The 2025 Chevy Equinox debuts the crossover’s latest fourth generation, bringing with it a variety of fresh updates and changes, including new styling, an overhauled cabin, and a bevy of new tech features. Notably, the new ‘Nox also carries over the same turbocharged 1.5L I4 LSD gasoline engine as the preceding generation. Which leads us to ask – does the Chevy Equinox need a more powerful engine option?
For those readers who may be unaware, the 2025 Chevy Equinox offers the turbocharged 1.5L I4 LSD gasoline engine in two different output levels. For models equipped with front-wheel drive and a CVT, output is rated at 175 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 184 pound-feet of torque at 2,000 rpm, while models equipped with all-wheel drive and the GM eight-speed automatic are rated at 175 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 203 pound-feet of torque at 2,000 rpm. By comparison, the turbocharged 1.5L I4 LSDÂ under the hood of the 2024 Chevy Equinox is rated at 175 horsepower at 5,800 rpm and 203 pound-feet across the lineup, with both front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive models equipped with the GM six-speed automatic transmission.
Since the release of the 2025 Chevy Equinox, some enthusiasts have expressed an opinion that the crossover should offer a more powerful engine option. Some of the possibilities suggested include the turbocharged 2.0L I4 LTG gasoline engine, which was rated at 252 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque in the 2018-through-2020 Chevy Equinox, or the turbocharged 2.0L I4 LSY gasoline engine, which is rated at 228 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque in the Buick Envision.
Earlier this year, GM Authority spoke with Vehicle Performance Manager Stephanie Ernster, asking why the next-gen Equinox didn’t offer a more-powerful engine option. According to Ernster, GM didn’t receive “any feedback that says [the Equinox is] underpowered for what customers need,” so instead, the automaker “focused on the individual transmissions to at least be able to deliver a bit better fuel economy and drive quality.”
To back that assertion, the more powerful LTG engine option offered for the 2018-through 2020 model years accounted for only 15 percent of the Equinox sales volume.
Nevertheless, we want to know – do you think the Chevy Equinox need a more powerful engine option? Tell us by voting in the poll below, and remember to voice your opinion in the comments as well!
Comments
I’m saying yes, simply because the rest of the vehicle is upgraded and livelier than the outgoing model, it deserves more oomph.
We have a turd of an engine, already with problems, and it gets terrible fuel economy. It’s as if GM is pushing Equinox buyers into the EV, kicking and screaming. It won’t work.
I had a 2022 Equonix as a company car, put 105k on it. The 1.5t never impressed me at anything. It ate coil packs, burned oil, turbo went out at 90k, sounded horrible and went pretty slow. All while delivering 21mpg lifetime. I live out west, the speed limits are 80 and flow of traffic is closer to 90 so the short gearing did the powertrain no favors. I now have a 2025 awd Equinox, the 8 speed is a largely improved on the highway. It no longer revs as high and passing is greatly improved. Fuel economy 2k miles in at 25.3 on the same loop.
Does it need more power? I still think the transmission and fuel efficiency are the larger issues. The 2025 has this bizarre pause between shifts, its nearly a full second of no power when it shifts from 2nd to 3rd and 3rd to 4th….its so strange, it doesn’t happen if you shift it manually in L mode. The fuel economy is truly pathetic. I had a 2019 rav4 AWD and it got 36mpg on the exact same loop….it also was quicker. Didn’t have turbo torque but i’d trade midrange torque for the fuel economy and ultimate power. I rent vehicles frequently when traveling, the 1.5t is by far the worst engine in its class. I thought the 8 speed would improve fuel economy and acceleration a lot more than it did.
Needs the 6.2L in there.
Indeed. The small displacement boosted engines just don’t last.
YES!!!!!!!!!!!! Put the 2.5L that’s in the Acadia/Traverse in it. With all it’s TQ, this thing would NEVER struggle at any speeds and get very good MPGs. Heck the old 3.6L got just as good mpg’s as the old 4 cylinder 2.4L in the older generations. This new equinox is very attractive looking. especially in person.
You can’t even get GM to put the LSY in in these things because they are worried it’ll complete with the Envision and XT4, yet some how you want them to leap frog their internal competition and take on the Traverse? Wild take.
These things should come with the 2.0T though, at least in the higher trims, and if they’re worried they’ll cannibalize sales from Buick, then toss the 2.5T into the Avenir trims. It’s an easier sell having a 2.5T in an almost 50K SUV vs mainstream Equinox.
@Zoom zoom
They already tried the 2.0L and they axed it. Putting a motor that got axed BACK into the same vehicle probably wouldn’t sit well with consumers. Offering a brand new engine with more HP/TQ and it would get around the same MPGs is more enticing. Might as well try for a HOME RUN!!!
