The 2025 Chevy Equinox debuts an all-new fourth generation for the crossover, with new styling inside and out among the list of highlights. The cabin, for example, now includes larger screens, including an 11-inch diagonal driver information center and a new 11.3-inch diagonal infotainment screen. Critically, these screens now house the Equinox’s headlight controls, with the crossover ditching physical headlight controls outright.
2025 Chevy Equinox RS interior
Of course, the 2025 Chevy Equinox isn’t alone in its move away from physical headlight controls, with the 2023 Chevy Colorado, 2024 Chevy Traverse, and 2023 GMC Canyon all doing exactly the same thing. Meanwhile, the broader automotive industry seems to be following a similar path in removing physical hard buttons and switches in favor of additional infotainment screen controls and settings.
As it stands, the only way to control the headlights on the 2025 Chevy Equinox is through the infotainment screen. Although automatic headlights are equipped as standard, the decision to move the headlight controls to a screen could be frustrating for those customers who prefer a physical control scheme.
One of the reasons behind the switch away from physical controls to digital controls on a screen is pressure to reduce dependency on microchips. Following the global microchip shortage that occurred immediately after the COVID-19 pandemic, GM (as well as the broader automotive industry) was hit hard by production delays and stoppages as chip sources ran dry.
As such, it should come as no surprise that The General is exploring new avenues to reduce the number of chips in every vehicle it produces. Add in the popularity of Tesla, which almost exclusively runs controls through a tablet-style screen in the center stack, and it looks as though the prevalence of physical controls will continue to diminish.
2025 Chevy Tahoe interior
That said, we should still mention that the 2025 Chevy Tahoe and 2025 Chevy Suburban continue to incorporate physical light controls, which likely means GM’s full-size trucks and SUVs won’t migrate these features to a digital screen – at least through the current generations, that is.
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Comments
Who asked for this and who wants it? I sure don’t. And I’m sure most Americans don’t either. Bring back every single hard button. Hyundai/Kia and others have already learned this the hard way and GM was asleep at the wheel, again by not paying any attention to that. Minus 10 points on the ’25 Equinox’ score. It already lost 5 for that stupid auto liftgate that senses motion near the vehicle. GM will have lots of fixing (and on other models, too) to do.
Thanks Beach! I agree more with everything you stated!
The motion-sensing trunk/liftgate is a pain in the butt on Hyundai products, I don’t see how it would be better here. There is still a 100% chance of inadvertent opening just by innocently walking near the car with your key fob on you. What if you don’t notice it, and come out of the grocery store only to find a family of raccoons settled in? Or worse?
As far as buried headlight controls… another dim idea. A physical, simple switch works fine, why do car electrical systems need to be so intertwined? This leads to an all-or-nothing situation. BRICK.
I so rarely touch the headlight controls it doesn’t matter where its at.
IMO all controls need to be operable while wearing gloves and not taking one’s eyes off the road.
A touch screen menu meets neither.
In the book “the slow death of GM” this chapter is called, “How I saved another quarter on every car”.
Another “fix what’s not broke” by GM.
Once again GM had to find a answer to something that wasn’t a problem!! Every car review since the beginning of forever has stated that customers prefer hard buttons for controls. I’m sure they saved .29 on each button. They are so obsessed with cutting costs anymore that they either can’t see or don’t care that they are producing some of the most underwhelming products in years with dubious quality to say the least. I am a life long GM customer, but even I am looking at Toyotas. Get it together GM!!!
It’s saving money on supply constrained chips. Reading comprehension isn’t your strong point.
The daylight sensor system still probably requires a microchip, but how does eliminating a physical knob help reduce microchip dependency???
Thank you….Adding a switch hardly makes any difference in the number of microchips. Its a copout to save cost.
At the very least that switch is connected to an analog-to-digital converter. That would be considered a microchip. Not a complex one, but it is a microchip. You also lose the wiring, wire harness, installation of the switch, etc. So moving it to a digital interface might save them a couple of dollars per car in parts and labor. When you make the number of cars GM does a dollar here and there adds up.
What is the probability of failure versus a physical switch with wiring harness and NO software?
“It’s saving money on supply constrained chips.”
Penny-pinching on items that never should’ve had chips in the first place, is the wrong way to address this.
Why is every part now a “module” that needs to be networked to something else? If GM wants to reduce chips they need to drastically, drastically simplify their over-engineered systems. Versus seeing what they can trim from the edges.
Give it 5 more years. Voice command “Lights, Camera, Action.”
What could possibly go wrong ?
Unfortunately Chevy’s reliability is rated near the bottom.
Let’s be honest, the move is a cost cutting measure. Physical switchgear costs money. Nobody asked for this change but that’s what we’re getting, at least until enough people complain/locked up infotainment systems cause cascading problems.
OK, then make physical buttons an extra-cost option and see who coughs up the dough.
I’m in.
The kick in the gut isn’t cost cutting it’s that GM aggressively cheapens out from every aspect while charging more than anyone else for their subpar products.
The good news is all of their new “Google built-in” radios are having several serious problems including failure. Wont have to wait long before people start complaining that they cannot use the headlight controls in screen.
What problems? I love the Google Built in because it means I don’t have to be dependent on my phone. I prefer having it instantly on the dash and integrated instead of a mandatory phone hookup. I’ve had my 23 Sierra for over a year and never a single problem with the infotainment.
I agree with @5500, in that basic controls should be operable without taking your eyes off the road. Try finding the right screen and the right section of that screen in any existing infotainment system without looking at the screen. And GM even posts the warning in the infotainment system that taking your eyes off the road is dangerous. My personal opinion: They are driving toward a fully-automated vehicle, hands-free driving, with far less actual involvement in the driving process; get in, plug in the destination address and the vehicle does the rest. Just my opinion.
