--- title: "A Chevy Equinox Hybrid Is Looking Real Likely—But Not Before 2027" description: "As you read this, the first examples of the 2025 [Chevrolet]() Equinox are finding their way to buyers’ homes. And while the fourth generation of the brand’s best-selling SUV has certainly marked a glow-up in the design department, its powertrain…" date: "2024-08-22" modified: "2024-08-22" authors: - name: "Adam Ismail" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/adam-ismail" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/a-chevy-equinox-hybrid-is-looking-real-likely-but-not-before-2027" categories: - "Chevrolet News" - "News" - "News by Brand" tags: - "Chevrolet" - "Equinox" - "suv/crossover" --- # A Chevy Equinox Hybrid Is Looking Real Likely—But Not Before 2027 ![2025 Chevrolet Equinox Active front three-quarter image.]() *\Adam Ismail\* As you read this, the first examples of the 2025 [Chevrolet]() Equinox are finding their way to buyers’ homes. And while the fourth generation of the brand’s best-selling SUV has certainly marked a glow-up in the design department, its powertrain is less bold. For its first model year, the all-new Equinox offers just one engine: a 1.5-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder making 175 horsepower and up to 203 lb-ft of torque. However, all indications from [GM]() suggest a plug-in hybrid is on the horizon—it might just take them a minute to follow through. At a launch event for the new SUV, *The Drive* asked Chevrolet Global Vice President Scott Bell if there’s space in the Equinox family for a hybrid, considering Chevy has both the ICE and [EV]() extremes covered. Bell’s response was favorable, to say the least. “I think we’ve been pretty clear that we think plug-in hybrids have a role in the future of our portfolio,” Bell said. “Nothing to announce here today, but you know I think Mary \[Barra, GM CEO\] has been on record that 2027 is kind of the year that we would start to introduce that, and we have a lot of opportunities for plug-ins. We’re gonna certainly stay close to what the consumer is looking at and demanding but yes, there’s room in our portfolio for it, for sure.” [![]()]() [![]()]() [![]()]() Especially plugged-in (sorry) enthusiasts will note that GM has, in fact, already introduced a PHEV version of the new Equinox. It’s called the Equinox Plus, but at the moment, it’s slated for China only and will be produced via GM’s joint venture with SAIC for that market. The Equinox Plus improves on our turbo-four’s performance in a big way, supplementing that engine with a 188-hp electric motor to more than double the output of the ICE-only model. That’s a total of 365 hp and a staggering 416 lb-ft—*in an Equinox*. Whether due to differences between the markets, or logistical, regulatory, or political hurdles (probably all of the above, if we had to hazard a guess), GM seems less likely to straight up bring the Equinox Plus to our shores, at least in the form we recognize today. Bell recently described the Plus to [*GM Authority*]() as "a vehicle with a different purpose" from the ICE Equinox, before noting that it's manufactured in China. At the same time, Barra has indeed said that [the company has "a solid plan"]() to introduce PHEVs within three years, both in response to consumer demand and the EPA's ever-tightening emissions criteria. Many of the Equinox's key rivals, like the [Toyota RAV4](), [Honda CR-V](), and [Hyundai Tucson](), all offer some manner of electrification, whether through a conventional hybrid powertrain or a PHEV system. The 2025 Equinox will start at $31,080 shipped, and still slides in a few grand under $40K even in its [most expensive AWD Activ trim](). But the rest of the compact SUV set has proven customers are willing to spend well above that threshold for the performance and efficiency afforded by a hybrid powertrain. GM's focus on EVs in recent years appears to have come at the expense of electrified fuel-burning cars, but when they do finally arrive, it sure sounds like an Equinox will be among them. *Got tips? Send ’em to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Adam is a Senior Editor at The Drive, concentrating on curating and developing the site's slate of daily journalism, from initial pitch to final copy edit. When he's not at his desk researching leads and working with writers, he's testing vehicles or reviewing racing games, new and old. He joined The Drive in 2023, following seven years of covering consumer technology and cars. A car lover and gamer since his earliest memories, Adam came to know the automotive world through video games. First it was Daytona USA, Sega Rally, and Ridge Racer; then came Need For Speed, which inspired an encyclopedic knowledge of '90s supercars, and, of course, Gran Turismo. If not for them, he'd assuredly be doing something else right now. Adam is based in the suburbs outside Philly, where there are ample roads for his hot hatch to stretch its legs. In his car, he's probably listening to indie rock, drum and bass, or Yankees baseball. ### Author social links [Bluesky]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()