NAIAS: Buick Encore Revealed, Gives Us Morning Sickness
The overly drawn-out striptease of the Buick Encore is over, and we stand by our suspicions that the Encore was designed expressly for the Chinese market. Expect substantial floorplan-related agony on the part of Buick dealers who get stuck with this thing.
Buick touts the Encore as having more cargo space than the BMW X1 or Audi Q3, and this mere fact shows just how out to lunch Buick is. Anyone looking for a BMW X1 or Audi Q3 is primarily concerned with how they’re going to casually tell their friends that they left their yoga mat or locally and sustainably harvested organic quinoa in the back of their BMW or Audi. For them, a Buick is the car driven by their bubbie or zaidey and therefore a Buick is social poison.
At 168 inches, the Encore is 7 inches longer than a Mini Countryman, and according to our specs, 5 inches shorter than a Sonic. Power comes from the 1.4L turbo 4-cylinder used in the Cruze and Sonic, along with the wretched 6-speed automatic that is usually mated to that motor.
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A turbo is needed. Too bad only 48 cu. ft. vs 75 for the RAV4/CRV. It should sell well if priced in the mid-$20's, though.
Folks, this is where the market is heading. Have we forgotten the new CAFE Fuel Economy Standards? Europeans have been driving vehicles like this for a few decades (on that note, it would be nice to see an Opel diesel under the hood too). I really think GM is ahead of the curve and will sell this in large volume. Most vehicles of this size/class sold in the United States have traditionally been cheap low-grade econoboxes, but now Buick is offering the same versatile, nimble, and economical subcompact vehicle with all the luxury amenities of a large luxury car. Who says these things don't go together? Some people who want luxury or a premium brand don't necessarily want a large sedan or SUV. On the flip side, some people who want a small and efficient vehicle don't necessarily want a cheap entry-level econobox. Kudos to Buick for thinking outside the box!