2026 Chevrolet Equinox

The 2026 Equinox carries over the fourth-generation (2025+) powertrain: GM's 1.5L turbocharged I4 (LSY) rated at 175 hp @ 5,600 rpm, standard and sole on every trim. No optional larger or higher-output engine is offered, so the volume LT trim and the range maximum are the same number — near the bottom of the SUV normalization band (150–550 hp).

Peak torque is 203 lb-ft @ 2,000–4,000 rpm, identical across all trims and both drivetrains. The broad, low plateau makes the Equinox feel adequate around town, but the absolute figure sits well below the SUV band midpoint (130–500 lb-ft).

Independent instrumented tests of the 1.5T Equinox place it around 8.5–8.8 s to 60 mph — slower than a CR-V 1.5T (~8.4 s) or Rogue VC-Turbo (~7.8 s) and far off the hybrid-powered compact SUVs. Confidence is held to LOW because no 2026-specific instrumented test could be verified in this scoring pass; the figure is anchored to fourth-generation 1.5T results, and 2026 is a mechanical carryover.

The 1.5T is smooth enough at light throttle and its low-rpm torque plateau suits commuting, but reviewers consistently flag mild lag off idle and a coarse, buzzy note when the engine is worked on merges and grades — a direct consequence of asking 175 hp to move a compact SUV. Sits mid-band: not unrefined enough for the sub-50 range, nowhere near the seamless delivery of the segment's hybrids.

Drivetrain choice determines the gearbox: FWD Equinoxes use a CVT, AWD models a conventional 8-speed automatic. The CVT is criticized for droning and holding high revs under hard throttle, while the 8-speed is generally smooth but can hunt between the lower gears when the modest engine is pushed. Mid-band behavior — neither is objectionable, neither is a highlight.

Maximum conventional tow rating is 1,500 lbs with the available trailering package — enough for a small utility trailer, jet ski, or a pair of dirt bikes, but not a boat or camper. That is the compact-SUV baseline, matching the CR-V (1,500 lbs) and Rogue (1,500 lbs) and near the floor of the 1,000–8,000 lb SUV band.

All-wheel drive is optional on the volume LT and sporty RS trims and standard on the ACTIV, so it is obtainable anywhere in the range rather than locked behind a flagship. The system itself is conventional and front-biased with no low range, no torque-vectoring rear axle, and no terrain-mode breadth — solidly in the 50–79 'available on most trims with basic operation' band, a notch below the Terrain, which makes AWD standard on two of its three trims.

The ACTIV trim gives the Equinox a light-duty outdoor variant — standard AWD, all-terrain-biased tires, a modest ride-height increase, unique fascia with better approach clearance, and off-road-oriented drive modes. There are no lockers, no low range, no skid plates, and ground clearance stays in normal-crossover territory, so it is a gravel-road and trailhead-parking vehicle rather than a genuine off-roader. Rated just below GMC's AT4 Terrain, which adds recovery hooks and underbody protection on the same platform.

The gas Equinox is a single-powertrain vehicle: one 1.5L turbo I4 across LT, RS and ACTIV, with no hybrid and no plug-in hybrid — a real gap in a segment where RAV4, CR-V, Tucson and Sportage all offer hybrid and in several cases PHEV variants. Scored slightly above a pure take-it-or-leave-it lineup because Chevrolet does sell the Equinox EV under the same nameplate at the same dealers, so an electrified option exists within the badge even though it is a separate vehicle on a separate platform.

The fourth-generation Equinox (redesigned for MY2025, carryover for 2026) offers a single 1.5L turbo I4 (LSY, 175 hp / 203 lb-ft) across LT, RS and ACTIV with no hybrid alternative — CVT on FWD, 8-speed automatic on AWD. EPA combined lands at 28 MPG for the LT FWD volume trim (26 MPG AWD), mid-pack for the compact-SUV band and well behind hybrid-standard rivals (RAV4 ~39, CR-V Hybrid ~37).

26 MPG city (FWD) sits below segment leaders — the 1.5L turbo has stop-start but no hybrid assist to recover braking energy, and the CVT is calibrated with simulated steps for smoothness rather than pure city-cycle efficiency. AWD gives up another 1 MPG in town.

