Buick’s future might be electric eventually, but today’s new Buick is the gasoline-powered Envista. Designed to be the sexy alternative to a Hyundai Kona, Chevy Traverse, Kia Seltos or Subaru Crosstrek, its “coupe-like” crossover sheetmetal is distinctive, but the drivetrain is a little less “premium” than you might think with a Buick badge.
Under the hood we find the same 136 HP 1.2L three-cylinder turbo as the Chevy Trax and the same 6-speed automatic transmission with about 30 MPG combined. AWD? You’ll need to get the Encore GX as the Envista will be FWD only. The counterpoint to the 1.2L turbo is the price tag which is quite low. It’ll start at $23,495 and top out just over $30,000 which is significantly lower than most of the mainstream competition. If the interior parts are even a hair nicer than the new Trax, the Envista will be a screaming deal.
The Envista proves that GM has not given up on the sedan, since this is really just an affordable high-riding sedan that offers easier entry and a more practical liftback cargo area. The only glaring omissions are the lack of AWD or a more potent engine. If Buick could shoehorn their excellent 9-speed auto and a 170 HP tune of their 1.3L turbo under the hood, the Envista could be a solid near-lux entry.
More on the 2024 Buick Envista here.