,695 ($50,680 as tested)

Engine type – Turbocharged DOHC 16-valve aluminum inline four

Displacement – 2.7 liter

Horsepower (net) – 310 @ 5,600 rpm

Torque – 390 @ 3,000 rpm

Transmission – 8-speed automatic transmission

Wheelbase – 131.4 inches

Overall length – 212.7 inches

Overall width – 84.4 inches

Height – 81.9 inches

Front headroom – 40.3 inches

Front leg room – 45.2 inches

Rear headroom – 38.3 inches

Rear legroom – 34.7 inches

Cargo bed payload – 1,151 lbs.

Towing capacity – up to 6,000 lbs.

Weight – 5,298 lbs.

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As it turns out Tesla ended up picking the perfect name for its Supercharging technology: The North American Charging Standard (NACS).

General Motors Chair and CEO Mary Barra has announced with Tesla CEO Elon in a Twitter Spaces webcast that starting next year GM EVs will be able to use Tesla Superchargers and starting in 2025 new GM EVs will come standard with a NACS charging port.

The collaboration will expand access to charging for GM EV drivers at 12,000 Tesla Superchargers, and growing, throughout North America.

“Our vision of the all-electric future means producing millions of world-class EVs across categories and price points, while creating an ecosystem that will accelerate mass EV adoption,” said Barra. “This collaboration is a key part of our strategy and an important next step in quickly expanding access to fast chargers for our customers. Not only will it help make the transition to electric vehicles more seamless for our customers, but it could help move the industry toward a single North American charging standard.”

The Tesla Supercharger Network will be open to GM EV drivers starting in 2024 and will initially require the use of an adapter. Beginning in 2025, the first GM EVs will be built with a NACS inlet for direct access to Tesla Superchargers without an adapter.

In the future, GM will make adapters available for drivers of NACS-enabled vehicles to allow charging on CCS-capable fast charge stations.

GM will also integrate the Tesla Supercharger Network into its vehicle and mobile apps, helping drivers locate, pay for, and initiate charging at Superchargers.

Rebecca Tinucci, Tesla’s Senior Director of Charging Infrastructure, added, “Our mission is to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy. Giving every EV owner access to ubiquitous and reliable charging is a cornerstone of that mission. We’re excited to work with other industry leaders like General Motors to provide access to the Tesla Supercharger Network via the North American Charging Standard.”

GM continues to work with others in the industry to accelerate the installation of home, work and public charging as part of its Ultium Charge 360 initiative. This includes collaborations with Pilot Company and EVgo that will add more than 5,000 DC fast chargers to the nearly 13,000 existing DC fast chargers in North America, as well as the deployment of community chargers throughout the U.S. and Canada.

GM didn’t say in its news release whether those will be NACS or CCS chargers, although since those announcements were previously made, it’s assumed those will still be CCS stations.

Last month Ford President and CEO Jim Farley made a similar announcement with Musk. With today’s announcement the big three American-based EV manufacturers have committed to Tesla’s North American Charging Standard.

The post GM Follows Ford In Adopting Tesla Supercharger Standard appeared first on EV Rider.

Think you can’t tow a camper with a small EV like the Chevy Bolt? Think again.

Gail and Devin Thorpe are proving It’s not only possible, they’re doing it and have launched a YouTube channel to document their adventures.

The couple, who recently moved to Jacksonville from Salt Lake City, originally envisioned towing with an electric pickup. They placed reservations for a Tesla Cybertruck, Rivian R1T and Chevrolet Silverado EV, figuring they’d buy the one that gets built first.

Post your comments or questions about the Thorpes’ Bolt and Aliner here.

At this point, it’s looking like the Rivian will end up being the one they get but it’s not expected to be delivered until December 2023.

Rather than put their camping dreams on hold, they decided to see if it was possible to tow their Aliner A-Frame with their front-wheel-drive Bolt. After a lot of research, they decided the answer was yes – despite the Bolt not being rated to tow by Chevrolet.

Editor’s Note: Chevrolet says the Bolt is not designed to tow and advises against it. Although EV Rider is sharing the Thorpes’ story, the video and this post do not represent an endorsement of towing with vehicles that are not tow-rated or specifically designed for towing.

