he optional engine's been a slow seller, but Chevrolet says it'll return with the refreshed crossover due next year.
July 17, 2020 10:57 a.m. PT
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The updated Equinox will also introduce an RS package, shown here.
Chevrolet
If you're eyeing a 2021 Chevrolet Equinox, you'll be relegated to the 1.5-liter turbo-four engine because the brand has dropped the optional 2.0-liter turbo-four from the menu.
Chevy told Roadshow the more powerful engine will disappear for the 2021 model year, but added that we'll actually see it return in 2022 alongside the refreshed Equinox. Without sharing more details, a Chevy spokesperson said it will be a "new" 2.0-liter engine. What changes are afoot for the mill, we don't know. We do know it's been a rather unpopular choice for buyers. The spokesperson said the current 2.0-liter engine only accounts for 10% of Equinox sales.
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The Equinox's refresh has been a tad confusing since the brand revealed the car back in February at the 2020 Chicago Auto Show -- perhaps the only auto show we'll see this year, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. The refreshed model was originally planned to hit dealers this year as a 2021 model. But parent automaker General Motors reshuffled plans and said we'll instead see the updated crossover on sale in 2021 as a 2022 model.
This shuffle affected GM vehicles up and down, too. The automaker previously confirmed with Roadshow that the ongoing pandemic has caused numerous delays for models such as the Traverse, Bolt EV and Camaro. The Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra were also in for updates, likely to make their interiors match the new Tahoe and Yukon SUVs.
Instead, it looks like GM will have a jam-packed 2021 calendar as it rolls out these updates later.