The Chevrolet Equinox is a compact crossover SUV, first introduced in 2004 in the mid-size UV class. If you are currently in the market for a small and stylish SUV, packed with impressive safety and infotainment features, the Chevy Equinox might just be the one for you.
You may be wondering, is the Chevy Equinox AWD or FWD? This is a very important question and we have the answer and all the information you need about front-wheel and all-wheel drive, right here in the article.
The 2022 Chevrolet Equinox comes standard with front-wheel drive only. However, all-wheel drive is available on all trims. The latest Chevy Equinox has four available trims: LS, LT, RS, and Premier.
All Chevrolet Equinox vehicles from 2005 onwards have all-wheel drive available in the LS trims and above. The Chevy Equinox does not currently have an all-wheel drive available in any of the standard models.
FWD stands for front-wheel drive. If your vehicle is FWD, it means all the power from the engine is going to the front two wheels and the rear wheels are pulled along behind. When driving in front-wheel drive, no power is being delivered from the engine to the rear wheels.
The engine under the hood is often placed sideways and directly above the front wheels, therefore, adding more weight to the wheels and improving their traction on the road.
Whilst vehicles with an FWD drivetrain are known to provide good stability, traction, and fuel economy, some drivers argue that all-wheel drive and four-wheel drive vehicles are the best option for driving off-road and in icy conditions.
Occasionally you may notice the terms AWD and 4WD being used interchangeably, but there is a difference between the two. AWD is an acronym for all-wheel drive and 4WD means four-wheel drive.
There are two different types of all-wheel-drive drivetrains: full-time AWD and part-time/automatic AWD. If your vehicle has full-time AWD, the engine will continuously be sending power to all four of the vehicle’s wheels.
However, if your car has automatic all-wheel drive, this driving mode will only activate when you require extra traction when you are driving off-road or in the snow, for instance.
Vehicles with automatic all-wheel drive will drive in front-wheel drive for the majority of the time but will switch to AWD with no driver intervention when there is a need for other wheels to be receiving power and added traction too.
In comparison, a vehicle with a four-wheel drive will simultaneously deliver equal power to all four wheels, when activated. Four-wheel drive is a part-time system that is designed only to be used on off-road terrains and in icy and snowy weather conditions.
Four-wheel-drive vehicles often will need to be activated by the driver pressing a button. Once the four-wheel-drive mode is on, the front and rear axels will turn in time with each other as the two drive shafts will now be locked together.
The disadvantage of four-wheel-drive which is often experienced by drivers is that they do not have as good fuel economy as front-wheel drive vehicles and often when 4WD is not activated, the vehicle will drive in rear-wheel drive.
Rear-wheel vehicles can be more fun to drive but are not so good for drivers wanting good torque and traction on the road.
The Chevy Equinox only has front-wheel drive in the standard model, there is no all-wheel drive. However, if you really need an all-wheel drive, you don’t have to sacrifice getting a Chevy Equinox! The following Equinox trims all have all-wheel drive:
As we explained earlier, there are two types of all-wheel drive: part-time and full-time all-wheel drivetrain systems. The Chevy Equinox has a part-time AWD system and operates in the front-wheel-drive when the system is not activated.
Drivers may choose to switch to all-wheel drive when the temperature drops and the roads are icy. Also, if you intend to drive on uneven surfaces, activating the AWD in your Chevy Equinox will help your wheels gain more traction on off-road terrain.
As it is only a part-time all-wheel-drive system, you will need to know how to turn on the AWD in your Chevy Equinox. Switching to all-wheel drive is a quick and easy process, all you need to do is press the AWD button, which is found just in front of the shifter.
When you no longer need an all-wheel drive, just press the AWD button again. When all-wheel drive is activated light will appear on the driver’s display, this light will then turn off when the system is disengaged.
Here is a quick video, demonstrating how to turn on the AWD in a Chevy Equinox:
The Chevy Equinox is an all-wheel-drive crossover SUV. As we discussed earlier in this article, all-wheel drive and four-wheel drive are slightly different.
However, with its part-time AWD system, the Equinox can perform similarly to a 4X4 and it also has L4 and L2 driving modes to help drivers maintain traction in both AWD and FWD at low speeds.
The L2 driving mode is ‘low-speed two-wheel drive’, this can be used to improve traction when towing and in icy conditions. L4 mode is low-speed four-wheel-drive mode’. When you shift your Equinox into L4 all-wheel drive is activated.
Like L2, L4 mode would not be used during regular driving conditions, instead, it is best suited when driving slowly off-road or on icy and snowy road surfaces.
The L2 and L4 driving modes can be particularly useful when you are driving on slippery, rough, and muddy road surfaces and these modes will provide more power to the wheels when you are towing and traveling up a steep incline.
The 2022 Chevrolet Equinox has a 1,500-pound towing capacity and activated L4 and L2 in certain driving situations can help you safely tow a heavy load.
The Chevy Equinox uses front-wheel drive but certain trims also have the option of all-wheel drive. Front-wheel drive vehicles can perform well in the snow as the drivetrain under the hood provides extra weight to the front wheels and improves their traction on the road.
When all-wheel drive is activated, the system will send traction and power to the wheels that need it and this can be very useful when driving in icy conditions.
The standard model Chevrolet Equinox comes only in front-wheel drive, whether you have the earliest or latest model. However, AWD drive is available on the following trims: LS, LT, RS, and Premier.
The Chevrolet Equinox uses a part-time all-wheel-drive system and will drive in front-wheel drive when the AWD is not activated.
AWD is always on if your vehicle has a full-time all-wheel-drive system. In a full-time AWD vehicle, the system is continuously sending traction and power to the wheels that need it the most. When driving in front-wheel drive, the engine sends power only to the front two wheels.
However, in a vehicle with a full-time AWD system, all four wheels can be powering the car, or just the front two. The AWD system will determine which wheels require the most power and distribute it accordingly.
Front-wheel and all-wheel drive are two different driving modes and your specific driving needs will determine which mode is better.
AWD is thought to be the better option for driving off-road and front-wheel drive is thought to be a much better option than rear-wheel drive for snowy weather as there is extra weight on the front tires, improving their traction on the road.
An AWD vehicle will also improve safety in snowy and wet weather conditions as the system can help to prevent skids and slipping.
The Chevrolet Equinox is a crossover compact SUV but that does not mean you can’t take it off-road! The Equinox has all-wheel drive and when the part-time system is activated, you can take your SUV off-road and drive over muddy, bumpy, slippery, and uneven terrain without any problems.
The Chevrolet Equinox comes with front-wheel drive only in the standard models. Whether you buy a secondhand Equinox from 2005 or the latest 2022 model, there is only front-wheel drive available on the standard trim.
But there is no need to worry, if you love the Equinox but need an all-wheel-drive vehicle, you can upgrade to the LS, LT, RS, or Premier trims.
The AWD used in the Chevrolet Equinox is a part-time system, which means it can be easily activated when required by the driver pressing the AWD button.
If the Chevrolet Equinox isn’t the crossover SUV for you, there are other SUVs out there that provide all-wheel drive, along with a wide range of safety and performance features. Popular SUVs with AWD or 4WD include the Ford Explorer, Jeep Wrangler, Hyundai Tuscan, and GMC Terrain.
Remember, whilst all-wheel drive and four-wheel drive can help your car to keep good traction on the road in wet and icy conditions, using these driving modes is not a substitute for driving safely when road conditions are less than favorable.
When driving in poor weather and on wet surfaces, remember to drive slowly, increase your distance from the vehicle in front and allow extra space for braking. It can also be beneficial to install winter tires on your vehicle to help improve your grip on the road.