How about using the rear E-AWD and 1 or 2 Ultima batteries and make it a plug in Hybrid ?
If this has to be asked then you know the answer to the question.
This motor isn’t even competitive in its class. Sportage and Rogue look better on paper without driving them.
Yes
After a half dozen Equinox’s in the past 10 years. I can honestly say that they are underpowered. My 2023 is a great vehicle but very average on power and fuel economy. I had a 2020 2.0 and it was quick and fun to drive but the fuel economy was at least 4 mpg less than the 1.5. The 2.5 out of the Blazer would be a great option. GM is focused on the EV and the ICE Equinox is secondary. When GM goes bankrupt, nobody will remember the slow Equinox!
At the bare minimum the higher trim Equinoxes and Terrains should have more power. Ideally trims like the Active/RS and Denali should have the 228 HP LSY 2.0T for the prices being commanded. The fact that these new models actually see a drop in the highway ratings, especially the FWD Equinox which loses a whopping 3 MPG, even with new transmissions tell us this engine is working too hard. The 1.5T works fairly well in the Malibu which is around 3100 LBS. The Equinox/Terrain start out at 3428 with FWD and ends up at 3629 with AWD. Add in some cargo and passengers and your well over 4K. That is a lot of weight for only 175 horses to deal with.
Coming from a 2018 Terrain owner with the 2.0: if it doesn’t have a better engine option I won’t buy a new one, end of story.
A few years ago we still had a 2005 Equinox that had a V6 that would get up and move AND got decent fuel economy (~23). These overworked, turbo’d 4 bangers are never going to last like a naturally aspirated 6, and it’s even worse when they put these 4-hamster cage engines in trucks.
Absolutely! I bought my wife a new ’24 AWD with this 1.5 engine and it’s anemic. We traded in a 2018 Cruze RWD (lighter vehicle) that had a larger engine and got 10+MPG more. They had a nice 6 cylinder engine, but as usual, GM discontinued it. My motorcycle has a larger engine. It also doesn’t get very good gas mileage for a small 4 cylinder (26-27MPG).
The trend seems to be smaller engines, turbo charged to the max to get HP out of them. So much that some throughout the industry are now requiring premium fuel.
I’ve been a GM owner all my life, but I’ll have to reconsider on our next purchase. And I will definitely be doing a good test drive before committing.
If they put a bigger engine in it, it would cost way too much. If a customer wants a bigger engine, just get a Blazer or a Traverse.
They need to put the Duramax in it! I hate when I have to drive my partner’s Equinox: so small and wimpy!
They tried a diesel and it didn’t sell.
175 hp might’ve scraped by in the 90’s.
Today, in that size vehicle? Laughable.
Absolutely
My wife has the 2019 red line with the 2.0 she loves it and will keep it till the wheels fall off all because of how fast it is. I have a C8, but when I drive her Equinox, I have to be careful with the gas pedal so I don’t get a speeding ticket. Rented a 1.5 Equinox for a week, very big difference, not fun to drive or merge with.
I would like to see 200 to 225 HP. I currently own a 2022 Equinox RS. On trips I average about 32 to 33 mpg. City around 24 to 25 mpg. I have a 2017 Impala LT w/ the 3.6 L V-6. On the highway I get 31 to 32 mpg. and around 22 to 23 mpg in the city. The V-6 id rated a 305 HP. Basically the Equinox has half the horsepower yet gets about the same mileage as the V-6. Make you wonder if they use these moderately powered 4 cyl. to off set the poor fuel economy of the pickups and full size SUV’s
Duh. The 2.0 LSY is the obvious engine upgrade choice but GM, apparently, does not want a 2.0L Equinox/Terrain competing with the more expensive Blazer. Bad call, GM.
GM better cozy up to Toyota and take the hybrid engine from the RAV4 and put it in the Equinox and the Terrain
GM is focusing on EV’S all other manufacturers have multiple options with ICE, Hybrids and PHEV’S Ms. Barra needs to get her act together and start offering vehicles for every buyer in the marketplace.
If nothing atleast a more powerful hybrid option. That way they can not only offer a more powerful option but also a hybrid option too. Will it kill GM to offer more options while maintaining simplicity or no…a perk for China only?
I currently drive an ’18 AWD Equinox Premier, with the 2.0 and love it.(In addition to my ’23 C8 HTC) The Equinox has enough power for passing and the mountains, and it gets great mileage…23-24 in town and near and sometimes over 30 highway. I agree with Joe and Wesley. I’ll not be buying an Equinox with 175hp. Will have to look @ BMW M1 with 250 hp.
