General Motors introduced the Buick Envista small SUV in China in 2022, as a domestic market product. The overwhelmingly positive public reaction encouraged the company to push production of the compact crossover for other global markets.
Envista shares GM’s front-wheel-drive vehicle assembly (VSS-F) platform with its Buick Encore SUV stablemate and Chevrolet’s Trailblazer and Trax. It competes in a growing segment that includes the Acura RDX, BMW X1 and Lexus UX, among others.
Display the new Buick The design language featured on the Wildcat EV and Electra-X concept vehicles, the Envista is heavily styled inside and out, with the luxury qualities Buick buyers have come to expect in a premium vehicle, but without the luxury car price tag It also offers the sedan-like driving qualities that buyers are looking for as they look for alternatives in the four-door body style.
- Advantageous style
- Premium equipment
- Driving qualities
- Crop: Preferred, Sport Touring (ST), Future
- Model: Envision
- Engine/Engine: 1.2 liter turbo 3 cylinder
- Power: 136 horsepower @ 5,000 RPM
- Engine torque: 162 lb-ft @ 2,500-4,000 RPM
- Transmission: FWD
- Transmission: 6-speed automatic
- MSRP: $23,495-$29,695
- Price under $30,000
- Fuel economy
- Loaded with technology
- There is no all-wheel drive option
- Tight interior for more than a small family
- Small engine means reduced power
Buick is reaching a younger buyer with the Envista
The Buick Envista is the kind of vehicle upwardly mobile new car buyers are looking for: it has the exterior looks that set it apart from the competition (and just about anything else on the road), it has the versatility to move people, and/ or things , and it’s nothing like the chunky premium sedan their grandparents drove, or the cardboard SUV they grew up with at their parents’ house.
Like its slightly larger sibling, the Encore GX, the Envista comes with a healthy dose of luxury interior touches and the latest technology, and also has the environmentally sensitive qualities that are important to the modern generation of buyers of new vehicles.
Buick Envista’s Turbo-Three balances power and fuel economy
It doesn’t take much to motivate the Buick Envista compact crossover (which is just over 15 feet long and weighs between 3,030 and 3,115 pounds, depending on trim level), so GM decided to go with a 1.2-liter. 3-cylinder turbocharged engine with variable valves.
Peak power of 136 horsepower at 5,000 rpm, with plenty of boost available in the engine’s optimal speed range (from 2,500 rpm to 4,000 rpm, in this case) thanks to a maximum of 162 lb-ft of torque, which puts the necessary motivation under the driver’s right foot in most everyday driving situations.
Using fewer parts than previous 1.2-liter versions, Envista’s all-aluminum engine helps reduce overall vehicle weight, benefiting ride and handling, and fuel efficiency of 30 mpg, combined (pending EPA verification).
Power delivery to the front wheels (there’s no all-wheel drive option for the small SUV) is via a six-speed automatic.
Envista SUV moves and handles like a subcompact sedan
Sharing its VSS-F platform with the Buick Encore GX and Chevy’s Trailblazer and Trax (the latter also arriving by 2024), the Envista may not have the all-wheel drive that many first-time SUV buyers want, but it does good use of its FWD design with a suspension setup to improve safety in the vast majority of surface conditions you’re likely to encounter (which naturally excludes rock climbing or deep river fording) .
The matrix is MacPherson struts at the front and a composite crank at the rear, with the wheels located by springs and dampers. The Avenir has a standard rear Watts linkage (optional on ST) to calm the ride on broken surfaces and nullify any rear wheel wobble that may develop.
Envista wheels with standard 17-inch alloy wheels shod with 225/60R17 all-season tires; ST moves up to 225/55R18 (optional on Preferred), with Avenir running 245/45R19 tires (optional on ST). Electric power steering returns a turning circle of 37.4 feet or 38.4 feet, depending on wheel/tire size.
The braking system is also electrically assisted, with discs at all four corners (11.8-inch diameter front, 11.3-inch rear). ABS and stability control are standard equipment, with other driving aids forming part of an overall suite of technology.
