For 2022, the Chevy Equinox gets a makeover and what looks like a price increase at first, but is actually a price cut for most buyers.
First, that explanation. The 2021 Equinox starts at $23,800, plus a $1,195 destination fee. The 2022 Equinox starts at $25,800. Sounds like a price increase, right? It isn’t.
That 2021 price is based on the bare-bones Equinox L trim. So few buyers opted for that model that Chevrolet has removed it from the lineup for 2022.
That makes the better-equipped Equinox LS now the least-expensive trim level. On the 2021 model, the LS cost $26,400. The new $25,800 entry-level price, then, is a $600 price cut. All other Equinox trims saw similar price cuts.
That new, lower price will get you a sportier-looking crossover SUV with some new safety features. Both front and rear fascias have been reshaped. Thinner LED headlamps look more contemporary, and the grille now features chrome insets.
A new RS trim level changes that to a gloss-black, chainlink grille and adds black side rails and 19-inch wheels in a style Chevy is calling “dark android.” Inside, the RS features red stitching on black leather upholstery.
The suite of standard safety features Chevy added for 2021 has been upgraded. Automatic emergency braking, forward-collision alert, lane-departure warning, and lane-keeping assist are all still present. They are now enhanced by a surround-vision camera system, automatic parking assist, blind-spot alert, and rear cross-traffic warning.
The Equinox is Chevy’s second best-selling model and the top-selling SUV in the GM lineup. Our reviewers dislike its limited cargo space — less than the Toyota RAV4 or Honda CR-V — but like its low price and roomy rear seat.
