Buick Envision Crossover Caught Testing in the U.S.—Is It Headed Right here?

Nearly as quickly as Buick revealed the all-new Envision mid-size luxury crossover for the Chinese market, we had been of the thoughts that it would make an outstanding addition to the brand’s U.S. portfolio. Rumor has it that Buick is thinking the exact same point, and we now have further evidence that strategy is at least below consideration: this camouflaged Envision roaming our Ann Arbor, Michigan, environs.

For reference, the Envision is a 2-row mid-size crossover along the exact same lines as the Chevrolet Equinox, GMC Terrain, Nissan Murano, and Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The vehicle has been on sale in China given that final year, and it rides on Basic Motors’ next-generation transverse-engine, front-drive-based Delta platform. (The identical architecture sits beneath the 2016 Chevy Volt, as nicely as the subsequent-generation Cruze.) It is a handsome-hunting thing, with a sturdy familial resemblance to other Buick items like the Regal and Verano.

Thanks to its larger footprint, the Envision’s overall aesthetic is more reminiscent of the 3-row Enclave than the stubby and cartoonish—but nice to drive—Encore. The prototype pictured right here appears identical to the Chinese-market place Envision, save for its stand-in lighting units, deleted Buick badges, and hodgepodge camouflage job. Amusingly, for all the disguise perform, Buick’s trademark VentiPorts weren’t removed from the hood.

In China, the Envision is powered by GM’s corporate turbocharged 2.-liter 4-cylinder engine. A 6-speed automatic is standard, as is all-wheel drive we wouldn’t be shocked if the exact same powertrain produced it stateside, although it’s highly likely that Buick would offer you a base front-drive version, possibly even with GM’s naturally aspirated 2.5-liter 4-cylinder. A hybrid model is also a robust possibility.

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Because we haven’t heard much about the Envision since last year, we contacted Buick for an update but have been told only that there are no current plans to bring the SUV right here. It is also worth noting that significantly of the Envision’s engineering took spot on American soil, so seeing 1 parked in Ann Arbor doesn’t specifically indicate intent on Buick’s portion. But the brand could certainly use another crossover to fill the gaping hole between the Encore and the Enclave, and we wouldn’t be at all shocked to see it confirmed for the U.S. later this year as a 2016 model with a beginning price just above $ 30,000.

Buick Envision Crossover Caught Testing in the U.S.—Is It Headed Right here?

Buick Envision Crossover Caught Testing in the U.S.—Is It Headed Here?

Nearly as soon as Buick revealed the all-new Envision mid-size luxury crossover for the Chinese market place, we were of the thoughts that it would make an exceptional addition to the brand’s U.S. portfolio. Rumor has it that Buick is pondering the very same thing, and we now have further evidence that program is at least below consideration: this camouflaged Envision roaming our Ann Arbor, Michigan, environs.

For reference, the Envision is a 2-row mid-size crossover along the same lines as the Chevrolet Equinox, GMC Terrain, Nissan Murano, and Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The car has been on sale in China since final year, and it rides on Common Motors’ next-generation transverse-engine, front-drive-based Delta platform. (The identical architecture sits beneath the 2016 Chevy Volt, as properly as the subsequent-generation Cruze.) It is a handsome-seeking issue, with a sturdy familial resemblance to other Buick products like the Regal and Verano.

Thanks to its larger footprint, the Envision’s general aesthetic is far more reminiscent of the 3-row Enclave than the stubby and cartoonish—but good to drive—Encore. The prototype pictured here appears identical to the Chinese-marketplace Envision, save for its stand-in lighting units, deleted Buick badges, and hodgepodge camouflage job. Amusingly, for all the disguise function, Buick’s trademark VentiPorts weren’t removed from the hood.

In China, the Envision is powered by GM’s corporate turbocharged 2.-liter 4-cylinder engine. A 6-speed automatic is standard, as is all-wheel drive we wouldn’t be shocked if the very same powertrain made it stateside, despite the fact that it’s extremely most likely that Buick would offer you a base front-drive version, possibly even with GM’s naturally aspirated 2.5-liter 4-cylinder. A hybrid model is also a robust possibility.

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Because we haven’t heard significantly about the Envision considering that final year, we contacted Buick for an update but have been told only that there are no existing plans to bring the SUV right here. It is also worth noting that significantly of the Envision’s engineering took place on American soil, so seeing a single parked in Ann Arbor doesn’t specifically indicate intent on Buick’s component. But the brand could undoubtedly use one more crossover to fill the gaping hole between the Encore and the Enclave, and we wouldn’t be at all shocked to see it confirmed for the U.S. later this year as a 2016 model with a beginning value just above $ 30,000.

Buick Envision Crossover Caught Testing in the U.S.—Is It Headed Here?

Buick Envision Crossover Caught Testing in the U.S.—Is It Headed Right here?

Nearly as soon as Buick revealed the all-new Envision mid-size luxury crossover for the Chinese market, we were of the mind that it would make an excellent addition to the brand’s U.S. portfolio. Rumor has it that Buick is thinking the same thing, and we now have further evidence that plan is at least under consideration: this camouflaged Envision roaming our Ann Arbor, Michigan, environs.

For reference, the Envision is a 2-row mid-size crossover along the same lines as the Chevrolet Equinox, GMC Terrain, Nissan Murano, and Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The vehicle has been on sale in China since last year, and it rides on General Motors’ next-generation transverse-engine, front-drive-based Delta platform. (The same architecture sits beneath the 2016 Chevy Volt, as well as the next-generation Cruze.) It is a handsome-looking thing, with a strong familial resemblance to other Buick products like the Regal and Verano.

Thanks to its larger footprint, the Envision’s overall aesthetic is more reminiscent of the 3-row Enclave than the stubby and cartoonish—but nice to drive—Encore. The prototype pictured here looks identical to the Chinese-market Envision, save for its stand-in lighting units, deleted Buick badges, and hodgepodge camouflage job. Amusingly, for all the disguise work, Buick’s trademark VentiPorts weren’t removed from the hood.

In China, the Envision is powered by GM’s corporate turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine. A 6-speed automatic is standard, as is all-wheel drive; we wouldn’t be surprised if the same powertrain made it stateside, although it’s highly likely that Buick would offer a base front-drive version, possibly even with GM’s naturally aspirated 2.5-liter 4-cylinder. A hybrid model is also a strong possibility.

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Since we haven’t heard much about the Envision since last year, we contacted Buick for an update but were told only that there are no current plans to bring the SUV here. It’s also worth noting that much of the Envision’s engineering took place on American soil, so seeing one parked in Ann Arbor doesn’t specifically indicate intent on Buick’s part. But the brand could certainly use another crossover to fill the gaping hole between the Encore and the Enclave, and we wouldn’t be at all shocked to see it confirmed for the U.S. later this year as a 2016 model with a starting price just above $ 30,000.

Buick Envision Crossover Caught Testing in the U.S.—Is It Headed Right here?