2026 Chevrolet Equinox Reviews, Pricing & Specs

The Equinox is bigger and pricier than the Chevy Trax and Trailblazer, but sits below the Blazer and Traverse in the brand’s lineup. All of these crossovers have broadly similar styling, so it’s a good thing Chevrolet spells out the name of each model on its front doors. Take that away, and without a sense of scale, it’s hard to tell whether it's the Equinox or the three-row midsize Traverse.

That’s not a bad thing, though, as the Equinox wears its familial styling well. The broad fenders, squat roofline, and tall grille accentuated by high-mounted daytime running lights (the headlights are in pockets on either side of the grille) give the Equinox some authentic SUV character. It may still have a car-like unibody underneath, but the Equinox has the look and feel of something different. It’s a more successful design than segment rivals that try to blend car and SUV styling cues, but doesn’t devolve into cliché.

Chevy sells the Equinox in LT, Active, and RS trim levels, each with some model-specific styling features. The LT has standard chrome grille mesh (gloss black is also available) and 17-inch wheels. The RS has more black trim, a wider grille, and standard 19-inch wheels (20-inch wheels are optional). The Activ has a more prominent lower front fascia—meant to dial up the visual ruggedness—and more chrome trim surrounding it, along with all-terrain tires mounted on 17-inch wheels. Two-tone paint, with a white or black roof, is also available on Activ and RS models.

Inside, the mostly plastic surfaces don’t do anything to hide the Equinox’s price point, but everything is well-assembled and there are some neat details that make the cabin feel more than basic. Large, round air vents sit on either side of the dashboard, and a spear-like trim piece runs through it. Our Activ test car’s Maple Sugar (tan) and black two-tone treatment also helped to liven things up. Microfiber and Evotex (artificial leather) seats are unique to the Activ model, too. The LT has standard cloth seats and optional Evotex, while the RS has standard upholstery with Torch Red and Santorini Blue stitching. The RS also gets a flat-bottom steering wheel for a sportier look.

While the exterior styling and interior appointments offer more than expected, there are no such pleasant surprises under the hood. The only available engine is a turbocharged 1.5-liter inline-four making 175 horsepower. It’s connected to a continuously variable transmission (CVT) with the standard front-wheel drive (FWD) setup, which limits torque to 184 pound-feet. All-wheel drive (AWD) models have an eight-speed automatic transmission and are rated at 203 lb-ft of torque.

The turbo-four’s output was adequate in our AWD Equinox Activ test car. We never felt unsafe at highway speeds, but drivers need a heavy foot for overtaking maneuvers and merges. Surprisingly, the only issue was with the eight-speed automatic. We were happy to avoid the drone and delayed response of a CVT, but this transmission often hesitated to downshift, prolonging the application of power when we needed it. Using the steering-wheel paddle shifters helped to alleviate that, though.

Like the engine, the MacPherson strut front and four-link rear suspension set low expectations. The Equinox handles like exactly what it is: a small crossover designed for the widest possible audience. If drivers are patient with control inputs, the Equinox is at least very composed in corners. Quick steering inputs tend to upset the chassis—a result of damping that provides a comfortable ride—but also poor body control that leads to plenty of bouncing.

These qualities make the Equinox a great highway cruiser, as does standard active noise cancellation. However, that tech couldn’t cancel out the noise from our Activ tester’s all-terrain tires, which also came with a grip penalty. They’re the only real off-road upgrade on the Activ trim, which has the same eight inches of ground clearance as the base Equinox LT. Buyers get an Off-Road drive mode with AWD regardless of trim level, along with Normal and Snow modes.

The Equinox offers nearly identical headroom and first-row legroom to its competitors. Some rival compact crossovers offer slightly more rear-seat legroom, but that row still feels plenty spacious. The seats in both rows felt supportive but under-cushioned. Our Equinox Activ test car had the $950 Convenience Package III, which added a power-adjustable front passenger’s seat, ventilated front seats, a memory system, and heated outboard rear seats.

The driver enjoys an elevated perch that feels very SUV-like. However, the flat hood and the laid-back seating position necessitated by the deep dashboard limit forward visibility somewhat. Unlike the previous-generation Equinox, we actually put the surround-view camera system (part of the $945 Safety and Technology Package) to good use.

Up front, there’s a lot more storage space than meets the eye. An angled wireless phone charger keeps phones secure while freeing up the space ahead for loose change and cables. Behind all that are two decent-size cupholders and another small coin slot, neither of which are impeded by the new-for-2026 drive mode knob. And there's still a spacious center console storage bin.

