Buick will debut
two all-new SUVs at the Shanghai Auto Show. The two models are the Encore
small SUV and Encore GX compact SUV but as the names suggest, both vehicles are
closely related. The Encore GX is the long-wheelbase version of
the Encore, although there are more differences between the two models than
that.
The all-new SUVs feature distinct styling, though
they both speak the same design language. That’s not surprising since both
models took inspiration from 2018’s Buick Enspire concept SUV. The Encore looks
sportier and more youthful while the Encore GX appears more grown up and
practicality-oriented.
GM says both models integrate its “advanced global
R&D and intelligent manufacturing” which is probably the company’s way of
saying they use a new platform. They are equipped with the automaker’s
eighth-generation Ecotec engines hooked to a new nine-speed Hydra-Matic
transmission or a new continuously variable transmission (CVT).
No further details are available for now but GM
claims the new Encore SUVs “offer highly efficient power with decreased fuel
consumption and emissions compared to their predecessor.” As a result, both the
Encore and Encore GX meet China’s 6-B emission standard. The new-generation
SUVs will also feature the latest eConnect 2.0 connectivity and intelligent
driving assistance tech.
The all-new Encore and Encore GX are part of a
product offensive that will see the GM-owned brand launch eight new and
refreshed products in 2019. Those also include the all-new Enclave which Buick
has confirmed as coming to China at the end of this year. Between 2019 and
2023, Buick has set the ambitious target of launching 20 new and refreshed
models in China.
