How Safe Is the 2026 Chevrolet Equinox?

What Car Shoppers Need to Know

• The 2026 Chevrolet Equinox performed admirably in Insurance Institute for Highway Safety testing.
• It missed out on being a Top Safety Pick+ due to a disqualifying score in just one crash test.
• The Equinox was fully redesigned for the 2025 model year.

Chevrolet overhauled the Equinox for 2025 with trucky new styling, a spacious interior and a refined ride that helped it add nearly 100,000 sales to the charts and vaulted the compact SUV up the list of bestselling vehicles in the U.S. While testing by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety didn’t net the Equinox a coveted Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+ award, all of those buyers are still getting a vehicle in which they can feel well protected in — well, mostly.

Related: How Much Is the 2027 Chevrolet Equinox?

Equinox Crash-Test Scores

IIHS subjects vehicles to three different crash tests. The institute also evaluates how well vehicles’ headlights illuminate dark roads and how effective their forward collision warning systems are at avoiding or mitigating crashes with other vehicles and pedestrians.

The agency rates vehicles on a scale of good, acceptable, marginal or poor. A slash in the tables below indicates split results (such as a model’s optional headlights outperforming the standard units).

Crashworthiness

IIHS updated the moderate overlap frontal crash test in 2022, as the vast majority of vehicles tested were earning the highest rating. For this test, the subject is accelerated to 40 mph and strikes a barrier that covers 40% of its width. A deformable aluminum honeycomb facing on the barrier helps the test approximate forces equivalent to an offset head-on collision with both vehicles traveling just under 40 mph.

Previously the test involved just a single occupant, a dummy representing an average-size adult male in the driver’s seat. In the updated test, that dummy is joined by a smaller one representing a small adult female or an average 12-year-old child. This one is belted into the seat behind the driver.

The updated moderate overlap crash test has tripped up many automakers, highlighting the disparity between occupant protection in the front seat versus the rear. However, several have found relatively simple fixes (such as revised seat belts).

The Equinox had no trouble with the updated moderate overlap test, instead missing out on a Top Safety Pick award due to the small overlap crash test. Meant to mimic another common type of crash in which a vehicle leaves the road and strikes a tree or utility pole, this test calls for the vehicle to again be accelerated to 40 mph before hitting a barrier; this time, though, the barrier is rigid (no deformable face) and covers just 25% of the vehicle’s width. The small overlap crash is performed once on either side of the vehicle. Only the driver’s seat is occupied for the driver-side test, while a second dummy joins in the front passenger seat for the crash on that side. If the scores between the two sides differ, the lower one applies. While the Equinox earned a good rating in the driver-side test, its structure did not hold up as well on the passenger side; the dummy indicated an increased risk of head, lower leg and foot injuries, resulting in an acceptable rating.

IIHS also updated its side impact test recently, enlarging the striking rig to better represent a modern SUV. For this evaluation, the subject vehicle is stationary and is struck broadside (T-boned) by a 4,200-pound rig traveling at 37 mph. This test is conducted with the smaller dummies in the driver’s seat and the second-row seat behind the driver. The Equinox earned a good rating in this test.

Crash Avoidance and Mitigation

The headlight evaluation measures how well a vehicle’s headlights illuminate the road at night. The institute tests illumination on straightaways as well as on gentle and sharp curves to both the right and the left. The Equinox’s standard LED headlights earned a good rating.

Two different curricula assess a vehicle’s forward collision warning system. The test of front crash prevention for pedestrians evaluates a vehicle’s ability to spot children and adults crossing the road ahead in daylight and at night. A separate test charts its ability to spot an adult walking parallel to the direction of travel, such as along the shoulder, at night. The Equinox also earned a good rating here.

The vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention evaluation program has the test subject approach different vehicles that are stopped in the road ahead. Separate tests are conducted with the subject vehicle approaching a car, a motorcycle and a semi trailer at multiple speeds. The car and motorcycle evaluations both include tests with the stopped vehicle in the center of the lane and offset to the sides. The Equinox earned an acceptable rating in this test due to insufficient speed reduction in some of the motorcycle scenarios.

Versus Competitors

A vehicle needs to earn good scores in all three crash tests to qualify for either Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+. The lower-tier award also requires an acceptable rating from the standard headlights and in the pedestrian detection test. To earn the top award, a good rating is necessary in the pedestrian evaluation and an acceptable is required in the vehicle-to-vehicle test.

The Hyundai Tucson is a prime example of car companies adapting to IIHS’ changing requirements. In 2024, the Tucson was a Top Safety Pick+, but it was demoted to Top Safety Pick when the updated moderate overlap test became a requirement for the higher award. Hyundai then modified the rear seat belts, and better control of the passenger dummy moved the Tucson back up to Top Safety Pick+. Chevrolet may have a harder time improving the Equinox’s score in the small overlap test. Note that all models below are for the 2026 model year.

Read More About the Chevrolet Equinox:

• Is the 2025 Chevrolet Equinox a Good SUV? 6 Pros, 2 Cons
• What’s the Best Compact SUV for 2025?
• How Do Car Seats Fit in a 2025 Chevrolet Equinox?
• All-New 2025 Chevrolet Equinox Priced From $29,995
• Up Close With the 2025 Chevrolet Equinox: Rugged and Ready
• 4 SUVs Get Top Rating in New IIHS Whiplash Protection Test

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