30 MPG highway (FWD) is the Equinox's strongest efficiency number and roughly segment-average for a non-hybrid compact SUV — the small-displacement turbo cruises efficiently at part throttle, but the taller fourth-gen body and frontal area cap it short of class-leading figures.

A 15.6-gallon tank at 28 MPG combined yields roughly 437 miles between fills for the FWD volume trim — upper-middle of the SUV range band and one of the Equinox's better efficiency-category attributes despite unremarkable MPG. AWD trims drop to about 406 miles.

At 28 MPG combined on regular unleaded under the EPA's 15,000-mi/yr, 55/45 city-highway assumptions, annual fuel spend runs near $1,875 for the FWD volume trim — acceptable for a non-hybrid compact SUV but roughly $500/yr worse than hybrid-standard alternatives like the RAV4. AWD trims add about $125/yr.

The 1.5L turbo LSY is specified for regular 87-octane unleaded on every trim — no premium requirement, no diesel, no E85 complication and no charging infrastructure to arrange. Ordinary gas-station refueling keeps ownership friction at the top of the 80–100 band.

The fourth-generation Equinox (2025 redesign, carried into 2026 with no structural change) is expected to hold a 4-star NHTSA overall rating, consistent with GM's other current compact crossovers where a 4-star frontal result pulls the overall below 5. This value could not be confirmed against nhtsa.gov during this run and is the single highest-leverage number in the category — it should be verified before publication.

The redesigned Equinox holds no Top Safety Pick or TSP+ designation, and early results under IIHS's updated moderate-overlap (rear-passenger) and small-overlap protocols have been mixed rather than uniformly Good. Absent an award and with no confirmed clean sweep of Good crashworthiness results, it lands in the middle band — below segment leaders like the Forester and Rogue that carry current TSP+ status.

Every 2026 Equinox includes Chevy Safety Assist standard: automatic emergency braking, front pedestrian braking, forward collision alert, lane keep assist with lane departure warning, following distance indicator and IntelliBeam auto high beams. That covers the core, but adaptive cruise control and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert are not uniformly standard across the LT/RS/ACTIV range the way Honda Sensing, Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 and Hyundai SmartSense deliver them, which keeps the Equinox in the mid band rather than the 80+ tier.

GM's current AEB implementation with front pedestrian braking is standard on all trims and generally posts Adequate-to-Superior daytime results in IIHS front-crash-prevention testing on closely related crossovers, but nighttime pedestrian detection and higher-speed intervention have consistently been the weaker link versus Toyota, Honda and Subaru systems. No Equinox-specific published front-crash-prevention result to lift this above the middle band.

Lane Change Alert with Side Blind Zone Alert and Rear Cross Traffic Alert are alert-only systems with no active steering or braking intervention, and they are packaged rather than standard at the bottom of the range. Coverage is competitive once equipped and availability on the volume LT trim is broader than on the GMC Terrain twin, but alert-only functionality caps this well short of the top band.

Lane keep assist with lane departure warning is standard on every trim and works competently, but it is reactive — it nudges at the lane marking rather than actively centering. True lane centering arrives bundled with adaptive cruise higher in the range, so the volume-trim experience trails Honda Sensing's centering or Hyundai's Highway Driving Assist.

GM's full-speed-range adaptive cruise with stop-and-go is smooth and confident in traffic, and Chevrolet fits it more broadly across the Equinox range than GMC does on the Terrain. It falls short of the top band because there is no dedicated highway-assist mode between plain ACC and the paid Super Cruise tier, so mid-trim buyers get good cruise control without an integrated hands-on highway assistant.

Super Cruise is available on the 2026 Equinox — a genuine differentiator in the mainstream compact SUV segment, where most rivals offer no hands-free option at all. Super Cruise is among the most mature hands-free highway systems on sale, with roughly 750,000 miles of mapped North American divided highways and automatic lane-change capability. It is optional, trim-gated and subscription-backed after the trial, which keeps it out of the top band.

LED headlamps with IntelliBeam automatic high beams are standard across the 2026 Equinox range, with upgraded lighting content on RS and ACTIV. No published IIHS headlight rating for the current generation; comparable GM crossover implementations have typically earned Acceptable on volume trims and Good on upper trims, which supports a solid mid-60s rather than the Good-across-the-board top band.

