• Buick has unveiled its all-new small SUV, the Envista 2024. Auto123 was on hand for the event.
• GM wanted to give its Envista a unique profile on the market ... and a non-electric configuration.
• The Envista will arrive in Canada next summer in three trim levels: Preferred, ST and Avenir.
Warren, MI - Buick is a hallowed brand, one that has been on the landscape for close to 125 years now. Over that time, it built a reputation for building large, powerful and luxurious cars. In the 1960s, it was even one of the performance brands in the American automotive industry, winning several NASCAR and drag races.
There's no denying, however, that Buick's clientele had been getting older for the past twenty years. One of the brand's priorities is to attract younger buyers, and that means introducing new models.
These days, Buick doesn't offer any cars, only SUVs and especially crossovers: the large Enclave, the mid-size Envision and the Encore GX compact SUV; these have all recently been relaunched in revised form. And all of them are rather luxury-oriented. So little to attract a young clientele. But all that could change soon, because Buick will soon bring to market a brand-new model with a brand-new name, the Envista. It is the successor to the Encore small SUV.
Note that the Envista already exists in China where the Buick brand is currently more successful than in America. The SUV will arrive in America next summer with the specific goal of attracting a younger clientele to Buick showrooms.
A sportier look
According to General Motors designers, the Envista represents a unique SUV profile on the market. The Envista prototypes we saw at the automaker's design centre in Warren, Michigan feature a fastback roof that gives it a sportier look to appeal to younger consumers.
Essentially, the Envista looks like it's taken the body of the newly revised Encore GX (which a few months ago was announced to be gone, recall!). However, its wheelbase has been lengthened by four inches, resulting in a longer vehicle with more room for rear passengers. The front end, also very similar to the Encore, continues the theme of the Wildcat design study with a large grille and tapered headlights.
Of course, the Envista sports the new, restyled Buick tri-shield badge.
Inside
The interior of this new Buick looks similar to the Encore GX, especially the dashboard with electronic display and larger infotainment centre. The biggest difference with the Encore GX is found in the back, namely in the form of a larger cargo area.
Limited mechanical choices
Under the hood, the Envista hides a 1.2L turbocharged 3-cylinder engine that makes 136 horsepower and 162 lb-ft of torque. Recently overhauled to finally achieve a reduction in power, this engine is a six-speed automatic transmission, the only transmission available. And the only mechanical configuration available is front-wheel drive.
The Envista shares its platform with the Chevrolet Trailblazer, the Encore GX and the upcoming Chevrolet Trax. The model runs on 17- to 19-inch wheels, depending on the trim level chosen.
The Buick Envista will debut here in North America next summer in three trims: the base Preferred, the sportier ST and the top-of-the-line Avenir. But as mentioned, this model has been available in China since last fall, albeit with a different engine. The prototypes we were able to see displayed a South Korean-built cabinet in the door frame.
Among those who worked on development of the vehicle, French designer Kevin Nougarede was on hand to explain the work done to adapt the vehicle to the North American market. Obviously, the most important thing to remember here is the more economical approach to meet the needs of a younger professional clientele or small families or city dwellers.
We asked him if this vehicle would soon be available with an electric engine. He explained that while GM's focus is on moving to near-full electrification by the end of the decade, the plan for the Buick Envista is strictly as a gas-engine vehicle. There won't even be a four-wheel drive version... at least for now.
Why not in New York?
The Envista was unveiled over in Michigan at the same time as the New York International Auto Show was underway in the Big Apple, as it happened. Which prompted me to ask the designer why Buick hadn't used that stage to put on a larger-scale unveiling. He replied that it would have been too expensive and not targeted enough. Things aren't easy for car shows right now...
Most of us in attendance the Buick presentation were expecting a major presentation of the electric models that are expected to appear in the near-future. That would be for another day, evidently.
However, the brand simultaneously presented a model called the Electra E5 in China, a vehicle that bears a striking resemblance to the new Encore and which, in turn, could be from the same source as the Envista.
In the case of the latter, it's clear that Buick wants to attract a new clientele and that it intends to do so with cars that are classy but affordable.
At the time of writing, GM of Canada has not yet released pricing for the Buick Envista. However, in the U.S., the sporty SUV has been announced at $23,495 (about $31,000 CAD) in base trim, and about $29,000 or ($40,000 CAD) in Avenir trim.