As the first Chinese-built vehicle offered domestically by an American manufacturer, the Buick Envision didn’t do itself any favors by launching as a truncated 2016 model year vehicle available only in uplevel trims. Its entry price shrunk as 2017s arrived, and sales rose accordingly, though not to the levels enjoyed by less-premium compact GM crossovers.
Still, the Envision fulfills a vital role at Buick, and the automaker shows no sign of second thoughts. To keep things fresh, the Envision undergoes a significant refresh for the 2019 model year.
While the updated Envision is already on sale in China, American buyers will have to wait until April. Official U.S. details remain scarce, but it’s expected that the existing engines — a 2.5-liter four-cylinder and turbocharged 2.0-liter — carry over unchanged, with a nine-speed automatic joining the spec sheet.
According to Automotive News, buyers of the 2019 model can switch off the vehicle’s start/stop system, should they desire to do so.
The most obvious difference between new and old is the corporate waterfall grille, flanked by headlights that offer available LED illumination. No one’s going to lose their minds over a slightly remolded lower fascia, but the foglights now feature chrome trim that, to be frank, looks less chintzy.
Out back, the liftgate, taillights, and fascia see a heavy reworking, making the Envision look less pedestrian when viewed from behind. Like the changes made to the front, these tweaks move the vehicle’s appearance every so slightly upmarket — an identity helped by new rectangular exhausts ringed in chrome. (See the previous model below for comparison.)
Buick sold 41,040 Envisions in 2017, making it the brand’s third-best-selling vehicle. While that’s less volume than some premium compact crossovers (not that the Envision fully belongs in that segment), it’s better than others. Consider that Acura moved 35,487 RDX crossovers last year, while Lincoln sold 27,000 MKCs.
Look elsewhere in the GM lineup and it’s a different story. The mass-market-focused Chevrolet Equinox, which started 2017 with new powertrains and a smaller, redesigned body, sold over 290,000 units in 2017. Still, it’s safe to say the Envision, while not the most well-received model in TTAC’s history, performed in the manner Buick intended.
Envision sales rose 13.7 percent, year over year, in January.
[Image: General Motors China]
Buick USA is the tail wagging the dog (Buick China).
Quick, make it more blobby and cut holes in the bumper!
A cash-cow market segment and they build them in china.
I always thought it a little strange that there is what appears to be an analog clock in the dash. Particularly because most cars have touch screens now that display the time. I can understand if that is a cultural thing the Chinese go for but to me it is like still seeing a pay phone on the street.
I saw one of these at a car show and finally got to see it. Even stranger yet the analog clock appears to be a small digital screen drawing an analog clock.
The Egyptian models have a digital rendering of a sundial.
The analog clock is more an element of Buick’s “traditional”/old-style image, same with Chrysler.
Maseratis have used fancy-looking analog clocks since at least the early 1980s.
For the money roaming around a Buick/GMC dealers lot I would think there would be so many better choices.
The rear is an improvement. The changes to the front are barely noticeable.
Clearly a product aimed squarely at China (especially with the 2.0T), but if you can sell 40,000 more of them here, why not?
Small tweaks, but surprisingly effective in making the car look more premium, especially the rear. It looks proper for its positioning now; the old version looked like a Chevy.
The should have killed Buick like Lutz said.
Pontiac was a far better brand.
Buick sells more than Acura.
Mazda in the front Toyota in the back? It’s a reverse mullet.
Basically a Chinese made Orlando/Captiva7 with that horrible Family II engine – alloy block with cast iron sleeves, direct injection.
It’d wanta be cheap.
we send Enclave to China, they add 30% while allowing their production here for free.
Stop the Invasion – Boycott Envision.
We are loving our 2016 Envision Prem ll.
Buickman, don’t forget the forced JV if we decide to build product there and the “sharing” of technological know-how (or just outright theft, if not willingly handed over). But let’s keep believing that trade with China is fair and that $300B year over year in trade deficits are a good thing as long as the consumer can by something on the cheap. I believe the economic imbalance and resulting debt obligation to China is a far, far bigger threat to America than Iran and Russia combined.
But I apparently am in the minority, as I suspect most consumers simply don’t care where their goods are made.
Can’t imagine good Americans buying a Chinese Buick. WTF?
The shame of it is that it’s not a bad looking car!
But I sat in one at the auto show a couple weeks ago. YUK!