The redesigned Equinox has an upright greenhouse, a tall seating position and reasonably generous glass, giving good forward and side sightlines. The rising beltline and thick C-pillars make the rear three-quarter view merely average, but a standard HD rear-view camera and an available HD Surround Vision 360-degree system close most of the gap on better-equipped cars.

Two outboard LATCH lower-anchor positions and three top tethers is standard and matches segment norms. The redesign widened the rear door aperture and rear foot space is adequate for rear-facing seats, but the compact footprint makes three-across installation difficult — a familiar compact-SUV compromise rather than an Equinox-specific weakness.

The fourth-generation Equinox is a two-row compact SUV offered exclusively with five-passenger seating across LT, RS and ACTIV; no six- or seven-seat configuration is sold.

Mid-pack front headroom for a compact SUV — matches the Ford Escape (40.0 in) and platform-twin GMC Terrain, and beats the RAV4 (37.9 in), but trails the Nissan Rogue (41.1 in).

Adequate but unremarkable front legroom that sits below the Escape (42.4 in) and well behind the class-leading Rogue (44.3 in), reflecting a driver's compartment tuned more for upright packaging than outright stretch-out room.

Second-row headroom is solid for the segment thanks to the squared-off roofline of the 2025 redesign, though it gives up ground to the RAV4 (39.5 in) and CR-V (39.3 in).

A genuine strength — 39.5 in of second-row legroom is among the better figures in the compact class, clearing the RAV4 (37.8 in), Rogue (38.5 in) and Escape (38.9 in) and trailing only the CR-V (41.0 in).

The Equinox is a two-row-only compact SUV — no third row is offered on any trim, so it scores in the low band by definition. Buyers needing a third row are pushed up to the Traverse.

The weakest part of the Equinox's packaging: 29.8 cu ft behind the second row is well short of the CR-V (39.3), Escape (37.5), RAV4 (37.8) and Rogue (36.5), so the extra rear legroom comes at the cargo hold's expense.

Seats-folded capacity of 63.5 cu ft again lands near the bottom of the compact class, roughly 13 cu ft behind the CR-V (76.5) and 11 behind the Rogue (74.1), though it edges the hybrid Escape (60.8).

The 2025 redesign brought a reworked center console with a usable covered bin, standard wireless charging on most trims, and decent door pockets — competitive everyday storage, but no standout innovation and no underfloor cargo trickery.

Front seats are comfortable for typical commuting with adequate support, but cushions are on the flat side and power adjustment plus ventilation are reserved for upper trims — comparable to the Terrain (62) and Escape (58), short of the RAV4 (73) and Rogue (78).

Suspension tuning favors comfort — the Equinox rides softer and more absorbently than the Terrain Denali over broken pavement, with acceptable body control, but there is no adaptive damping and the ACTIV's all-terrain tires add some patter.

An acoustic windshield and added sound deadening improve highway isolation over the previous generation, but the 175-hp 1.5L turbo drones noticeably under load with the CVT, and active noise cancellation is not as widely fitted as on the Terrain.

Remote start is standard and heated front seats plus a heated steering wheel arrive on mid trims, but dual-zone climate, ventilated fronts and heated rear seats are confined to the upper trims — a rung below the more richly equipped Terrain Denali (66).

The fourth-generation Equinox opened at $29,995 for the LT FWD including destination and Chevrolet held that entry point into 2026; it remains one of the cheapest ways into a compact SUV, well under the CR-V ($32,315) and RAV4 ($33,350). Replaces a placeholder that overstated the entry price by roughly $6,400.

LT AWD is the volume configuration; at roughly $33,000 delivered it undercuts the CR-V EX-L ($36,850) and RAV4 XLE Premium AWD ($38,950) by $4,000–$6,000, which is the Equinox's central value argument. The prior placeholder of $41,918 sat far above the real transaction band.

Routine service is inexpensive, but the 1.5L turbo and the FWD CVT push projected repair spend above the naturally-aspirated and hybrid Japanese compacts — above CR-V (~$5,800) and RAV4 (~$5,200). Cheap, widely available GM parts and labor keep it from running away.

This is the Equinox's structural weakness and the heaviest-weighted item in the category: it retains roughly 47% against ~68% for the CR-V and ~69% for the RAV4. Incentive-heavy new-car pricing and large fleet volumes anchor used values down, so the low purchase price is partly repaid in depreciation.

GM's standard limited warranty is the segment floor — the same 3/36 as Honda and Toyota, but half the Hyundai/Kia basic term. The prior placeholder of 3.8 years credited coverage that does not exist.

5/60 powertrain coverage is the class minimum and looks thin next to Hyundai/Kia's 10 yr / 100,000 mi, which matters more than usual given the turbo-and-CVT driveline. The prior placeholder of 7.1 years was not real coverage.

Chevrolet includes a single complimentary maintenance visit in the first year (oil change, tire rotation, multi-point inspection) plus 5 yr / 60,000 mi roadside assistance and courtesy transportation, and an OnStar/Connected Services trial. That one visit lands it in the 'short included-maintenance period' band — better than Honda's nothing (CR-V, 55) but well short of ToyotaCare's 2 yr / 25,000 mi (RAV4, 75) or Hyundai/Kia's three years.

$32,995 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (47% retained, or about $15,508) leaves about $17,487 in depreciation. Add the projected $6,100 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $23,587 in total.

2026 is only the second model year of the fourth-generation Equinox (redesigned for 2025), so owner-reported dependability data for this exact configuration is thin and new-generation launches typically dip in early reliability. Consumer Reports has historically rated the Equinox average-to-below-average and J.D. Power predicted quality for Chevrolet compact SUVs sits mid-pack.

Chevrolet sits in the lower-middle of Consumer Reports brand reliability rankings while landing at or slightly above industry average in J.D. Power's Vehicle Dependability Study — mid-pack overall, not a Toyota/Honda peer but well clear of bottom-tier brands. Consistent with sibling GM marques already scored in this dataset (GMC 56, Buick brands in the same band).

The outgoing 2018-2024 Equinox generation accumulated a substantial NHTSA recall list across its run — a reflection partly of the model's very high sales volume — and the 1.5L turbo drew well-documented oil-consumption and turbo-related service bulletins. The 2025+ generation is too new for a full track record but has already seen the software/electrical recall activity typical of a recent GM launch.

The 1.5L turbocharged LSY four-cylinder has been in GM's compact lineup since roughly 2018 with a mixed record — no red flags, but documented turbo actuator and oil-consumption complaints. Scored a notch below the mechanically related GMC Terrain because the volume front-drive Equinox pairs the engine with GM's CVT rather than the 8-speed automatic, and the CVT is the less proven of the two transmissions in GM service.

The redesigned Equinox cabin is dominated by hard plastics on the doors, dash and lower console, and reviewers consistently rank it behind the Mazda CX-5, Honda CR-V and Hyundai Tucson for perceived quality at the price. The volume LT trim in particular reads budget; ACTIV and RS add visual interest without materially upgrading the surfaces.

Assembly quality is competent and segment-typical — consistent panel gaps, no widespread rattle or misalignment complaints on the new generation. Built alongside its GM stablemates in Mexico with the mid-pack initial-quality results that implies.

Chevrolet operates the largest single-brand mainstream dealer network in the US at roughly 2,800-3,000 franchised stores, giving it dense coverage in rural markets where import rivals are thin. Service satisfaction is around the mainstream-brand average rather than a standout, which is what keeps this out of the 90s.

The Equinox is one of the highest-volume compact SUVs sold in the US and shares its engine, transmission and electrical architecture with the Terrain, Envision and other GM models, so parts are abundant, cheap and widely stocked by independents. Average annual repair cost sits in the normal mainstream-compact-SUV range.

The fourth-generation Equinox (2025 redesign, carried into 2026) ships an 11.3-inch diagonal color center touchscreen as standard equipment on every trim; unlike the platform-mate Terrain, which steps up to a 15-inch portrait display on Denali, the Equinox has no larger screen option, so the volume trim and the top trim read the same.

Google Built-In runs quickly on the landscape 11.3-inch screen with a logical tile layout, and the gas Equinox keeps a physical climate-control strip below the display rather than burying HVAC in menus — a real daily-usability advantage over GM's EV interfaces. Vehicle settings still require some menu-diving, and Google Maps/Assistant fall behind a paywall once the connectivity trial lapses.

