2023 Chevrolet Equinox vs 2023 Hyundai Palisade

The 2023 Hyundai Palisade, as Hyundai's largest SUV, presented a striking presence on the road, further enhanced by its 2023 styling update. The new front fascia, with its bold strokes and squared-off grille, gave the Palisade a more commanding look. Standard LED accents, daytime running lights, and headlights added to its modern appeal, while the Ultimate Calligraphy trim featured premium rear accent lighting and a unique grille. The Palisade's body-colour mirrors, heated and powered across all trims, added a touch of sophistication. In Canada, 20-inch alloy wheels were standard, with the Ultimate Calligraphy trim offering a new multi-spoke design. The new Robust Emerald colour option for the Ultimate Calligraphy was subtle and elegant, fitting well with the vehicle's upscale image. Inside, the Palisade's interior was stylish and bright, thanks to the dual-pane sunroof. Premium Nappa leather in the Ultimate Calligraphy trim and a range of seating configurations, including second-row captain's chairs, provided comfort and luxury.

The 2023 Chevrolet Equinox, while not as visually striking as some competitors, maintained an attractive and restrained design. Its chunky front end made the grille appear smaller, offering a refreshing change from the aggressive fascias common in the industry. The Equinox's new paint options, including Radiant Red Tintcoat, Blue Glow Metallic, and Harvest Brown Metallic, added to its appeal. Available in four trims—LS, LT, RS, and Premier—the Equinox offered both FWD and AWD options in Canada. The Equinox's design language, shared with the larger Chevrolet Traverse, and its big windows contributed to a sense of spaciousness. Inside, the Premier trim featured handsome two-tone leather upholstery, with heated front seats standard across all trims in Canada. Despite a somewhat dated interior with a small touchscreen and basic driver-information display, the Equinox was practical and user-friendly. The PRNDL shift lever and spacious cupholders added to its functionality. The Confidence and Convenience II package, though an extra cost, provided valuable features like lumbar adjustments, ventilated front seats, and an HD surround-view camera.

The 2023 Hyundai Palisade was powered by a 3.8-litre V6 engine, delivering 291 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. This made it more powerful than several competitors, including the Mazda CX-9 and Volkswagen Atlas, and slightly more so than the Honda Pilot and Nissan Pathfinder. The Palisade's eight-speed automatic transmission, with standard paddle shifters, provided a smooth driving experience. In Canada, AWD was standard, and the HTRAC system proved capable during off-road tests. While not designed for rock-crawling, the Palisade offered a comfortable ride and competitive towing capacity of up to 2,268 kilograms. Its fuel economy was 12.6 L/100 km in the city, 9.5 on the highway, and 11.2 combined.

The 2023 Chevrolet Equinox featured a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, producing 175 horsepower and 203 lb-ft of torque. Despite a slight power increase for 2023, the Equinox's performance was modest, particularly at higher speeds. Its six-speed automatic transmission, while older, provided a straightforward driving experience. AWD was available across all trims, but required manual activation. The Equinox's braking system, upgraded to an electronically assisted brake-by-wire system, offered smooth and predictable performance. Its suspension handled bumps well, and the steering was tight and accurate, making it enjoyable to drive in most situations.

The 2023 Hyundai Palisade offered ample space for passengers and cargo. With seating for seven or eight, it provided 1,052 mm of legroom in the front row, 1,077 mm in the second, and 798 mm in the third. Passenger volume totalled 4,397 litres. The Palisade's second-row seating facilitated easy access to the third row, and the 60/40-split seats folded flat for increased cargo space. Cargo capacity was 509 litres behind the third row, 1,297 litres behind the second, and 2,447 litres with all but the front-row seats folded. A hands-free smart liftgate was standard on all but the base trim. The Palisade's interior featured HVAC vents in all rows, numerous cupholders, and a well-organized centre console.

The 2023 Chevrolet Equinox, while not boasting the largest trunk in its class, offered 847 litres of cargo space behind the rear seats and 1,809 litres with the rear seats folded. Passenger space was generous, with ample headroom and legroom for taller occupants. Dual-zone climate control was available, and the interior featured higher-quality plastic components than previous GM models. The Equinox provided practical storage solutions, including cupholders for every passenger and a spacious centre console bin. The Premier trim's power liftgate operated quietly, and a panoramic sunroof was available on all but the base trim.

The 2023 Hyundai Palisade impressed with its technology offerings. A 12.3-inch colour touchscreen infotainment system was standard, featuring Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, navigation, HD Radio, SiriusXM, and Bluetooth connectivity. The Urban and Ultimate Calligraphy trims included a premium 12-speaker Harman Kardon audio system. The Palisade supported up to two Bluetooth connections and offered multiple USB charging ports. A wireless charger was standard on the Ultimate Calligraphy. The driver enjoyed a 4.2-inch colour info display or a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster on higher trims. Remote accessibility and management features, including Hyundai's Bluelink system, were standard, allowing remote control of heated and cooled seats.

The 2023 Chevrolet Equinox's technology was straightforward and user-friendly. The LS, LT, and RS trims featured a 7-inch touchscreen, while the Premier had an 8-inch display. Despite its simplicity, the system was crisp, clear, and responsive, with good voice recognition. The Equinox offered wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth connectivity, and a Wi-Fi hotspot. The Premier trim included a wireless charging pad, and a Bose seven-speaker audio system was available on higher trims. The driver-information display, though basic, provided useful features like music and navigation information.

The 2023 Hyundai Palisade earned a Top Safety Pick+ from the IIHS. It came with Hyundai's Smart Sense suite of safety features, including forward collision avoidance, driver attention warning, high beam assist, and lane-keeping assist. Blind-spot collision avoidance and rear cross-traffic collision avoidance were standard. Adaptive cruise control with stop and go was included on all trims. Highway Driving Assist I and II were available on higher trims, and a full-display digital rearview mirror was offered on the Ultimate Calligraphy. Safe exit warning and rear seat occupant alert were standard, enhancing passenger safety.

The 2023 Chevrolet Equinox included standard safety features like automatic emergency braking, forward collision alert, lane-keeping assistance, and automatic high beams. Blind spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert were optional on most trims. While the Equinox received a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA, it scored poorly in some IIHS crash tests, with a Poor rating in the moderate overlap front crash test and a Marginal score in the side-impact test.