With the all-new Encore GX, Buick just launched yet one more vehicle right at the heart of today’s market…smaller, nimble crossovers.
And if you think the new GX looks kinda’ familiar…yes and no.
The GX is the “regular” Encore’s big brother, but with four more inches in length.
And those four inches do two things. The GX doesn’t have the somewhat abbreviated look of the smaller Encore. It’s a bit more sleek in appearance…and those extra four inches really boost load space, too.
The GX will haul a healthy 50+ cu. ft. with the rear seats folded…more than enough for two people on a serious road trip of a week or two.
Buick builds the GX in three different trim levels starting in the low to mid $20’s, but they all come standard with Buick’s “Driver Confidence Package” which includes forward collision warning, lane departure / lane keeping, auto emergency braking, front pedestrian braking, following distance indicator, intelligent headlamps, and smart phone connectivity.
Add only around $1,500 more and get heated front seats, remote start, lane change alert, blind spot alert and dual-zone auto climate.
Our test Encore GX had the premium “Essence” package…giving us leather, a heated steering wheel, LED lighting, an air ionizer, and a 120 volt outlet. All that and a few packages like special paint, auto parking, wireless charging, a hands-free power rear liftgate plus GM’s rear-view camera mirror brought our window sticker up to just a hair over $34,000….which is around three thousand UNDER the price of the average new vehicle these days.
You could add all-wheel drive and an “ST” sport package with roof rack and rather interesting special trim and still be several thousand under 40K.
As for what makes the new Encore GX go…get ready, ‘caused you’ll be seeing many more of these types of engines in the years to come. It’s a tiny 1.3 liter three-cylinder turbo…but it performs just like a big six cylinder…really! Our 155 HP version of the 1.3 engine will even tow up to 1,000 lbs…yet the EPA still rates it as being able to give you a combined city / highway average of 31 MPG.
So who’s the target market for this sort of vehicle? Judging by sales, darn near everyone from singles to young families to retirees. In fact, almost 75% of Buick buyers last year were new to the brand…proof that Buick is doing a lot of things right these days.Follow AutoNSider on Facebook for review videos and more!
