2024 Buick Envista Future
GM
DETROIT – General Motors on Monday revealed the last new gas-powered Buick vehicle before the brand’s transition to an all-electric domestic lineup by 2030.
The brand’s latest new traditional nameplate will be the 2024 Buick Envista, a small crossover that has the looks of a sedan but the height and storage of a comparable SUV. It features a long, sleek exterior with styling inspired by the brand’s well-received Wildcat concept car last year.
The Envista will replace the Buick Encore as the brand’s entry-level model, starting at $24,495 for a base model and $29,695 for a top-of-the-line Avenir model. GM discontinued the Encore last year in exchange for a larger “Encore GX” vehicle that starts around $26,000 to $35,000.
“There seems to be a huge opportunity on the price point,” Sam Russell, Buick’s chief marketing officer, said during a media conference. “The Envista, honestly, we think is a great opportunity for Conquest. . . . That’s our goal is to be the Champion of Conquest within GM.”
The Envista comes amid affordability concerns about new vehicles, as many automakers have ditched lower-priced cars in favor of more expensive crossovers. Average transaction prices have risen to record levels amid low vehicle availability over the past three years.
Production of the Envista at a GM plant in South Korea, home to other small crossovers from Buick and Chevy, is scheduled for next month. The vehicles are expected to arrive in Buick showrooms this summer.
The Envista will be offered exclusively in front-wheel drive and powered by a 1.2-liter turbocharged engine that is expected to include 136 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque. It includes a standard safety package with six active safety features, including automatic emergency braking and lane keeping assist. Its interior has 19-inch information and control screens.
The Envista is the second of five new models or vehicles for Buick over an 18-month period that ends next year. The first vehicle was the redesigned 2024 Encore GX. The latest model is expected to be the brand’s first all-electric vehicle, which will debut in the first half of next year.
“Once we make the transition to electric vehicles, it’s just all electric vehicles after that,” Russell said.
Buick’s goal to offer all-electric vehicles by the end of this decade comes as GM is spending $35 billion on electric and autonomous vehicles between 2020 and 2025. The automaker aims for all of its brands to exclusively offer consumer electric vehicles by 2035.
