Compare the2025 Volkswagen ID.4VS 2025 Chevrolet Equinox EV

The ID.4’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Equinox EV doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the ID.4 and Equinox EV have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The ID.4 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Equinox EV’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The ID.4 has a standard Automatic Post-Collision Braking System, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Equinox EV doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Both the ID.4 and the Equinox EV have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.

The Volkswagen ID.4 achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2024 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, and pedestrian crash prevention testing. The Equinox EV has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2024.

The ID.4 comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck. The Equinox EV’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

Volkswagen’s powertrain warranty covers the ID.4 3 years and 40,000 miles longer than Chevrolet covers the Equinox EV. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 8 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Equinox EV ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The ID.4’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Equinox EV’s (7/100,000 vs. 6/100,000).

Volkswagen pays for scheduled maintenance on the ID.4 for 2 years and 20,000 miles. Volkswagen will pay for tire rotations, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Chevrolet only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Equinox EV.

The ID.4 has more powerful engines than the Equinox EV:

As tested in Car and Driver the Volkswagen ID.4 electric motor is faster than the Chevrolet Equinox EV electric motor:

On the EPA test cycle the ID.4 gets better mileage than the Equinox EV:

The ID.4 has a standard locking charge port which locks and unlocks with the power locks. The Equinox EV doesn’t have a locking charge port. A locking charge port prevents tampering and damage.

For better stopping power the ID.4’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Equinox EV:

The ID.4 stops much shorter than the Equinox EV:

The ID.4 Pro S AWD handles at .86 G’s, while the Equinox EV RS pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The ID.4 Pro S AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.2 seconds quicker than the Equinox EV RS eAWD (26.9 seconds @ .68 average G’s vs. 28.1 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the ID.4’s turning circle is 6.6 feet tighter than the Equinox EV’s (31.5 feet vs. 38.1 feet). The ID.4 AWD’s turning circle is 1.7 feet tighter than the Equinox EV’s (36.42 feet vs. 38.1 feet).

For greater off-road capability the ID.4 has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Equinox EV (6.8 vs. 6.4 inches), allowing the ID.4 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Volkswagen ID.4 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 150 to 600 pounds less than the Chevrolet Equinox EV.

The ID.4 is 10.1 inches shorter than the Equinox EV, making the ID.4 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The front grille of the ID.4 uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Equinox EV doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The ID.4 has 1.4 inches more front headroom and .4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Equinox EV.

The ID.4 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Equinox EV with its rear seat up (30.3 vs. 26.4 cubic feet). The ID.4 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Equinox EV with its rear seat folded (64.2 vs. 57.2 cubic feet).

The ID.4’s minimum standard towing capacity is much higher than the Equinox EV’s (2200 vs. 1500 pounds).

A Service Interval Display is standard on the ID.4 to save the owner time and money by calculating maintenance intervals for vehicle inspections, vehicle inspection based on odometer mileage. This takes the guesswork out of keeping your vehicle in top condition and helps it last longer. Chevrolet doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the Equinox EV.

The ID.4’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Equinox EV’s passenger windows don’t close automatically.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the ID.4 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Equinox EV doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the ID.4 S/S Plus has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Equinox EV doesn’t offer cornering lights. The ID.4 S/S Plus also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

The ID.4’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Chevrolet charges extra for heated mirrors on the Equinox EV.

The ID.4’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Equinox EV offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Both the Volkswagen ID.4 and Chevrolet Equinox EV offer exterior mirrors that can be folded to provide convenience. The ID.4 offers available power folding mirrors, which allow for easy, one-touch folding or unfolding at the driver’s discretion. This provides added convenience when maneuvering or parking, as well as when walking past the parked vehicle. In comparison, the Equinox EV’s foldable mirrors are manual, requiring the driver to get out and physically fold them once parked and unfold them before getting in.

The ID.4 S/S Plus has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Equinox EV.

The ID.4 has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning costs extra on the Equinox EV.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Volkswagen ID.4 has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Equinox EV.

Motor Trend performed a comparison test in its September 2024 issue and the Volkswagen ID.4 Pro S AWD won out over the Chevrolet Equinox EV RS eAWD.