Buick Envista crossover headed to the U.S.

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Here in Canada, the Buick lineup seems to be getting smaller — the Encore is being axed after the 2022 model year, but across the border, Buick seems to be making waves. The automaker announced that the Envista crossover/fastback, originally revealed in China earlier this year, will indeed end up in American showrooms sometime in 2024 (supply chain issues may extend that) in their continued attempt to snag younger buyers.

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Buick Envista crossover headed to the U.S. Back to video

As per Autoblog, this information comes from General Motors president Mark Reuss during a conference call earlier this month. Earlier this year, we reported that GM might be killing off the Buick Encore (as well as the Chevrolet Trax). At that time, Car & Driver followed up with a Buick representative who wouldn’t confirm the Encore being axed, but did say that Buick “will continue to offer four distinct SUVs.” That information falls in line with this most recent Buick news — the new lineup would consist of the Encore GX, Enclave, Envision, and all-new Envista.

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There are still plenty of unknowns, including the exact year of its arrival, as well as where it’ll be made or imported from. It’s uncertain where it’ll sit in Buick’s current lineup when it comes to pricing, trims, power, and well, you get it — we don’t know much at the moment.

GM Authority speculates that it could be here as a 2024 model year and that the lineup could possibly receive the higher Avenir designation, but again, who knows?

China’s version has a base price of US$21,000 at the current conversion rate. It has a turbocharged, 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine with 181 horsepower and CVT. It’s available with two 10.25-inch displays, a surround-sound system, and a sporty-looking package named GS. All that information might mean absolutely nothing when the Envista makes its way to the U.S., but hey, it’s all we’ve got.

No word on if it’s coming to Canada yet. However, for a brand that’s been bland for so long, this just might just be the vehicle to stir things up and possibly get younger buyers to change lanes. If this is the shape of Buicks to come, I’ll tick the “better late than never” box.