New 2026 Chevrolet Equinox Specs, Dimensions, Release Date

New 2026 Chevrolet Equinox Specs, Dimensions, Release Date  –  The New 2026 Chevrolet Equinox has received a nip here and a tuck there, with fresh front-end styling and a slight rearranging of trims. It also makes do with a single engine, meaning every copy sold will have precisely the same amount of power. Despite competing in a hotly contested segment, and being saddled with a few shortcomings, the updated Equinox offers good value – if you can cut through the engine noise to find it. New 2026 Chevrolet Equinox Specs

New 2026 Chevrolet Equinox Redesign and Update Plan

Exterior and Interior

An odd phenomenon consistently reared its head during the Equinox’s stay during a frigid winter week, one which reliably rankled the troops during early AM drives to hockey practice. Even after idling for the better part of 20 minutes thanks to a factory remote starter, the HVAC system in this car still blew cold air from its vents, with the gauge for engine temperature pegged in its nether regions. This, combined with GM’s decision to deactivate heated seats in an effort to save on hard-to-come-by microchips, made for insufferably cold morning drives.

New 2026 Chevrolet Equinox Specs

The level of amenity in the Equinox is impressive for its price point, including a great infotainment system. For right around $30,000, the LT trim is laden with natty LED fog lights, a power chair for the driver, heated front seats, and a plethora of advanced safety equipment.  New 2026 Chevrolet Equinox Specs

Unlike some of its competitors, GM does not penalize its customers shopping the lower rungs of the trim walk by stripping its wares of conveniences like push-button start and multiple USB outlets. Cloth seats in the LT are comfortable and seem durable enough to outlast the apocalypse – or at least the typical suburban family of small children.

Engine and Performance

It’s clear the team at General Motors (GM) benchmarked the Canadian-made Honda CR-V when developing this powertrain, since the Equinox that’s built about 200 km away has identical displacement and turbocharger count. They also make peak output (both horsepower and torque) at precisely the same engine speed. At 170 hp, the Chevy is down 20 hp compared to the Honda, but outdoes it by 24 lb-ft in terms of torque.

This 1.5L turbocharged four-cylinder is the sole offered, with Chevy dropping the 2.0L turbo option a couple years ago. Rumours abound that a different 2.0L turbo – one found in corporate cousins from Buick and Cadillac – was set for inclusion this year, but they never materialized.  New 2026 Chevrolet Equinox Specs

New 2026 Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Economy

So, let’s shine a bright light on this instead. Fuel economy was good during our week’s test, handily beating its estimate of 8.8 L/100 km in combined city and country driving. It took 45.3L of fuel to brim the Equinox tank after travelling 538 km; some napkin math shows that is equal to 8.4 L/100 km – a couple tenths worse than my records with comparable machines like the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4, which is also built in Canada, but close enough to be competitive. With gas prices as high as they are these days, it’s worth noting that the Equinox runs just fine on regular-grade stuff.  New 2026 Chevrolet Equinox Specs

New 2026 Chevrolet Equinox Safety Features

As standard equipment, all trims of the Equinox come with forward automatic emergency braking, a following distance indicator which gives you an auditory slap in the face if you’re too close to the car ahead, and lane-keep assist with departure warning. A so-called Advanced Safety package is available on this LT trim for the sum of $750, and is worth the cash since it brings items such as adaptive cruise control and heated side mirrors to the party. A leading reason to pony up for this option is the high-definition surround-view camera system, a unit which provides a crystal-clear view around the vehicle compared to the potato cams found in many Equinox competitors.  New 2026 Chevrolet Equinox Specs

New 2026 Chevrolet Equinox Price and Release Date

The Equinox value proposition is strongest at the lower end of its trim ladder, with even the entry-level LS including the same wireless infotainment goodies and heated front seats as our optioned-out tester. That machine, at just $28,398 before tax but with its non-negotiable $1,900 freight charge when equipped with front-wheel drive, is this author’s pick of the Equinox lot.

If your dealer is stocked with LT trims, try to find one without our tester’s True North package, a pricey option which – despite its name – doesn’t add options like all-wheel drive or a wiper defroster grid, but instead packs on needless items such as a panoramic sunroof. It’s better to stick with the optional $1,485 Confidence & Convenience package, which adds a power tailgate and dual-zone climate control for a reasonable price.  New 2026 Chevrolet Equinox Specs