(Photo: Trevor Hofmann)įor the reasons just stated, I think the Encore is one of the smarter vehicles to buy in its subcompact near luxury class, at least for those of us who prefer a bit of premium pampering. These 7-spoke chrome alloy wheels are optional with top-line Essence trim. I’ve tested it all the way through the years, and always enjoyed it for what it was and still is, a comfortable yet surprisingly quick, highly fuel-efficient, well-featured, roomy little urban runabout with decent all-season capabilities. The current model hasn’t changed noticeably since it was given a thorough and attractive refresh for 2017, with its basic underpinnings remaining unchanged since it first came on the scene in 2012. The Encore will be completely redesigned for 2020, although we won’t see it until spring. Lastly, the Encore being reviewed here is the product of GM’s South Korean enterprise that resulted from taking over Daewoo, and is built in Bupyeong-Gu, Incheon alongside the Chevy Trax, which is virtually the same vehicle under the skin. Buick added its revised grille for the Encore’s 2017 mid-cycle update, and we think it looks much better. Even the upcoming mid-size five-passenger Envoy, based on the new Chevy Blazer, will likely hail from GM’s Coahuila, Mexico facility, where the Blazer is currently built, but it’s possible the new Enspire, slated to fit between the Encore and Envision, will be built at the GM Fairfax plant in Kansas, being that initial plans to bring it over from China aren’t looking as appealing as they once did. The only American-made vehicle to remain under the Buick brand after the LaCrosse is discontinued later this year will be the mid-size three-row Enclave SUV (see the redesigned Enclave here), produced in Lansing, Michigan. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann)Įven more exotic, the compact Envision crossover SUV (see the updated version here) I covered the same year, while related to the Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain, was mostly designed and produced in China, and is actually the first mass-produced vehicle to follow that Chinese production path (not without ever-changing regulation challenges). The design might be aging, but it’s tall profile makes it very spacious inside despite being one of the smaller SUVs in its class. The Regal GS (see the latest version here) I most recently reviewed, for instance, was designed cooperatively by GM’s German and Australian divisions, with input from its Chinese and North American operations, and assembled in Rüsselsheim, Germany, and Shanghai, China, for the Chinese market, the latter factory also producing the LaCrosse that I tested and reviewed way back in 2017 (see the 2019 LaCrosse here), although our version of Buick’s flagship sedan is built in GM’s Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly. Granted, it’s been part of the Chinese market since emperors ruled, while the brand more recently positioned itself well as a purveyor of true premium products that suited Chinese market tastes to a tee, both stylistically and luxuriously, but China isn’t the only reason Buick can claim such jet-setting status. Yes, Buick, General Motors’ problem child that only continues to exist due to its relevance in China. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann)īuick might be the world’s most global brand. This is the final year for the first-generation Buick Encore, but it’s still a very relevant and popular subcompact SUV.
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