Hauling a utility trailer to the dump, a couple of kayaks to the shore, or a small camper to a weekend site? The Equinox AWD can handle light-duty jobs like these, but the rating comes with real conditions. Here’s what actually matters before you hook up.
What Is the Equinox AWD’s Actual Towing Rating?
The 2026 Equinox AWD, built on the 1.5 L turbocharged four-cylinder, is rated to tow up to 1,500 lbs (680 kg) when properly equipped. That figure applies with the AWD’s 3.87 final drive ratio and a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 5,467 lbs (2,480 kg).
“Properly equipped” isn’t a formality. The maximum trailer weight rating requires factory-installed trailering equipment. Skip that hardware and the number on paper isn’t the number you get at the hitch.
How Does Tongue Weight Change What You Can Actually Load?
Tongue weight should sit at 10 to 15 percent of your loaded trailer’s total weight, up to 150 lbs (68 kg). Load a trailer with too much weight forward of the axle and you push past that limit even if the trailer itself is under 1,500 lbs (680 kg).
Getting this wrong affects handling more than any other single factor in light towing. A trailer loaded tongue-heavy makes the Equinox feel unsettled at highway speed, especially with a crosswind, something worth knowing before a run down a coastal route.
Do Passengers and Cargo Cut Into the Tow Rating?
Yes. The 1,500 lbs (680 kg) figure assumes a lightly loaded vehicle. Add passengers, cargo, and accessories and the usable towing headroom shrinks, since the GCWR caps the combined weight of the vehicle, occupants, cargo, and trailer together.
A family of five heading to a campsite with roof cargo and gear in the 844 L trunk area (1,798 L with the rear seats folded) has less trailering margin than a single driver making a solo dump run. Weigh the whole trip, not just the trailer.
What Equipment and Tech Support Towing on the Equinox?
Automatic Engine Grade Braking comes standard, using the engine to help manage speed on downgrades instead of leaning entirely on the brakes. That matters on the hillier stretches of Nova Scotia’s secondary highways.
Hitch Guidance and Hitch View are available to help line up a trailer without a second person waving directions from behind. Both work alongside the Equinox’s 11.3-inch touchscreen and 11-inch driver information display, which surface trailering data while you’re underway.
A useful side note: trailer brakes are only required above 1,500 lbs (680 kg) of trailer weight. Since that’s the Equinox AWD’s own ceiling, a trailer sized correctly for this vehicle typically won’t need its own brake system.
Why Choose AWD Over FWD for Towing?
Both drivetrains share the 1.5 L turbo engine, but the AWD model uses a 3.87 final drive ratio and an 8-speed automatic transmission, versus the FWD’s taller 3.50 ratio and CVT. That gearing difference is why the AWD GCWR runs higher, at 5,467 lbs (2,480 kg) versus the FWD’s 5,247 lbs (2,380 kg), giving the AWD more combined weight to work with even though both drivetrains cap trailer weight at 1,500 lbs (680 kg).
AWD also puts torque to all four wheels when pulling away from a boat launch or a gravel campsite, which matters more for traction than for the tow rating itself. Torque is rated at 203 lb-ft on AWD, compared with 174 lb-ft on FWD.
What Kind of Towing Actually Fits This SUV?
The Equinox AWD is built for light-duty trailering, not heavy hauling. Think small utility trailers, a couple of kayaks or a canoe on a trailer, light camping gear, or an ATV on a single-axle trailer. It isn’t the vehicle for a travel trailer, a boat on a tandem-axle trailer, or anything pushing toward that 1,500 lb (680 kg) ceiling loaded to the edge.
For most weekend trips around Nova Scotia, from cottage runs to yard-waste hauls, that ceiling covers the job. For anything heavier, a different Chevrolet model with a higher trailering capacity is the better starting point.
Quick-Answer Summary
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Question
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Answer
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Max towing (AWD)
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1,500 lbs (680 kg), properly equipped
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GCWR (AWD)
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5,467 lbs (2,480 kg)
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Tongue weight limit
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10-15% of trailer weight, up to 150 lbs (68 kg)
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Trailer brakes required
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Above 1,500 lbs (680 kg) (not needed at the Equinox’s own max)
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Towing tech
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Automatic Engine Grade Braking (standard), Hitch Guidance and Hitch View (available)
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Getting Your Setup Right Before You Tow
Before hitching up anything, confirm three things: that your Equinox AWD has the factory trailering equipment installed, that your trailer’s loaded tongue weight falls within the 150 lb (68 kg) guideline, and that your planned cargo and passenger load still leaves room under the GCWR.
If you tow often, or plan to add a roof box, cargo carrier, or regularly travel loaded with passengers, it’s worth walking through your specific trailer and cargo plans with a Chevrolet expert rather than guessing from a spec sheet.
Talk Trailering With Tantramar Chevrolet
The 2026 Equinox AWD is built for light, occasional towing, backed by standard grade braking and available hitch tech that makes small trailers easier to manage. Its 1,500 lb (680 kg) rating is a hard limit tied to specific equipment and setup, not a suggestion.
Visit Tantramar Chevrolet in Amherst to confirm your Equinox AWD’s trailering equipment, talk through your specific trailer plans, and see the towing tech in person before you hook anything up.