The gas Equinox retains wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto as standard on all trims — GM's removal of phone projection applies to its EV lineup (including the Equinox EV), not the combustion Equinox. Standard-across-the-board wireless projection puts it at the top of the segment band.

Google Built-In supplies Google Assistant natural-language voice control and native Google Maps with live traffic — the strongest embedded voice/nav stack available in a mainstream compact SUV, and good enough that owners have a genuine reason not to reach for phone projection. Held short of the top band because Maps and Assistant are subscription-gated after the included trial.

A 6-speaker system is standard and entirely unremarkable; the available Bose premium upgrade on upper trims is a modest step up rather than a standout, and reviewers do not single out Equinox audio as a reason to buy. Squarely mid-band for the segment.

An 11-inch reconfigurable digital driver display is standard on every trim including the $29,995 LT — clearly ahead of compact rivals like the CR-V and Tucson, which still use partial-digital or smaller clusters on volume trims. Graphics are clean if not as configurable as the best luxury systems.

GM's VIP electrical architecture underpins the fourth-generation Equinox and supports over-the-air updates beyond maps alone, reaching infotainment, driver-assist and control modules. Update cadence and feature-adding scope trail Tesla and Rivian, so it earns the low end of the whole-vehicle band rather than the top.

The myChevrolet app covers remote start, lock/unlock, vehicle status and locate, but those core remote functions require an active OnStar Remote Access plan once the included trial expires — subscription gating that some rivals have partly walked back keeps this out of the top band. No phone-as-key on the gas Equinox.

USB-C data/charge ports are provided for both rows as standard, and wireless phone charging is a package or upper-trim item rather than standard on the volume LT. There is no 120V household outlet on the gas Equinox, which caps this at mid-band.

Keyless entry with push-button start and remote start are standard across the lineup, and a hands-free power liftgate is available on upper trims. No phone-as-key or digital key is offered on the gas Equinox, so it lands in the upper half of the middle band rather than the top.

An HD rear vision camera is standard and rear park assist is widely fitted, with GM's HD Surround Vision 360-degree system available on upper trims and packages — image quality from GM's HD cameras is among the better implementations in the class. There is no automated parking function, which holds it below the top band.

No head-up display is offered anywhere in the Equinox range — LT, RS and ACTIV are trim/appearance tiers with no premium flagship equivalent to the Terrain Denali, which is the trim that carries the HUD on the shared platform. Scored in the not-offered band.

The fourth-generation Equinox is a genuinely good car-seat vehicle for its size: 39.5 in of second-row legroom on the 108.1-in wheelbase is among the best in the compact class, the 2025 redesign widened the rear-door aperture, and rear-facing seats fit behind average-height parents. Two outboard LATCH lower anchors plus three top tethers is standard. What holds it to the middle band is the segment-worst 29.8 cu ft behind row two — a stroller plus a grocery run is a real squeeze — and a hands-free power liftgate that is reserved for upper trims.

Chevy Safety Assist is standard on every trim — AEB with front pedestrian braking, forward collision alert, lane keep assist with lane departure warning, following distance indicator and IntelliBeam — and Chevrolet fits adaptive cruise and side blind zone alert more broadly across LT/RS/ACTIV than GMC does on the Terrain, which is why this lands a few points above the twin. It stays mid-band because there is no IIHS Top Safety Pick for this generation, the NHTSA overall sits at an estimated 4 stars, and blind-spot/cross-traffic coverage is alert-only and still package-gated at the bottom of the range, where Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, Honda Sensing and Hyundai SmartSense hand families the full suite as standard.

Second-row space is the strong suit — 39.5 in legroom and 38.7 in headroom with standard rear HVAC vents — and the Equinox's suspension is tuned softer and more absorbently than its GMC twin, which suits multi-hour family stints. The limits are real: 29.8 cu ft of cargo with all seats occupied is well behind the CR-V (39.3) and RAV4 (37.8), there is no rear climate zone and no factory rear-seat entertainment, heated second-row seats are not offered on volume trims, and the 1.5T drones on grades with a full load.

