Chevrolet Equinox, GMC Terrain to Drop Diesel AWD in 2020

General Motors is dropping the diesel all-wheel drive for the Equinox and Terrain from its order list beginning 2020.

The automaker confirmed the news, citing low sales on the diesel/all-wheel drive combination, resulting in its discontinuation in the market. Consumers who prefer the diesel engine for their vehicles will only be given the front-wheel drive option, while those who are looking for an all-wheel drive would have to go with a different model with gasoline engine. Currently, an available option is the 2019 Mazda CX-5.

Buyers still trying to purchase the diesel AWD are advised to do so quickly while dealers still have them in stock, especially if they want to avoid having to go with the more expensive option in the CX-5 diesel.

With a change in strategy, Mazda will only be offering the diesel version of the CX-5 in its top-of-the-line Signature trim with all-wheel drive. For their part, Chevrolet offers the diesel Equinox in LT and Premier trims, while the GMC Terrain offers it with SLE and SLT styles.

The discontinuation of the diesel AWD for Equinox and Terrain from the brand’s lineup, however, leaves consumers with the CX-5 priced at $42,025 with destination. The Mazda model retails roughly $9,500 more than the cheapest Chevy Equinox diesel at $32,495 (AWD diesel LT) and $7,200 higher than the Terrain, which is priced at $34,795 (AWD SLE).

Another blow for the diesel AWD lovers is the loss of two models with better fuel economy. Both the Equinox and Terrain get 32 mpg in overall driving compared to the CX-5’s 28 mpg, although Mazda makes up for it with better output as the diesel CX-5 makes 168 hp and 290 lb-ft of torque versus the 137 hp and 240 lb-ft of torque of the GM models.