For bigger items, the Equinox offers 29.8 cubic feet of cargo space behind its rear seats and 63.5 cubic feet when the 60/40 split-folding rear bench is laid flat. Both figures are well behind segment leaders such as the Honda CR-V, the Hyundai Tucson, and the Toyota RAV4. The Chevy’s maximum towing capacity of 1,500 pounds (for AWD models) is closer to the class average.

The Equinox is good value when it comes to tech. An 11-inch digital instrument cluster and 11.3-inch touchscreen are standard, and they’re placed side by side in a stylish curved housing that brings to mind current Audi cockpits. Unlike Audi’s setup, though, the touchscreen isn’t turned too far away from the front passenger, and the housing is low enough that drivers and passengers can easily see over it.

An Android-based infotainment system includes Google built-in apps, meaning Google Assistant performs voice recognition functions, Google Maps is the native navigation system, and third-party apps can be added via the Google Play Store. Unlike GM EVs equipped with this system, however, the Equinox retains wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

We had no issues with the infotainment system thanks to easy-to-identify icons and a shallow menu structure that meant most functions were one tap away. We still wish GM would include a physical headlight switch instead of the easy-to-miss icon at the top of the touchscreen, but at least the climate control and seat heating/ventilation get physical knobs and buttons.

Chevy also provides a lesson in large, but not excessive, screen space. The Equinox has a bigger touchscreen than some competitors such as the Honda CR-V, which makes for clearer icons and text and a better view when using the rear-view camera, but the screen isn’t so large that it dominates the whole cabin. Chevy doesn’t require buyers to tick options boxes to get this setup, either. Tech enthusiasts might not be impressed by the lack of an option for a head-up display or a more elaborate audio system (six speakers are standard), but the Equinox covers the bases for the average user.

The Equinox comes standard with expected driver-assistance features, including automatic emergency braking (with pedestrian and cyclist detection), forward-collision warning, lane-keep assist, lane-departure warning, high-beam assist, blind-spot monitors, rear cross-traffic alert (with braking), and rear park-assist. The forward-collision warning system was a little more sensitive than those of other brands, but otherwise things worked as expected.

GM-specific features include a vibrating driver’s seat to convey the warnings from the above driver aids, and the Teen Driver system. This lets parents keep tabs on their kids’ driving habits and mutes the audio system until the front-seat occupants fasten their seat belts.

In addition to the standard features, the Safety and Technology Package adds the aforementioned surround-view camera system, a digital rear-view mirror, rear pedestrian alert, and traffic-sign recognition.

The 2026 Equinox received mixed safety ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). In crash testing, the IIHS gave it the top Good rating in the updated moderate overlap front and side-impact tests, but a lower Acceptable rating in the whiplash and small overlap front tests. The Equinox also received Good ratings for headlights and front-crash prevention tech in the pedestrian test, and an Acceptable rating in the vehicle-to-vehicle test of the latter.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) hadn’t released safety ratings for the 2026 Equinox at the time of writing, and it didn’t test the identical 2025 model.

Chevy is one of the few brands in this segment not offering a hybrid powertrain option, but the Equinox’s EPA-rated 27 mpg combined (26 mpg city, 29 mpg highway) is comparable to the non-hybrids in the group. AWD models are rated 1 mpg lower in the combined and city categories, but we fell short of even that with a 23.9 mpg average. That might be related to our Activ test car’s all-terrain tires, even though they don’t make a difference in the EPA ratings.

Pricing starts at $30,795 (all prices include a $1,995 destination charge) for an LT model with FWD. The RS and Activ both start at $35,595 with FWD and AWD is a $2,000 option on all three trim levels. With the Convenience Package III, Safety and Technology Package, and a panoramic sunroof, our AWD Activ test car carried an MSRP of $40,985—very reasonable for the level of equipment it afforded. And unless drivers spend a lot of time on unpaved roads, they can skip the Activ model. Its main differentiator is all-terrain rubber that just makes a noise on pavement.

The Chevy's base price is a couple of grand less than those of the Honda CR-V and the Toyota RAV4, and about the same as the Hyundai Tucson’s. The Tucson’s Kia Sportage platform-mate undercuts the Chevy, though. The Subaru Forester comes standard with all-wheel drive, and its base price is $1,350 less than the cheapest AWD Equinox.

For those who just want a basic car with a decent amount of room, the Equinox is worth a look. It drives well (if unremarkably), looks good, and offers impressive interior functionality and tech. Those who need the most cargo space or fuel economy will find better options elsewhere, but the Equinox still performs reasonably in both areas. Chevy could broaden the Equinox’s appeal with a hybrid powertrain or an off-road model that offers more than just all-terrain tires, but it’s laid an impressive foundation with this third-generation version.