In the North America, the Buick Encore and Enclave make around 60% of all Buick sales. As impressive as this seems, Buick still has a gap between the two models which means they are not exploiting the crossover market to its fullest.
The Buick needs a mid-size crossover to sit in between the sub-compact Encore and the full-size Enclave. Buick has decided to ship in the 2016 Buick Envision all the way from China. The automaker’s announcement of the plans to ship the Envision from China put to rest rumors that had been going around for over a year. The model is expected to make its maiden debut in the US at the upcoming 2016 Detroit Auto Show in January.
2016 Buick Envision Exterior
The exterior of the Buick is a blend between the Chinese model and the current Buick design on American models. We can thus say it is a blend between the East and the West.
From nose to tail, the vehicle stretches 183.7 inches and is 107.9 inches wide. At the front, the vehicle features a waterfall grille that dominates the front look. The Buick logo is located at the center of the grille. Flanking the grille are Xenon headlamps which are adopted from the Encore as well as boomerang LED DRLs. The front will also feature a redesigned grille with active grille shutters which help enhance its efficiency.
On the rear, the vehicle features a clean look with an automatic tailgate featuring the automaker’s logo at the center. The rear also features a round-shaped window and LED taillights. To complete the look is a chromed bar that appears as if it is interconnecting the taillights. It will ride on 19-inch alloy wheels.
2016 Buick Envision Interior
The interior styling will be similar to that of the model selling in the Chinese market. The only difference will be the fact that the model will not be offered in the 4-seat version with captain chairs since the seats are not a hit in the US as they are in China.
The US models will feature 5 seats with the base models upholstered in cloth and leather in higher trims. The vehicle will nonetheless feature a host of standard features which include; a new infotainment system, a navigation system, climate control, adaptive cruise control and lane-keep assist.
Higher trims will feature a 8.0-inch touch screen integrated with the IntelliLink system, a three-zone climate control, power front bucket seats, hands-free power lift gate and Safety Alert Seat for the driver. The steering wheel will be heated and wrapped in leather. Optional features will include; ventilated front seats, a panoramic moonroof, OnStar 4G LTE featuring a Wi-Fi hotspot, a 360-degree surround vision camera and automatic park assist among others.
Engine Specs
According to our credible sources, the 2016 Buick Envision will be powered by a single drive-train. The unit will be a 2.0 L turbocharged, 4-cylinder engine that will pump around 252 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque.
The engine will be paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission that will send power to all wheels (front-wheel drive will be offered later) through a twin-clutch AWD system similar to the one we saw on the 2017 Cadillac XT5 model. The model will also be hooked up with active grille shutters to enhance its fuel economy.
Details on the engine’s fuel economy, acceleration and top speed will be released when the model nears actual sale later in 2016. Keep checking this page for more information.
Price and release date
GM is yet to announce the price of the 2016 Buick Envision but according to rumors, the entry level model will cost around MSRP $ 30,000 with well equipped models costing as much as $ 40,000.
Sales will commence later on in 2016 after the model makes a debut at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show next month. Ford is closely monitoring how this vehicle will perform in the US, as the automaker also intends to ship in the Taurus from China.
Competition
When it arrives, the Buick Envision will do battle with the Acura RDX, Audi A5 and Lincoln MKC among others.
