Last week, General Motors confirmed the planned refresh of the 2021 Chevrolet Traverse would be pushed back by one year and would arrive as a 2022 model-year vehicle, due to delays brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Now, the automaker has confirmed that the update planned for the 2021 Chevrolet Equinox has also been rescheduled for the 2022 model year due to pandemic-related setbacks. The mildly overhauled Equinox, which debuted at the 2020 Chicago Auto Show in February, will now go on sale early next calendar year, rather than later this year as previously planned.
“The timing for launch of the refreshed Chevrolet Equinox has been revised,” Chevrolet said in a press release. “It will now launch in calendar year 2021 as a 2022 model. We will share more details as we get closer to launch.”
GM applied a number of styling tweaks to the popular mid-size crossover for 2021, including a new front grille, redesigned headlamps and taillamps, a restyled lower front fascia with different fog lamps and a different rear bumper. It also introduced a new RS trim to the Equinox lineup for 2021, which gets its own unique front and rear fascias, black exterior accents, black badges, dark finish 19-inch wheels and a quad-tip exhaust. The Equinox RS also gets some mild interior enhancements in the way of contrasting red stitching and an ‘RS’ branded shift knob.
The refreshed 2021 Chevrolet Equinox keeps the same two available four-cylinder engines, which include GM’s turbocharged 1.5L LYX inline four-cylinder and turbocharged 2.0L LTG inline four-cylinder. The 1.5L engine is rated at 170 horsepower and 203 pound-feet of torque and is paired to a six-speed automatic, while the 2.0L engine produces 252 horsepower and 260 pound-feet and pairs up with GM’s nine-speed automatic transmission. Front-wheel drive is standard and all-wheel drive is available for a premium.
Pricing for the 2022 Equinox will be announced closer to its arrival next year. The 2020 Equinox starts at $27,495 including destination, before taxes or incentives.
Other 2021 model-year GM vehicle updates are also expected to be pushed back to 2022 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to the Traverse and Equinox, the automaker’s all-new 2021 model-year full-size SUVs could also be delayed, along with the updated Chevrolet Bolt EV and a yet-to-be-announced Corvette C8 model variant, among others.
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Comments
The exterior is evolutionary and actually not bad, except the horrible rear bumper styling, is so bad. The interior appears to be typical GM 3rd world grade “jet black” crap plastics… Pathetic….
It’s a mild refresh of their most popular vehicle that isn’t a pickup truck.
Only at GM would they need another year for a 6-8 week delay. They had better bake in better interior appointments in the meantime.
You must not understand how product timeliness work. A “6 – 8 week delay” doesn’t seem like much, but plants have to be changed by the suppliers and GM, employees need to be trained, marketing materials need to be made. Announcements and possible training for sales people right when the normal hot selling time for dealers occurs – summer. So instead of making a bad situation worst by pushing forward with old plans you do the smart thing and just change the date. These were only refreshes, not new models.
GM has kept the timeline for it’s new EVs the same because they are far enough out to manage their potential slowdown caused by Covid 19.
Too bad….even if and when things improve, the competition (mostly import brands) will continue to eat this also-ran alive.
Dave DiNatale
It’s no longer politically correct to call them imports. We now refer to them as the rental fleet brands.
I know that whenever I rent I avoid the GM products as they are the worst of the rental fleets… every interior is “Jet Black” crappy cheap plastics…
So sad that your only joy is “rah rahhing” for a company that is simply failing on so many fronts. Whats sad is that its unnecessary, if they’d simply put probably $150.00 more into their interiors they’d step up, but no…. and they’re not even improving stock performance with their cheap skate balancing act…. really pathetic.
Xjug
This sight helps me deal with PTSD (Pontiac’s Tramatic Sudden Disappearance)
The Equinox is one of the best selling vehicles in the country. It outsold the CR-V last quarter, only behind the RAV-4. I wouldn’t say that it is being “eaten alive…”
Sure, the quality could be better inside, but the overall product is a hit with consumers. It is a desireable offering that buyers want.
