2017 Chevy Equinox Review

Standard equipment on the entry-level L includes 17-inch alloy wheels, automatic headlights, air-conditioning, cloth upholstery, a partial power driver seat with power height and lumbar adjustments, a 60/40-split second-row seat that slides and reclines, cruise control, a trip computer and a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel. In terms of onboard technology, the Equinox L comes standard with Bluetooth phone (but not audio) connectivity, OnStar communications (with an in-car 4G WiFi hotspot), a 7-inch touchscreen interface, a rearview camera and a six-speaker sound system with an auxiliary audio input jack and a USB port.

The Equinox LS is very similar but has a few extra features, most notably available all-wheel drive, satellite radio, a compass and an available towing package that's likewise optional on LT and Premier. It also comes with a standard Exterior Appearance package that includes different 17-inch wheels, body-color bumpers with gray trim and body-color door handles.

The LT adds body-color mirror housings, heated mirrors, LED daytime running lights, rear privacy glass, roof rack side rails and an upgraded touchscreen infotainment system that includes Chevy's MyLink interface, Bluetooth audio connectivity, voice controls and smartphone integration for Internet radio apps (Pandora and Stitcher).

At the top of the line, there's the Premier, which further adds 18-inch alloy wheels, foglights, unique exterior trim with chrome accents, remote start, leather upholstery, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, an eight-way power driver seat, heated front seats, driver memory settings, an auto-dimming rearview mirror and automatic climate control. Premier models equipped with the V6 engine also get firmer suspension tuning.

The LT's optional Convenience package adds a number of the Premier's standard features (remote start, automatic climate control, leather-wrapped steering wheel, eight-way power driver seat, heated seats). Ordering it also unlocks the separate option of a power liftgate. The LT Midnight package adds black paint, various black exterior trim pieces, 18-inch black-painted wheels, black leather upholstery and driver memory settings. The LT Sport package mirrors the Midnight package except that it substitutes white exterior paint.

Optional on both the LT and Premier are a sunroof, a Driver Confidence package (adds rear parking sensors and a blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert) and a Technology package (adds a navigation system and an eight-speaker Pioneer audio system).

Optional on the Premier only is a Driver Confidence II package (adds lane-departure warning and forward collision alert) and an Enhanced Convenience package (adds the power liftgate and an eight-way power front passenger seat).

The 2017 Chevrolet Equinox's standard engine is a 2.4-liter four-cylinder (182 hp, 172 pound-feet of torque). A 3.6-liter V6 (301 hp, 272 lb-ft) is optional on LT and Premier. Both engines come standard with a six-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive. All-wheel drive is optional except on the base L trim.

In Edmunds testing, a front-wheel-drive Equinox with the four-cylinder engine accelerated from zero to 60 mph in 9.5 seconds, which is slower than average for this segment. Complete EPA estimates were not available as of this writing, but expect 23 mpg combined (20/28) with all-wheel drive. While these numbers are respectable, we've had a hard time reproducing them in the real world, especially on the highway.

The 3.6-liter V6 comes with dual exhaust tips and much more muscle. In testing of the essentially identical GMC Terrain with the V6 and all-wheel drive, we recorded a swift 0-60 time of 7.0 seconds. There's a price at the pump, though. For last year's 2016 Equinox, the EPA said to expect 20 mpg combined (17/24) with FWD and 18 mpg combined (16/23) with AWD.

Properly equipped, four-cylinder models will tow up to 1,500 pounds, while the V6 towing capacity climbs to a handy 3,500 pounds.