Three-cylinder engines are pretty rare in the United
States, but it appears two will be offered under the hood of the 2020 Buick
Encore GX. While the company has been tight-lipped about performance
specifications, GM Authority says the upcoming crossover will come standard
with a turbocharged 1.2-liter three-cylinder engine that produces 137 hp and 225 Nm of torque. The entry-level engine will
reportedly be paired to a continuously variable transmission that sends power
exclusively to the front wheels.
Buyers looking for something with a little more
oomph will reportedly be able to order a turbocharged 1.3-liter three-cylinder
which develops 155 hp and 236 Nm of torque. Besides
being more powerful, models equipped with the 1.3-liter engine will be offered
with all-wheel drive. When the latter option is selected, the engine will be
paired to a nine-speed automatic transmission. Front-wheel drive variants will
reportedly stick with the CVT.
Interestingly, the numbers are nearly identical to
those offered on the standard Encore. It’s turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder
engine has outputs of 138 hp and 201 Nm of torque
as well as 153 hp and 240 Nm.
Considering the Encore GX is larger than the
standard Encore, this could mean the new crossover will be even slower than its
smaller counterpart. That’s not good as the ‘performance’ Encore takes a little
under eight seconds to hit 96 km/h.
The Encore GX will arrive in the United States early
next year and it will be positioned between the Encore and Envision.
Specifications will be announced closer to launch, but the company has previous
said the model will come equipped with an assortment of driver assistance
systems including automatic emergency braking, forward collision alert and a
lane keep assist system with lane departure warning.