Not only are they towing with the Bolt, their Aliner has 500-watts of self-installed solar power and a 2.5 kWh battery, allowing them to power a refrigerator and air conditioner off the grid for hours at a time.

For all the details, watch this week’s episode of EV Rider at the top of this post. And, check out Gail and Devin’s Our Solar Electric Trailer Journey YouTube channel for an episode on the EV Rider Zero SR/F electric motorcycle.

If you’ve enjoyed this week’s edition of EV Rider please give it a like and subscribe to my YouTube channel so I can bring you more adventures in EV motoring.

The post YouTube Couple Tows Aliner Camper With Chevy Bolt appeared first on EV Rider.

A new Chevy versus Ford rivalry is brewing, and this next-generation tale of the tape brings the first EVs from each to wear the top-tier SS and GT badges. 

Post your Blazer and Mach-E comments here

Chevy has just taken the wraps off its all-electric Blazer, which will go on sale in the summer of 2023. 

The Blazer clearly has Ford’s Mustang Mach-E in its sights with similar specs, styling, utility and pricing. 

The Blazer is going to be available in a wide array of configurations, including front-wheel-drive, rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive. So right out of the gate it one ups Ford, which doesn’t offer a front-wheel-drive only configuration for the Mach-E. 

When it comes to range, GM is estimating up to 320-miles per charge for its most fuel-efficient Blazer, while the most fuel-efficient Mach-E is rated at 314-miles per charge.

The Blazer also tops the Mach-E’s charging speed. Chevrolet says the Blazer can add juice at a peak rate of up to 190 kilowatts, while the Mach-E’s official peak is 150, although I personally have seen a regular peak speed of up to 155 kilowatts for my personal 2022 Mach-E AWD Premium extended range edition. 

What that means in real life: When conditions are ideal the Mach-E can add about 60 miles of range in ten minutes while the Blazer can add about 78 miles in ten minutes. 

Moving on to what motorheads really care about: performance. Chevrolet says the Blazer SS will get to 60 miles per hour in “under four seconds,” while Ford claims its Mach-E GT-Performance can get there in 3.5 seconds. 

The top SS trim beats the Mach-E GT-Performance on paper with GM estimating it will have an estimated 557 horsepower and up to 648 LB-FT of torque, compared to the Mach-E’s 480 horsepower and 600 LB-FT of torque. 

Chevy is also estimating the top SS will have a range of up to 290 miles, while the EPA gives the GT-Performance an estimated range of 260 miles. 

But don’t count the Mach-E out yet, since Ford is also showing off a Shelby version of its Mach-E that’s currently under development.  And, Ford has already developed a habit of increasing range between model years. 

Ford and Chevy have gone in different directions with their interiors with Chevy more closely mimicking the feel of a sports car, although it’s an SUV, and Ford going for a more minimalistic look. 

Both interiors carry a few family styling cues with the Blazer’s air conditioning vents mimicking the Camaro, while the Mach-E’s dual cowl mimics the Mustang. 

The Mach-E’s interior leans more heavily into its big vertical touchscreen to control things like the air conditioner, while Chevy provides more overall physical controls, which in my book is a plus.  

Chevy hasn’t released battery-sizes yet, but based on performance and range projections, they too look as though they will be similar to the Ford. 

Both cars offer true hands-free interstate driving with Chevrolet’s Super Cruise and Ford’s Blue Cruise, although Ford’s system doesn’t currently offer automatic lane changes. 

Pricing looks to be neck and neck with the Blazer projected to base at just under $45,000, while the Mach-E’s current base price is just under $44,000.  

There’s still a lot we don’t know about the Blazer but one thing is for sure, a new, electrified-generation of competition between Ford and Chevy is here. 

If you’ve enjoyed this edition of EV Rider check out this road test review of the Mach-E GT Performance and please subscribe to my YouTube channel and give this video a like so I can bring you more adventures in EV motoring.  

The post Compared: Chevy Blazer EV vs. Mustang Mach-E appeared first on EV Rider.