Not terribly surprising, given the small demand.
After just two model years, GM decided to drop the 1.6-liter diesel engines from the 2020 Chevy Equinox and GMC Terrain lineup. It was one of the most efficient crossovers on sale, but the demand just isn’t there to continue building it. Kevin Kelly, a Chevrolet spokesperson, broke the news to The Car Connection Friday.
“We did discontinue the diesel engine option in the 2020 Chevrolet Equinox due to low demand,” Kelly said. It’s not terribly surprising, given the low demand for diesel engines in the wake of several emissions and fuel economy scandals. In the Equinox/Terrain twins, the turbodiesel managed 28 City / 39 Highway / 32 Combined mpg on front-wheel drive models. All-wheel drive versions lost 1 mpg on the highway.
Now, one of the last remaining affordable diesel cars will be the longly anticipated Mazda CX-5. Weirdly, though, the diesel engine will only be available on the top-end Signature trim, with all-wheel drive. That’s the most expensive trim level, priced from $42,045 with the diesel engine. The Equinox was much more affordable, starting at just $30,795.
There are some sound reasons why prospective buyers went for the gas engines instead. Gasoline is cheaper than diesel at the moment, and the 1.5-liter turbo engine manages similar fuel economy around town to the diesel. The peppier 2.0-liter turbo engine was only $100 more expensive, and you didn’t have to deal with the noise and roughness of the diesel engines in the process.
If you are a fan of the diesel models — I know there are some of you out there — 2019 is your last chance to pick up a Chevy Equinox or GMC Terrain with a diesel engine. You may be able to get some deals, too.
Correction 7/11/19: We incorrectly cited Autoblog as the original source for this story earlier today. The Car Connection originally broke the story. We apologize for the error.
Check out our gas vs. diesel review of the GMC Terrain below:
