The 2027 Chevy Equinox Drops the CVT: What That Changes Behind the Wheel

The 2027 Chevy Equinox replaces its CVT with a conventional 8-speed automatic on both front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive. The 1.5L turbo makes 175 horsepower and 203 lb-ft. EPA city economy on front-wheel drive slips from 26 mpg in 2026 to 25 mpg in 2027.

A transmission is hard to judge on paper, so the new SUVs on the lot are the quickest way to feel the difference.

Key Takeaways

• The 2027 Chevrolet Equinox uses an 8-speed automatic on front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive, and the CVT is gone.
• Front-wheel-drive city economy drops 1 mpg, from 26 mpg city in 2026 to 25 mpg city in 2027.
• The 1.5L turbo carries 175 horsepower and 203 lb-ft of torque, and towing is rated up to 1,500 pounds.
• Published 2027 MSRPs are $29,000 for the LT and $33,900 for both the RS and the ACTIV.

Most people around here do not buy a compact SUV for road trips. They buy it for the same 20 minutes twice a day: west on US 79, into whatever I-35 is doing that morning, then back east at five. That commute is almost entirely low speed and part throttle. Add the school-zone stop and start that arrives every August when Hutto ISD goes back into session, and the Chevy Equinox details that matter most are the ones under the hood.

For 2027 Chevrolet changed how the Equinox delivers its power. The continuously variable automatic is no longer offered, replaced by a conventional 8-speed used on front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive alike (Chevrolet, 2027 model year). Here is what that swap does, including the part where you give something up.

What Does a CVT Actually Do?

A continuously variable transmission has no fixed gears. It runs a steel belt between two cone-shaped pulleys that change diameter as you drive, parking the engine at whatever rpm burns the least fuel.

That design pays off at the pump, which is why compact SUVs adopted it. Ask a CVT for a quick pass and the engine climbs and stays high while road speed catches up.

CVTs are not fragile. Chevrolet used one in the Equinox through the 2026 model year, and the model research hub keeps the published specs in one place. The question for 2027 is not whether the CVT was bad, but what real gears change on the commute you already drive.

How Does an 8-Speed Automatic Feel Different in Traffic?

A conventional automatic has actual gears, and it steps between them. You feel each change as a short, distinct shift, not a continuous slide. On a highway merge it drops two or three gears at once.

In stop-and-go the difference is smaller but constant. A geared automatic gives most people a clearer link between pedal travel and forward motion at crawling speeds, which is the whole rhythm of I-35 through Round Rock at 7:45 in the morning near Dell’s campus.

Neither one is objectively better. Chevrolet already pairs an 8-speed automatic with a 2.5L turbo rated at 328 horsepower and 326 lb-ft of torque (Chevrolet, 2027 model year) in the three-row Chevy Traverse. A geared automatic in a compact SUV is new for Williamson County commuters.

What Do You Give Up in Fuel Economy?

The 8-speed did not arrive for free. Front-wheel drive fell from 26 mpg city in 2026 to 25 mpg city, 29 highway and 27 combined for 2027 (EPA, 2027 model year). All-wheel drive for 2027 lands at 25 mpg city, 29 highway and 26 combined.

Where Chevrolet has not published a 2026 figure, the table says so.

Spec	2026 Equinox	2027 Equinox
Transmission	CVT (continuously variable)	8-speed automatic, FWD and AWD
Engine and output	Not confirmed for 2026	1.5L turbo, 175 hp / 203 lb-ft
EPA, front-wheel drive	26 mpg city (highway not confirmed)	25 city / 29 highway / 27 combined
EPA, all-wheel drive	Not confirmed for 2026	25 city / 29 highway / 26 combined
Towing	Not confirmed for 2026	Up to 1,500 lbs

The current specials on new Chevrolets page changes month to month, so check what applies before you decide anything.

What Else Is New on the 2027 Equinox?

The transmission is not the only change. The 2027 Equinox runs a 1.5L turbo four-cylinder rated at 175 horsepower and 203 lb-ft of torque (Chevrolet, 2027 model year). Towing is rated up to 1,500 pounds, enough for a small single-axle utility trailer. Chevrolet lists over 15 standard safety and driver assistance features.

The Equinox EV is a separate Chevrolet vehicle with its own platform, electric powertrain and pricing. Everything here describes the gasoline 2027 Equinox.

Published 2027 MSRPs are $29,000 for the LT and $33,900 for the RS and the ACTIV (Chevrolet, 2027 model year). Those are suggested retail prices for the vehicle, not payments, and they exclude tax, title, license, dealer charges and options. To see how one translates with your down payment and term, run your own numbers.

What This Means for Hutto Drivers

Transmission character shows up most in the driving people here actually do. Lights, merges and long stop-and-go stretches define the run west on US 79 out of town, a road that has gotten materially heavier since construction began on the Samsung plant in Taylor about 10 minutes east. Contractor pickups and crew trucks are a daily feature of that lane by 6:30 in the morning.

Then there is August. School-zone limits and the pickup-line stack around Hutto ISD campuses turn a five-mile errand into a string of 15 mph crawls and short accelerations. That is exactly where an 8-speed’s shifts are most noticeable, for better or worse depending on your taste.

A route that uses SH 130 to skip the interstate spends far more time at steady highway speed, where the 29 mpg highway rating (EPA, 2027 model year) applies and the transmission stays out of the conversation. Either way, a compact SUV in this corridor lives a hard low-speed life. You can book a service appointment online when the first one comes due.

Quick Answers for Hutto Drivers

Does the 2027 Chevy Equinox still have a CVT?

No. The 2027 Chevy Equinox uses an 8-speed automatic transmission, and Chevrolet applies it to both front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive versions. The continuously variable automatic the Equinox carried through the 2026 model year is gone. This is a mechanical change rather than a trim option, so every 2027 Equinox gets the 8-speed.

Is the 8-speed automatic better than the CVT?

Neither one is objectively better, and the answer changes by driver. The 8-speed gives you felt shifts, a clear downshift on a highway merge, and an engine note that tracks your right foot. The CVT gave smoother low-speed behavior and 1 more mpg in the city on front-wheel drive. Drive both back to back.

How much fuel economy does the 2027 Equinox give up?

One mile per gallon in the city on front-wheel drive. The 2026 Equinox was EPA-rated at 26 mpg city, and the 2027 Equinox is rated at 25 mpg city, 29 mpg highway and 27 mpg combined. All-wheel drive for 2027 is rated 25 city, 29 highway and 26 combined (EPA, 2027 model year).

How much can the 2027 Equinox tow?

Up to 1,500 pounds (Chevrolet, 2027 model year). That figure covers a small single-axle utility trailer or a pair of personal watercraft, and it does not cover a loaded car hauler or a large travel trailer. If your weekends involve a heavier trailer, a Chevrolet truck is the more honest match.

What does the 2027 Chevy Equinox cost?

Chevrolet publishes 2027 MSRPs of $29,000 for the LT, $33,900 for the RS and $33,900 for the ACTIV. Those are manufacturer’s suggested retail prices for the vehicle only. They are not monthly payments, and they exclude tax, title, license, dealer charges and any options added to the build.

Is the Equinox EV the same vehicle as the gas Equinox?

No. The Equinox EV is a separate Chevrolet model on a different platform, with an electric powertrain, its own dimensions and its own pricing. The gas 2027 Equinox described here uses a 1.5L turbo four-cylinder and an 8-speed automatic. Ask for each one by name at Covert Chevrolet Hutto.

Start With a Drive on the Roads You Use Every Day

A transmission change is not something anyone can judge from a spec sheet. Take a 2027 Equinox out on US 79, put it in real traffic, and pay attention to what happens when you ask for a pass. Bring your current vehicle along, since you can value your trade-in in the same visit. Sales at Covert Chevrolet Hutto is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 8:00 PM and Sunday from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM, and the sales team answers at 512-253-4911.

Last updated: August 17, 2026

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