The teardrop-shaped headlight clusters house high-intensity discharge lamps. Spend a few extra bucks and you can get them to swivel in corners for optimum visibility at night. Nice!
All three Enclave models (CX, CXL1 and CXL2) ride on 19-inch alloy wheels. Those on my CXL2 tester were even finished in chrome. Buick also offers a 20-inch wheel option that will sure do wonders for tire manufacturers' profitability.
The 7-passenger Enclave comes with first-row power-adjustable bucket seats, second-row SmartSlide captain's chairs and a third-row 60/40 split-bench seat. An available 8-passenger configuration replaces the middle seats with a SmartSlide flat-folding 60/40 split-bench seat.
No-nonsense drivetrain
A single engine appears on the menu, namely a direct-injected 3.6L V6 that generates 288 horsepower. It also produces 90 percent of its 270 lb-ft of torque from 2,500 to 6,000 rpm, propelling the 2-ton mastodon from 0 to 100 km/h in a little over 8,0 seconds. Accelerations are just as lively.
Power is managed by a 6-speed Hydra-Matic automatic transmission which GM says contributes to a 4-percent improvement in fuel economy over a 4-speed unit.
This luxury crossover offers both FWD and AWD versions. As I wrote these lines, the latter carried a premium of $3,000. In normal driving conditions, 90 percent of the engine's torque goes to the front wheels. As soon as either one starts to slip, the system automatically distributes part of it to the rear wheels. Most of the time, the split varies from 40/60 to 60/40.
Moreover, the AWD system works seamlessly with traction control to optimize handling at all times.
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| All three Enclave models ride on 19-inch alloy wheels. Those on my CXL2 tester were even finished in chrome. (Photo: Luc Gagné/Auto123.com) |
All three Enclave models (CX, CXL1 and CXL2) ride on 19-inch alloy wheels. Those on my CXL2 tester were even finished in chrome. Buick also offers a 20-inch wheel option that will sure do wonders for tire manufacturers' profitability.
The 7-passenger Enclave comes with first-row power-adjustable bucket seats, second-row SmartSlide captain's chairs and a third-row 60/40 split-bench seat. An available 8-passenger configuration replaces the middle seats with a SmartSlide flat-folding 60/40 split-bench seat.
No-nonsense drivetrain
A single engine appears on the menu, namely a direct-injected 3.6L V6 that generates 288 horsepower. It also produces 90 percent of its 270 lb-ft of torque from 2,500 to 6,000 rpm, propelling the 2-ton mastodon from 0 to 100 km/h in a little over 8,0 seconds. Accelerations are just as lively.
Power is managed by a 6-speed Hydra-Matic automatic transmission which GM says contributes to a 4-percent improvement in fuel economy over a 4-speed unit.
This luxury crossover offers both FWD and AWD versions. As I wrote these lines, the latter carried a premium of $3,000. In normal driving conditions, 90 percent of the engine's torque goes to the front wheels. As soon as either one starts to slip, the system automatically distributes part of it to the rear wheels. Most of the time, the split varies from 40/60 to 60/40.
Moreover, the AWD system works seamlessly with traction control to optimize handling at all times.
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| A 288-hp 3.6L V6 drives this two-ton mastodon. (Photo: Luc Gagné/Auto123.com) |