This week, I’m back in Chevrolet’s compact electric SUV, but this time it’s the 2026 Equinox EV in the RS trim. If you’ve followed the Car Pro Show for any length of time, you already know the Equinox is one of my go-to recommendations in the compact SUV world. It’s roomy, sharp to look at, and delivers a surprisingly refined drive for the money. Chevrolet hasn’t abandoned gasoline shoppers either—the 2026 Equinox is still sold in both gas and electric form, something GM has been smart to continue across several nameplates after once saying they would only build the EV version. For anyone on the fence about going electric, it makes the comparison extremely easy.
The RS sits above the LT you may remember from last year’s review, and this trim gives the Equinox EV a more athletic stance. You get blacked-out trim pieces, sportier fascias, unique 21-inch wheels, and my tester’s red-accented interior, which for 2026 has been toned down a bit.
Instead of the bright red inserts dominating the seats, Chevrolet flipped the design, so the centers are now black with red on the bolsters. It’s still very much the “sport” interior, just a little more grown-up.
Powertrain
Like the 2025 version I reviewed, the 2026 RS uses GM’s Ultium platform with an 85-kWh battery pack. Front-wheel-drive versions like my test vehicle, offers 200- horsepower from a single motor. Range is the same impressive 319 miles that Chevrolet delivered last year. Even with the A/C cranked and highway speeds in the mid-70s didn’t cause any noticeable drop in the projected range. If you go with the AWD model, you do pick up extra power but drops to about 285 miles of range. And if you’re still thinking gas, the 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder is still available in the non-EV Equinox.
Interior
The RS cabin feels more upscale than the LT version, with Evotex seating, red stitching, and nicer textures scattered around the interior. Some plastics are still present, but they’re softer to the touch.
The big eye-opener—literally—is the enormous 17.7-inch center screen. The resolution is terrific, and the interface has matured nicely. The RS gets the same 11” digital gauge cluster with range, speed, outside temperature, gear indicator, and all the essentials presented clearly.
The infotainment system runs Google built-in with Maps, Spotify, and a full app suite that includes Waze, Alexa, and the MyChevrolet app for locating public chargers—Chevrolet says more than 174,000 are available. Still no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, which continues to frustrate a lot of people, including your friendly car reviewer, but the system is very good if you’re willing to adjust. The RS includes a wireless phone charger and convenient physical climate controls.
Back-seat room remains one of this SUV’s strong points. Adults fit comfortably thanks to generous legroom and good headroom, and rear passengers get USB ports, A/C vents, and a household power outlet for charging.
Behind the second row, cargo space is solid, and with the seats folded you’ll get 57 cubic feet of room plus quite a bit of extra storage under the load floor where the charging cord is stored.
Notable standard features include the sport-tuned exterior trim, unique 21-inch wheels, LED lighting, the dual-screen Google-built-in infotainment setup, heated and power front seats with power lumbar, a power liftgate, keyless entry with remote start, pop out door handles, a wireless phone charger, SiriusXM radio trial, and the RS cabin touches like the flat-bottom steering wheel and red stitching.
Options on my tester include the $3,355 Active Safety Package 3, which adds enhanced driver-assist features including Rear Pedestrian Alert, a high-definition Surround Vision camera system, Intersection Automatic Emergency Braking, and Lane Change Alert with Side Blind Zone Alert, and most notable the Super Cruise self-driving function that remains my favorite hands-free system on the market. Chevrolet has now mapped nearly three-quarters of a million miles of divided highways, and on those stretches the SUV will steer, brake, and maintain its lane. Tap your turn signal, and it will even change lanes automatically when safe. The driver-monitoring camera is very effective and will safely bring the car to a stop and call for help if the driver becomes unresponsive.
It also has the $2,495 Convenience Package which bundles in amenities like the rearview camera mirrors, heated rear seat, LED headlights and taillights, dual-zone climate control, a terrific head-up display, hands-free power liftgate, heated steering wheel, ventilated front seats, heated rear outboard seats, and the upgraded Bose audio system. Finally, this one also has the $1,500 panoramic power sunroof.
Safety has always been a strong suit for this model. The RS comes with forward collision alert, automatic emergency braking, bicycle and pedestrian braking, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, a safety alert seat, reverse automatic braking, adaptive cruise control, and automatic intersection braking.
On the road, the RS is pleasantly quiet. Ride quality is smooth, acceleration is strong enough, and the steering has a little more weight to it than the LT. At 85 miles per hour on the tollway, it felt planted and comfortable. One-pedal driving remains a favorite feature of mine. Once you get used to it, you barely touch your brakes except in emergencies, and the added regeneration helps stretch your range. The Equinox EV also powers itself on and off without a start button—just sit down with the key in your pocket and everything wakes up through the big screen. When you stop and shift to Park, the system shuts itself down again. I can’t explain it, but this is just a really cool and handy feature.
Charging performance is solid for the class. With the new NACS connector giving you access to Tesla Superchargers, you can add roughly 75 miles of range in about 10 minutes on a DC fast charger. At home on a Level 2 setup, a full charge takes around eight hours. A standard household outlet remains painfully slow, and I still tell people to treat that only as a last-resort option.
MPGe ratings are excellent at 117 city, 100 highway, and 108 combined. Pricing on the 2026 RS varies depending on packages, but the base EV starts in the mid-$40,000 range before incentives, but this super-loaded RS I tested came in at $52,945. When you factor in dealer discounts, Chevrolet incentives, and any remaining federal or state credits, the value equation still looks very strong.
Bottom line: the 2026 Chevrolet Equinox RS EV doesn’t reinvent anything from last year’s model, but it does refine the experience. It’s stylish, comfortable, quiet, and easy to live with. If you rack up a lot of city miles or have another vehicle for long highway trips, this electric Equinox is one you’ll want to consider seriously. It remains one of the most enjoyable, well-rounded electric SUVs in its price range and I still maintain that GM does the best job with electric vehicles, at least so far.
2026 Chevrolet Equinox RS All-Electric