I’d be willing to bet most people set their automatic lights and never think of them again. There are much more important things to worry about than a headlight button. Just sayin
Victoria–I routinely turn the headlights ON in heavy rain. The DRL setting doesn’t illuminate the rear lights, and I want to be visible to the cars behind me. Many states–like Florida–require “lights on” during rain for just that reason. DRLs alone don’t meet the requirement.
I’d say that’s fair…rain does pop up quite often in Florida. It doesn’t rain much where I live, so for me, I can say I don’t really mess with my headlights.
Except when your wipers are engaged, GM vehicles automatically engage the head and taillights. Seems you don’t drive a GM vehicle or are unable to understand how your vehicle operates.
Mine turn on when in heavy rain automatically. The only time I have an issue is when it is foggy during the day then I need to turn the lights on. The DRL’s are not sensitive enough to know you cannot see through fog. Yes I do have a GM vehicle! GM till I die! Whatever changes are made a person needs to adapt. By the way, I have a 2016 Equinox.
“Except when your wipers are engaged”
What happens in fog and mist? Where you need headlights, but it’s just light enough for the autos to not come on, and one’s only doing occasional flicks of the wipers? (About 3 months of the year here…)
Too many variables for the $5 GM wants to save.
Mine turn on when in heavy rain automatically. The only time I have an issue is when it is foggy during the day then I need to turn the lights on. The DRL’s are not sensitive enough to know you cannot see through fog.
What happens when the infotainment system goes out. That is a typical GM problem. If lights are incorporated in that system I guess you have to wait for daylight.
Yeah let’s save a few $ not to have physical switches but in a few yrs there will be a recall for an expensive infotainment system, typical gm not listening to its customers. Time for a clean sweep in management.
I’m so happy with GM cutting costs for me! After the warranty goes, a dash replacement will probably be $3500 or more. Who will be stupid enough to buy a used vehicle with the potential of such high maintenance costs. Yes, they will sell you an extended warranty for another $2000. Do you see the pattern?
Today I watched a lady driving next to me. She had a cigarette in her left hand, a cell phone in her right hand and was trying to tune the radio on the screen. Needless to say, I backed off that disaster.
GM simply amazes me!
With all these moves to have everything on the infotainment screen I wonder when the horn will be moved there. I can imagine having someone swerve right into your lane and you have to go thru 3 screens to warn him with a horn honk. That will lead to many accidents and even if you find it how long have your eyes been off the road?
It makes no sense to me. Why does something as simple as a light switch to have a computer chip? It’s literally a switch, so just let power flow when it’s on and don’t flow when it’s off. Why does the computer even need to be involved? This consistent stupid dependence on computers to do the most basic task in cars is why they have so much trouble these days. Just use a simple on off switch to turn the lights on and off. I’m sure nobody would mind. That’s how it works on my 2003 Ram and my 69 Chevelle and guess what? The lights always come on and off with the switch. No chip needed. FFS GM is losing their minds over complicating everything.
This is in the same league as the glove compartment actuator on the first generation Tesla Model 3. To open the glove compartment you had to go to a secondary menu and push an electronic icon. I don’t know if Tesla ever fixed that or not.
The current Chevy Colorado already has the headlight control on the infotainment screen and no physical switch. The headlight control on the screen isn’t buried in a standalone menu somewhere. It resides as a “widget” on every screen so that it can be used regardless of what screen the driver is in at the time. Agreed, a physical switch would be the best option but if it is going to be a virtual switch putting it on every screen is the best solution.
It’s so starting to look more and more like getting a 2024 would be a better bet than waiting for a 2025. Too many oddities and unknowns with the 2025.
How can a company be so big yet be at the bottom in quality?
Want to save on chips, get rid of all the unnecessary software. Light switches shouldn’t need software, fluid level shouldn’t need software, ac systems shouldn’t need software ect.
Don’t text and drive! Soon it will be don’t touch the screen and drive!
Its like they ask themselves “What can we do that people will really hate?” and then they come up with answers for that.
Makes you wonder what else they cost cutted along the way. I’ll bet the quality control on these for the first year will be poor
It also means the steering column needs a redesign, but what about the bright headlight switch? Maybe it will be a button on the floor like it was for about 50 years. Placing it on the screen will be deadly.
Snow plow operators will kill without a physical switch.
“That said, we should still mention that the 2025 Chevy Tahoe and 2025 Chevy Suburban continue to incorporate physical light controls, which likely means GM’s full-size trucks and SUVs won’t migrate these features to a digital screen – at least through the current generations, that is.”
This is why I am being older more reliable Chevy’s and doing some work on them I can’t stand the new money pit unreliable cars that they are producing that you have to buy an extra warranty that does not cover everything including you’re valuable time
Hands free laws: “Don’t be on your phones while you drive its not safe”
Car manufacturers “hey let’s take actual buttons away and put them in a hard to find section of the controls inside the screen widget in the car forcing the driver to take eyes off the road”
So stupid!
Who asked for this?? No One. That’s who. I would like the master button that says “Put it back the way you found it and stop messing up things that weren’t broken in the first place”
Next they’ll decide that remote unlocking should involve cramming the remote into your rectum and squeezing once for the drivers door and twice for all the doors…..and you have to lick the remote to lock the doors.
I certainly like the hard buttons for climate control, but they are not backlit in daylight – only at night. Not sure what this is about – my Blazer EV controls are backlit at all times.