As a commuter the Equinox is pleasant rather than effortless. In its favor: an upright seating position with good sightlines, a comfort-biased ride, a standard 11.3-in touchscreen and 11-in digital cluster even on the $29,995 LT, standard HD rear camera and remote start, full-speed-range adaptive cruise with stop-and-go fitted broadly across the range, and Super Cruise available. Against it: 175 hp and 203 lb-ft through a CVT on FWD models that reviewers consistently describe as droning under load, mild off-idle turbo lag, and audible coarseness in hurried merges. Scored a notch above the Terrain twin on broader volume-trim ACC availability and the softer ride, but short of a CR-V Hybrid or Rogue.

EPA 28 MPG combined (LT FWD) / 26 MPG combined (AWD) on regular 87-octane works out to roughly $1,875–$2,000 a year in fuel at EPA's 15,000-mi assumptions — average for a non-hybrid compact SUV and comfortably beaten by the hybrid-standard rivals a commuter would cross-shop, with the CR-V Hybrid and RAV4 Hybrid near 37–40 MPG and several hundred dollars a year cheaper to run. No hybrid, PHEV or mild-hybrid Equinox exists to close the gap. Consumables land at the cheap end of the class: regular fuel, ordinary tire sizes, and widely available low-cost GM parts and labor, which is what lifts it marginally above the Terrain twin.

A compact-SUV footprint of roughly 183.6 in long on a 108.1-in wheelbase is easy to place in city parking, and the redesign's upright greenhouse and tall seating position give good forward and side sightlines. An HD rear vision camera is standard and GM's HD Surround Vision 360-degree system — one of the better camera implementations in the class — is available on upper trims. It stops short of the top band because the rising beltline and thick C-pillars leave the rear three-quarter view merely average, blind-spot alert is packaged rather than universal, and no automated parking function is offered anywhere in the range.

The Equinox is not meaningfully a work vehicle, and the prior placeholder of 71 badly overstated it. Maximum tow rating is 1,500 lbs with the available trailering package — among the lowest in the compact SUV segment, behind the Tucson and Sportage (2,000–2,500 lbs) and far behind the Escape 2.0T and RAV4 (up to 3,500 lbs). A single 175-hp / 203-lb-ft 1.5L turbo leaves no torque headroom under load, payload is modest, the cargo hold is the smallest in the class at 29.8 cu ft, and there is no bed, no HD tow package and no higher-output engine anywhere in the LT/RS/ACTIV range. Enough for a small utility trailer or a pair of dirt bikes; nothing beyond that.

A unibody light-duty crossover chassis and GM's 1.5L LSY turbo — an engine family with a documented history of timing-chain and thermostat complaints, though revised for the 2025 redesign — put this in the 'should hold up with care, unproven under hard use' band. Points in its favor over the Terrain twin: the cloth-trimmed volume LT is more wipe-down tolerant than a leather-lined Denali, and the Equinox nameplate carries real fleet and rental service history, so its endurance under high-mileage duty cycles is at least a known quantity. Points against: no commercial or fleet-specific variant, no skid plating on any trim including ACTIV, and no severe-duty cooling or suspension option.

Provisions for trades work are thin. Cargo tie-downs and front and rear USB-C ports are standard and a dealer-installed hitch is available, with roof rails on the upper trims, but there is no 120V household outlet or inverter anywhere on the gas Equinox, no bed, no factory ladder-rack or upfit ecosystem, no washable or rubberized cargo-floor option on volume trims, and nothing resembling Silverado's ProPower Onboard. The ACTIV trim's content is lifestyle-oriented rather than work-oriented. The prior placeholder of 65 credited work provisions the vehicle does not have.

A 15.6-gallon tank at 28 MPG combined gives roughly 437 miles between stops (about 406 AWD), which is solid touring range for a gas compact SUV, and the acoustic windshield plus the comfort-biased suspension tune make it a more relaxed highway cruiser than its GMC twin. Super Cruise — genuinely rare at this price — is available and is among the most mature hands-free highway systems on sale, meaningfully cutting driver fatigue where it is equipped. Held to the middle band by flat front seats with ventilation only at the top of the range, cabin noise that this scorecard rates below segment par with the 1.5T straining on long grades, and the fact that the fatigue-reducing hardware is optional rather than standard on the LT most buyers take home.

