Buick currently sells on the US market two different crossovers, the Encore which is a rather small city crossover and the Enclave which is a three-row crossover. Between the two there is no available car from Buick which is a bit of a shame considering that the two are quite far apart in terms of costs. Well, it now seems that a new model is going to come on the US market and this time around it will come from China. The 2016 Buick Envision is already available for sale in China where it managed to become quite successful thanks to its above-the-average interior, great engines and rather nice looks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Jk4v1yKfnA
The US version of the car will be not that different from the Chinese version and in fact we expect the two to be nearly identical. However, the US model should come with different engines, slight changes to the interior as well as a differently tuned suspension system. The release date is still unknown for now but we think that the car will be first showcased at the Detroit Auto Show. The price will likely fall right between its two siblings which means it could start at around $32,000 and go up from there. This price would allow it to compete with a lot of crossovers on the market, most of them being inferior to the Chinese version of the Envision. Unlike the other two crossovers, the Envision will be built on the brand new D2XX platform which means it will share its platform with the new Volt as well as the upcoming Opel Antara.
2016 Buick Envision Exterior Design
The design of the Chinese version of the car looks to be quite mature so it is safe to assume that the 2016 Buick Envision will look nearly, if not identical, to the Chinese counterpart. The front end borrows the usual Buick grille but this time the headlights have a nicer twist to them while the front bumper completes the design and it makes for a rather athletic looking car. The sides have a really nice muscular line to them while the back is simple yet really effective at making the car look nicer.
Interior Design
Inside the cabin there is more of the same. The dashboard has a really clean design which is very different from everything Buick did so far while the cabin looks to be spacious and nicely illuminated. As standard it will only come with a handful of features but the top end models will get a dashboard with wood or aluminum accents, real leather upholstery, five very comfortable seats as well as GM’s latest infotainment and navigation system which is already available on a few of their other cars.
2016 Buick Envision Engine
Engine wise, the 2016 Buick Envision will come with a few more differences over the Chinese version which comes with either a 1.5 liter turbocharged inline 4 or with a 2 liter turbocharged inline 4. The US version is expected to hit the market with a 1.6 liter turbocharged inline 4 which could provide with ease up to 210 horsepower and more than 200 lb-ft of torque. Further up the range, instead of the 2 liter engine we could get the Envision with a 3.6 liter naturally aspirated V6 which would be able to put on the ground up to 320 horsepower and 285 lb-ft of torque. The lesser engine will be available with front wheel drive and either a 6 speed manual or a 6 speed automatic while the V6 is expected to be available only with all wheel drive and only with GM’s next generation 9 speed automatic which has been in development for a couple of years now.
The suspension system will also see some changes over the Chinese version. The US model will likely get a softer suspension setting with a slightly lower ground clearance in order to improve its efficiency and make it more comfortable for those long highway trips.
