In recent years, to some extent, China has become a more important market for Buick than the United States. The brand has a relatively broad portfolio in the People’s Republic and what always seems like the logical next step is likely to happen soon – products developed and currently manufactured in China will also be available in North America. And this is not just a rumor or speculation but information that was confirmed by a higher-up at General Motors.
Speaking during GM Investor Day earlier this month, Mark Reuss, the automaker’s president, confirmed Buick has plans to bring the new Envista crossover to US soil. The vehicle was unveiled this summer featuring a new design language, combustion power and proper equipment. Apparently, GM is preparing Envista for an imminent US launch.
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“It’s already being produced in China, paying off the Buick design from the Wildcat. A beautiful vehicle, getting ready for the US here too, a beautiful addition to the Buick lineup,” Reuss said in his speech. This sounds like pretty solid confirmation to us, though no additional details are available at this time.
In China, Envista has a 1.5 liter turbocharged engine from the Ecotec family. Output isn’t particularly impressive – 181 horsepower (135 kilowatts), but 0 to 62 miles per hour (0-100 kilometers per hour) acceleration takes 7.9 seconds, which is good enough for a vehicle in that segment. The four-cylinder mill is mated to a CVT and sends power exclusively to the front wheels. Buick promises an average fuel consumption of 6.52 liters per 100 kilometers or about 36 miles per gallon.
In terms of dimensions, the Envista sits above the Encore GX at 182.6 inches (4,638 mm) long and 71.5 inches (1,816 mm) wide. The wheelbase is 106.3 inches (2,700 mm), which results in a slightly more spacious cabin. As far as the equipment is concerned, there is a 10.25-inch display that dominates the dashboard and a fully digital instrument cluster for the driver. In China, the crossover relies on Baidu’s navigation system, although we expect a switch to Buick’s North American infotainment software for Envista’s US debut.