The ACTIV trim gives the Equinox real light-adventure credibility: standard all-wheel drive, all-terrain-biased tires, a modest ride-height increase, a revised fascia with better approach clearance and off-road-oriented drive modes, with roof rails available for bikes and boxes. It sits below the Terrain AT4 on the same platform, which adds recovery hooks and additional underbody protection the ACTIV does not get, and below genuine trail vehicles in every respect — no low range, no locking differentials, no skid plates and ordinary crossover ground clearance. The 1,500-lb tow ceiling also rules out most trailered toys. This is a gravel-road, trailhead-parking and bike-rack vehicle, which is exactly the middle of this band.

The basics are covered — a 60/40 split-folding rear seat, a flat load floor, roof rails on upper trims and an available dealer hitch handle normal weekend luggage. The constraint is raw volume: 29.8 cu ft behind the second row and 63.5 cu ft maximum are near the bottom of the compact class, roughly 10–13 cu ft short of the CR-V (39.3 / 76.5) and Rogue (36.5 / 74.1), so the generous rear legroom is paid for out of the cargo hold. There is no underfloor storage bin, no sliding rail or divider system, no flat-folding front passenger seat for long items and no factory roof-box program.

The 2026 Equinox is a mechanical carryover of the fourth-generation (MY2025) redesign: MacPherson-strut front / four-link rear compact-SUV chassis, passive dampers on every trim, no adaptive suspension and no torque-vectoring rear axle. Cornering is secure and body roll is checked, but there is no agility to speak of, and Chevrolet tunes the same chassis softer than its GMC Terrain twin — better absorption over broken pavement, marginally less body control. The RS trim is an appearance package with no chassis, tire or damper changes, and the ACTIV's all-terrain rubber dulls turn-in further. Scored a point under the Terrain (57) for the softer tune, and well below the class dynamic benchmarks (CR-V 70, RAV4 68).

Electric power steering shared with the Terrain: accurate enough to place the car and light enough to make parking effortless, but numb on-center with essentially no road-surface information reaching the rim. Chevrolet does not offer a sport-tuned rack on any trim, including RS, so the volume LT and the sportiest-looking trim steer identically. Squarely in the 'precise enough but numb' band, matching the Terrain (55) and level with the Rogue and Escape (58).

Four-wheel discs shared with the Terrain and sized for a curb weight in the 3,400–3,700 lb range give linear pedal travel and adequate stopping power, with no fade complaints in normal mixed driving and no regen-blending complication to mistune since there is no hybrid variant. Nothing here is a standout — no instrumented result puts the Equinox near the front of the compact class — but nothing is a demerit either. Mid-pack, level with the Terrain (62) and just under the Rogue (70).

The sole powertrain is GM's 1.5L LSY turbo I4 at 175 hp / 203 lb-ft, driving a CVT on FWD models and an 8-speed automatic on AWD. The broad low-rpm torque plateau makes it smooth and adequate at light throttle around town, but there is noticeable lag off idle, the CVT holds high revs rather than stepping cleanly on grades, the 8-speed hunts between lower gears when pushed, and auto stop/start restart is occasionally coarse. Consistent with this vehicle's own cat1 marks for powertrain refinement (52) and transmission behavior (55), and with the mechanically identical Terrain (54). Far behind the segment's hybrids (RAV4 76, CR-V 75).

The weakest element of the Equinox's refinement. Asking 175 hp to move a compact SUV means the 1.5T is worked hard on merges and grades, where it turns audibly coarse and buzzy, and the CVT on FWD volume trims parks the engine at high revs and drones. An acoustic-laminated windshield and added deadening keep steady-state cruising civil, but do little under load — and this dataset's cat4 pass found active noise cancellation less widely fitted on the Equinox than on the Terrain, so it lands a point below its twin (51) rather than level with it.

Curb-to-curb turning diameter of 38.7 ft on the fourth generation's 108.1-in wheelbase — mid-pack for a compact SUV, tighter than the Trailblazer but a useful margin wider than the RAV4 (36.9 ft), CR-V (37.3 ft) and Rogue (37.4 ft), so tight parking structures and three-point turns take marginally more room than in the class leaders. Confidence is held to LOW because Chevrolet's own published figure could not be verified this run; the value is the published figure for the mechanically identical GMC Terrain on the same wheelbase and steering rack.

