The 2017 Buick Encore makes its NY debut.
Buick is set to give a new face and more to the best-selling model in it line-up. And if the 2017 Buick Encore only does as well as the current model, General Motors’ “premium” brand is betting that crossovers will soon account for as much as three-quarters of its U.S. sales.
First launched in 2013, the Encore is not only the number one model in the Buick line-up but the leader in its market segment, a key reason why the brand has so much riding on the debut of the 2017 update at the New York International Auto Show this week.
“The Buick Encore created the premium small SUV segment and remains the top choice for customers seeking premium features and dependability coupled with timeless design,” said Duncan Aldred, vice president of Buick Sales, Service and Marketing.
The exterior changes center around the face of the ’17 Encore, with a new grille, front fascia and headlamps, as well as a slightly updated hood. The rear fascia has also been revised slightly.
The 2017 Buick Encore will be offered with two versions of its 1.4-liter I-4 engine.
Bigger changes await inside, with a more significant update to seating and the instrument panel that now features an 8-inch color touchscreen, and a smaller, 4.2-inch digital information display framed by a new gauge cluster.
Buick’s IntelliLink infotainment system has been updated. It now features both the Apple CarPlay and Android Auto systems, while the 2017 Encore also gets OnStar with a a 4G LTE connection and a bult-in WiFi hotspot.
Connectively has become “really important” to buyers, said Aldred, during an interview. “It’s proving to be a real surprise-and-delight feature for customers…and brings more of them into the brand.”
Other factors that work for the Encore include a higher seating position and the sort of fuel economy that once would have been expected of a more traditional sedan, the executive suggested.
Most of the exterior changes are visible up front, including a new grille and fascia.
The 2017 Buick Encore will be offered with two different 1.4-liter Turbo engine packages. The base version delivers 25 mpg in the city, 33 on the highway in front-wheel-drive configuration. The second not only boosts performance but also manages to bump fuel economy to 28 city and 34 highway.
(Gas prices surge as warm weather season approaches. Click Here for more.)
Buick won’t reveal pricing for the 2017 Encore until closer to its launch later this year, though in a competitive market it is expected to hold close to the current numbers.
The updated Buick Encore is just one of four crossover-utility vehicles the GM brand will bring to market this year. The other major development comes with launch of the downsized Buick Envision, the first Chinese-made model General Motors plans to export to the U.S.
Even before its debut, crossovers have been generating about 66% of the brand’s total U.S. sales, but that could soon take another major jump. “I believe utility vehicles will represent 70% or more of our sales in the U.S.” once all the updated models are available, Aldred told TheDetroitBureau.com.
The 2017 Buick Encore gets a revised interior and a number of new connectivity features.
That shift “makes sense if you look at their product portfolio,” as well as the overall trend in the U.S. market, said Joe Phillippi, head analyst with consulting firm AutoTrends, Inc. “The world is swinging away from sedans and coupes to crossovers of all sizes and shapes.”
(Click Here to check out the sizzling Buick Avista coupe concept.)
The rise of the crossover market has played out well for a brand that struggled for decades trying to rebuild its once-formidable reputation. Including sales in China, Buick hit a record last year, and is on track for another in 2016.
But there is a downside to the market shift, making it more difficult to come up with a business plan justifying production for two highly reviewed concept vehicles, the Avenir and Avista, that Buick has showcased over the last two years.
“It’s always hard (making a business case) with what would be a low-volume vehicle, said Aldred, but even harder in a market where sedans and coupes are losing traction. Nonetheless, he said, “We’ll still keep looking at the numbers.”
(GM expecting lots more growth despite slowdown in Chinese car market. Click Here for the story.)