In recent years, to a certain extent, China has been a more important market for Buick than the United States. The brand has a relatively wide portfolio in the People’s Republic and what has always seemed like a logical next step is most likely going to happen very soon – products developed and currently produced in China are going to be available in North America as well. And this is not just a rumor or speculation but information confirmed by a high-ranked executive within General Motors.

Speaking during the GM Investor Day earlier this month, Mark Reuss, president of the automaker, confirmed Buick has plans to bring the new Envista crossover to US soil. This vehicle was unveiled in the summer of this year featuring a new design language, combustion power, and decent equipment. Apparently, GM is preparing the Envista for a US launch in the near future.



"It’s already in production in China, paying forward the Buick design off the Wildcat. A beautiful vehicle, getting ready for the US here as well, just a beautiful addition to the Buick lineup,” Reuss said during his speech. To us, this sounds like a pretty solid confirmation, even though there are no additional details available for the moment.

In China, the Envista has a 1.5-liter turbocharged engine from the Ecotec family. Its output is not really impressive – 181 horsepower (135 kilowatts), but the 0 to 62 miles per hour (0-100 kilometers per hour) acceleration takes 7.9 seconds, which is respectable for a vehicle of 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 with a length of 182.6 inches (4,638 mm) and a width of 71.5 inches (1,816 mm). 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’s a 10.25-inch screen dominating the dashboard and a fully digital instrument cluster for the driver. In China, the crossover relies on the Baidu navigation system, though we expect a switch to Buick’s North American infotainment software for the Envista’s US debut.

The Buick Envista was first launched last year in China. A few months later, the automaker confirmed that the new crossover was coming to the US. The company is now ready to reveal it for our market, with the Envista ushering in a new design language for the brand, which it first previewed with last year's Wildcat EV concept.

The crossover features slim lighting units all around, with the front end adopting a forward-leaning nose that blends into the low, sleek profile. The new Buick emblem is mounted on the body above the grille. The Sport Touring trim will come standard with 18-inch all-black wheels, with 19-inch ones available. The Avenir sets itself apart with bespoke 19-inch Pearl Nickel wheels as standard.

Nineteen inches of screen occupies the Buick's stylish dash, with its segment-leading 11-inch infotainment screen dominating. Buick updated the infotainment system with an improved user interface, voice controls, and applications. The Avenir and ST trims have their logos embroidered in the head restraints. Standard is a sporty flat-bottom steering wheel.


The second row features 40/60-split folding seats, with 20.7 cubic inches of cargo space with them up. Fold those down, and the cargo capacity increases to 42 cubic feet. Buick offers a power liftgate to make accessing the cargo area easier.

The Envista will launch with the Buick Driver Confidence package as standard. The pack includes six active safety features like automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist with lane departure warning, high-beam assist, and more. Other available safety features include lane change alert with side blind zone alert, adaptive cruise control, and rear cross-traffic alert.



Powering the new Envista crossover is a 1.2-liter turbocharged engine. The engine will make 136 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque while returning a GM-estimated 30-mpg combined. Chevy pairs it with a six-speed automatic transmission. According to the model's lead development engineer, Scott McLane, the new 1.2 turbo engine is lighter and uses fewer parts. The Avenir comes standard with a Watts Link suspension, which is available on the ST trim.

Buick expects Envista production to start next month, with the new crossover going on sale sometime this summer. When it does reach dealers, it will start at $23,495 (prices include the $1,095 the destination charge). The Envista Sport Touring's price begins at $25,195, while the top-tier Avenir costs $29,695. Customers will be able to build and order their Envista starting this summer.