In that extra time they should be looking for ways to improve the 1.5T which is down on power compared to most every other competitor and is falling behind on MPG too. Changing to the 9 speed on the 1.5T sees a 2 MPG drop on it’s Terrain brother so that is beyond weird and going with the CVT like in the Malibu might help city and combined slightly but apparently not highway figures. I agree too that the interior needs to up it a notch as the 30-32K Hyundai Sante Fe’s I looked at not only had nicer interiors but 3 color combinations unlike the Nox and Terrain’s 2.
The Santa Fe completely outclasses the Equinox.
I wouldn’t touch the current model until they refreshed it – and the 2021 model (now 2022) has a defeat mechanism for start/stop. So I guess we are going with a competitor.
You tell em,’ can’t rent a better vehicle in Santa Fe than a Santa Fe…..
Go troll that POS to a Toyota site……
I agree with Davis! It’s certainly not the fanciest suv out there, but the price point is probably the best, along with rebates etc. So good in fact, my son bought a nice LT 1.5, his wife the same model as well……and I was due to turn in a 2017 Subaru Outback, 3 yr. lease, so I leased the LT 2.0 with the 9 speed trans., couldn’t be happier! I’m 68 yrs. young, and Have had many muscle cars in my younger years, (bought 2014 Camaro new) and have had great summer time only fun with it, BUT I have to tell you…..the 2.0T, along with the 9 spd. Tranny, really gets out of its own way, very briskly! If nailed from a dead stop, in fwd, it has guite a bit of torque steer…..fun when you’re ready for it, and it actually pushes you back in the seat! In the awd, you don’t experience the torque steer, but you still get pushed back in the seat, again, fun! Getting on the freeway is no competition, but lots of fun as well! The technology is amazing…..252HP and 260 ft-lbs. torque…..that you can actually feel and use just from a 2.0 turbo 4 banger! Such a small package, to still put a grin on this old farts face!
General Motors doesn’t need to wait an entire year as they could introduce the 2022 next April or May, staying with the current design until the factory is ready to build the 2022 instead of an entire model year and potentially lose market share to the competition.
Might this delay also include the new upscale Buick Envision assembled in China?
Genuine question–are any other brands delaying mild 2021 refreshes for an entire year over corona? I haven’t seen any announcements. It seems like it’s always been like we see a new Honda/Toyota/Hyundai model get unveiled today and it’s on lots within a month. With GM they unveil a mild refresh and it takes years to hit the streets.
It might, especially if major parts come from overseas and West coast longshore men aren’t working because of virus fears, not to mention less buyers now. Don’t think they’ll announce it yet.
If the 2021 equinox does not have switch to shut off the stop /start I will not be getting a 2021 equinox. My lease is up in November 2020. People hate that system. I am one of them.
GM authority asks what would we like us to write about. If they can do a little research on how GM is doing with online sales. Most dealers have to direct their sales dept. to all online sales now while shelter at home is active. Give us a little insight on how this is working out for dealers and GM.
In other words, 2021 model year for virtually every GM product is just going to be an extension of 2020 models. Got it.
i agree with Davis and Magenta. i am now on my 5th Nox since they came out in 05 .I have a 19 premier AWD 1.5l
My wife has a 2019 Subaru forester sport . while you may complain about the power in the Nox its is completely competitive with the Subaru in fact on the highway for passing and hill climbing its is better. The Nox shines in refinement compare to the forester, noise levels, interior comfort, etc The handling is far better especially tracking and feel. My Nox now has 103,000 km and has been basically trouble free. the Subaru has qualities , ride , space, visibility . maneuverability and a better AWD , but it is noiser, burns more fuel etc.I will buy another nox when the 22’s arrive . its very competent , great styling and above all very easy to live with
I too, will have to wait until the 2022 model year since I would require the design improvements to make a purchase. The current model is just too pedestrian-looking
for my taste. I haven’t owned a GM product since my ‘66 LeMans and would like to. But,
I haven’t found a good product fit for my preferences. I did like the 1st generation Volt styling, which did demonstrate to me that GM could design good-looking mid-level sedans, if they put their minds to it.
In my option, the front styling is ugly. The rear is pretty nice and the interior looks good. I’m happy it has a normal shifter rather than buttons. However, I just hate turbocharged 4 cylinder’s.
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