A genuine strength. The 2025 redesign gives a tall, upright seating position with excellent outward sightlines, an 11-inch reconfigurable digital cluster standard on every trim including the volume LT, and — critically — a retained physical climate strip and volume control below the 11.3-inch touchscreen rather than everything buried in menus. Held below the Terrain (71) because the Equinox's volume LT makes do with more limited seat adjustment (power and ventilated fronts are reserved for upper trims, and cushions are flat), and no head-up display is offered anywhere in the range. Comfortably above the Escape (68), below the Rogue and RAV4 (78).

The Equinox is engineered as transportation, and it succeeds on those terms without ever giving a reason to take the long way home: 175 hp and an ~8.6-second 0–60, numb steering, a comfort-first suspension tune, and a CVT that drones instead of rewarding throttle. There is no performance trim anywhere in the lineup — RS is a blacked-out appearance package and ACTIV a light-duty outdoor look with all-terrain tires, neither of which changes how the car drives. Scored just under the Terrain (50), whose AT4 at least carries a mild character of its own, and near the segment floor alongside the Rogue (45).

The fourth-gen Equinox makes an 11.3-inch center touchscreen, an 11-inch digital gauge cluster, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and the Chevy Safety Assist suite (AEB with pedestrian detection, forward collision alert, lane keep assist, auto high beams) standard from the entry LT trim, plus adaptive cruise control across the range — content most compact-SUV rivals reserve for mid or upper trims. It falls short of the 80+ band because cloth upholstery, single-zone climate and a manual liftgate remain the LT baseline, and there is no hybrid or standard heated-seat content to match Toyota and Honda entry trims.

At roughly $30k delivered for an LT FWD, the Equinox undercuts comparably equipped RAV4, CR-V and Tucson while delivering a larger standard screen and the segment's only hands-free highway driving option (Super Cruise, available on upper trims) — a genuine value story. The 175-hp 1.5L turbo and the absence of any hybrid variant cap it below the standout band, since rivals convert similar money into materially better fuel economy and acceleration.

The lineup is three trims — LT, RS and ACTIV — each offered in FWD or AWD, which covers the mainstream span but leaves clear gaps at both ends: no stripped base trim below LT and no loaded Premier-grade flagship above, with RS versus ACTIV amounting to a styling choice rather than a step up in equipment. One powertrain and no hybrid or plug-in option give buyers far less latitude than a RAV4 or CR-V range.

The Equinox is Chevrolet's best-selling SUV and a perennial US compact-SUV top-five finisher at roughly 200,000+ units a year, with the fourth generation launched for 2025 selling strongly out of the gate alongside the separate Equinox EV. It sits below the 80+ leader band because RAV4 and CR-V remain well clear of it on volume, and a meaningful share of Equinox output has historically gone to fleet rather than retail buyers.

Chevrolet is a broadly neutral mainstream brand in the US — familiar and widely serviced, but without the loyalty halo Toyota, Honda or Subaru bring to this segment. Equinox resale has historically trailed the Japanese class leaders, and the nameplate's rental and fleet exposure works against residuals and perceived desirability.

GM is among the most incentive-active mainstream automakers, and the Equinox routinely carries subvented low-APR financing, cash allowances and periodic employee-pricing-style events, so real transaction prices land comfortably under MSRP and the vehicle is genuinely negotiable — a strong buyer benefit versus Toyota and Honda compact SUVs that often transact at or near sticker. Scored at the bottom of the top band because the discounting reflects competitive pressure on a fleet-exposed nameplate rather than pure buyer upside.

The fourth-generation Equinox arrived for model year 2025 on GM's current front-drive architecture, so 2026 is only the second year of the generation — new sheetmetal, new interior and current-generation GM infotainment and driver-assist hardware, with no redesign risk for buyers in the near term. It stops short of 90+ because 2026 is a carryover year rather than the launch year and the powertrain is a carried-over 1.5L turbo rather than new tech.

Reviewers have generally welcomed the fourth-gen Equinox for its sharper styling, large standard screens, competitive pricing and the rare availability of hands-free Super Cruise, but consistently mark it down for the underpowered and coarse 175-hp 1.5L turbo, unremarkable fuel economy without a hybrid option, and mid-pack interior materials — placing it in the recommended-but-not-winning tier of comparison tests rather than at the top. No major class award (NACTOY, C/D 10Best) attaches to the nameplate.