The little Buick Envista is big on features and technology
Buick’s Driver Confidence package is a suite of driver assistance technologies and comes standard on all Envista crossovers. The package includes most of the now-traditional aids, such as tire pressure monitoring, forward collision alert with pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking and lane-keeping assist, and the departure warning, as well as recent developments such as the automatic dimming of the IntelliBeam high beams.
Autonomous technologies include automatic rain-sensing wipers, lane-departure alert, blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control with following distance indicator, rear park assist and rear cross-traffic alert.
Also aiding the drive, contributing to a more relaxed driving experience, Buick’s signature QuietTuning system limits unwanted noise entering the cabin by blocking out powertrain noise passing through the firewall, absorbing noise from the road through coil spring isolators in the suspension and reducing external noise through glass lamination and body panel insulation.
Other standard or available features and technologies include engine intake and exhaust airflow adjustment, tire choice, flat blade wipers, aerodynamic side mirror housings, triple door seals, increased density floor mats and active noise cancellation through audio systems.
Interior space belies the Buick Envista’s diminutive exterior
Despite its relatively small footprint, Envista expands inside, with a sense of spaciousness provided by reduced door panel thickness, increased legroom through the seat travel and maximizing the glass space around the SUV and on top.
The starting point is a 106-inch wheelbase, and the follow-up is efficiency in the seating arrangement, combining to make the Envista the roomiest Buick small SUV. The EPA rates interior space at 97.5 cubic feet, with a 60/40 split-folding rear seatback allowing cargo space to expand from 20.7 to 42 cubic feet.
A flat-bottomed steering wheel not only aids in getting in and out of the driver’s seat, but also adds a sporty touch that matches the swoopy exterior. And because it’s a Buick, the Envista has its premium qualities portrayed with thoughtful touches like colored stitching on the seats and embroidery on the front seat headrests. Mobile phone wireless charging is available.
Envista has the largest infotainment screen in the segment, with the 11-inch display on top of the center stack for quick and easy operation of vehicle systems within easy reach of the driver and passenger forward Add in the seamless transition to the driver information center, though, and the LCD screen combo nearly doubles to 19 inches.
Buick makes an Envista for any owner
Starting with the Preferred trim, Envista comes luxuriously equipped with LED headlights, automatic climate control and cloth/leather seats, among others. Options include heated front seats (8-way power adjustment for the driver) and steering wheel, a power liftgate, adaptive cruise, wireless smartphone charging and lane departure alert with blind spot detection .
Stepping up to the Sport Touring (ST) trim adds specific details inside and out (embroidered headrests and front grille, respectively), high-gloss painted 18-inch wheels, LED taillights and colored side mirror caps shiny black, side of body. molding and lower front and rear fascia. Options include remote start, power sunroof, rear cross-traffic alert and 19-inch wheels painted black.
Buick Envista offers premium features at an affordable price
Envista extends the Avenir trim, Buick’s highest level of luxury, with exclusive 19-inch wheels finished in Pearl Nickel, exclusive Black Ice chrome front grille, leather seats with Avenir embroidered front seat headrests, power liftgate, heated front seats and steering wheel. wheel, 8-way power driver’s seat, wireless smartphone charging and remote start. Future options include a moonroof, rain-sensing windshield wipers, adaptive cruise control, rear cross-traffic alert, and lane-departure alert with blind-spot monitoring.
All Envistas are compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and offer Link to Remote Access Plan via the MyBuick mobile app to remotely lock and unlock power doors, start and stop the vehicle and check tire pressure (depending on the characteristics of the car). The app also displays fuel range, oil life and mileage reading, among other vehicle features.
The Buick Envista debuts in the summer of 2023 as a 2024 model. MSRP starts at $23,495 for the Preferred (base) model and rises to $25,195 for the Sport Touring (ST) model. Avenir starts at $29,695.
Prospective buyers can preview the Envista compact crossover, with the ability to build, price and order online from launch.