You don’t need to tell me. I have the LSY in my 22 XT5 (the successor to the LTG you have in your Nox). I find it to be a pleasant and underrated engine. It doesn’t feel overworked, its smooth, quiet, fuel efficient, and while it doesn’t have the get up and go of the High Feature V6, its still peppier in my heavier XT5 than my 16 Rav4 which is a lighter vehicle and has the same power as this 1.5L. The one thing though with the 1.5L LSD, its supposed to be high on low end torque for its class. So like Paul below says, its fine for those typically buying these vehicles. Nobody is buying an Equinox to blow people away at the light.
My 2025 Equinox LT has excellent acceleration. I can easily pass other cars when I need to do so. I do not tow a trailer and that would be one of the only reasons for a bigger engine. The 1.5 liter is just fine.
I am very happy with my 2025 Equinox RS. The 1.5 with the 8 speed is very comparable to my 2018 2.0 that I previously owned. Recently driving from Detroit to Upper Michigan almost 500 miles it averaged 29.1 mpg and ran flawlessly at 75 to 80 mph. Don’t knock it until you drive one.
Thats good to know – especially if you had the 2.0. It’s hard to believe the 1.5 competes with the 2.0, but we will have to go for a test drive.
I would like to see the 3.6L that I have in my Impala in it. Would be nice to get a “naturally asperated” engine as turbos fall and wear out. With the insane prices of vehicles, I would like to see longevity over power in small packages.
PS. Keep that AFM/DFM and auto stop BS out of it as I’m just going to disable it anyway.
We have the 2020 Equinox with the 2.0 – 252HP. Awesome driving vehicle. Power to pass and driving is great! Would have bought the new Equinox as a replacement if it had the 2.0. without it we will NOT buy it.
Only 0.1 liter more displacement than the older Trax/Encore/Cruze LUV and LE2 tells you all that you need to know.
This engine should have never been in the ‘Nox. I hope Trump blows up CAFE standards.
Big V-8’s are a thing of the past—so……….switching to a V-6 seemed to be the way to go. BUT—now you can’t even find a V-6 anymore!? Why? I, for one, am not part of “they” that decided we needed to go with 4 cylinder engines. This also explains why I am holding onto my V-6 equipped vehicles—a 2008 Uplander and a 2017 Traverse. NOTHING out here that GM offers interests me anymore!!!???
J’ai eu un Equinox 2018 2.0L turbo. Excellent véhicule, très fiable. J’ai été très satisfait de ce véhicule. J’ai opter pour le Buick Envision en 2021 et je viens de louer un Envision 2024, évidemment les 2 Buick avec le 2.0l turbo. C’est la bonne combinaison. J’ai fait l’essai du Equinox 2025, sur lequel il peut même y avoir un attache-remorque! Mais l’Equinox 2025 avec son moteur 1.5l, ça ne marche pas. C’est un moteur pour envoyer les clients chez la concurrence! Moteur 1.5l, pas fiable, sous-puissant, pas économique en essence. Moteur théorique en terme d’économie et d’anti-pollution. Tout est faux sur ce 1.5l., moteur conçu pour un véhicule comme Trax. GM doit au minimum, offrir le choix aux conducteurs. Tout ça sans tomber dans la démesure dans le coût de l’option.
Engine size is why I have not purchased a 2024 or a 2025 Equinox. I am thinking that maybe I will have to look at one of the foreign brands.
Our 2025 Equinox is a great SUV. The restyled cabin is very comfortable. The 4L has plenty of power to pass at 60 as well as 75 mph. We are get 27mpg overall and 36 on the hwy. Not going to pull a trailor. I have a Duramax if I need more power.
Yes, what would it hurt to offer a larger engine option for those who want it it for whatever reason. I’m a flat lander so I don’t care, but folks who live in the mountains probably want a more powerful engine option. Duh.
Chevy did great work with the redesign but keeping the 1.5 in the Equinox was a mistake. For the price, you can buy much better equipped vehicles (Powertrain wise) instead of going with the wimpy 1.5 equinox. Personally wouldn’t buy one with the 1.5.
Of course yes yes yes
To get every amateur for this beautiful vehicle
As the 1.5 engine is weak for competitors from other companies and the 2.0 engine is able to meet all the needs and satisfaction of customers
the general is out of touch with American drivers. the general lost me when they dropped the V8 in the vast majority of their cars.
Bring back the Premier trim, 2.0 motor, dual exhaust, trailer package, better sound system and let us choose what we want not what you want to give us!!!
I have a 2019 Equinox, which has the 2.0 engine!! I absolutely love it! It has fantastic acceleration, and, for a four cylinder engine, excellent power. When I saw they downgraded it to the 1.5 Turbo, I told the dealership we bought our Equinox from if Chevrolet didn’t bring it back when it’s time for my wife and I to get a new car, we will be looking at other GM options!!!! BRING BACK THE 2.0!!!!