2015 Buick Crossover Spotted in the Wild

The engineers at Buick appear to be hard at work bringing a new 2015 crossover concept into the world, if recent spy shot photos are any indication. The new vehicle is rumored to be called the Anthem, and by all appearances it is the working version of the 2011 Buick Envision concept crossover. Another name that’s rumored for the new crossover is the Enspire.

The new crossover has been spotted being road tested by GM in western states. The spy photos strongly indicate that the new vehicle is a Buick badge vehicle. The LEDs are pure GM, and the grill design and body form would signal the arrival of a new Buick crossover. It is believed this model will be released some time in the second half of 2015.

The prototype looks to be a direct competitor to vehicles such as the Infiniti EX and the soon to be released Lexus NX. The Buick crossover appears to borrow concepts from the Enclave model of SUVs, and the overall design seems to be built upon General Motors? Delta II platform, also called the D2XX. The crossover version of the D2XX is called the D2Ux.

The D2Ux is intended to replace existing Theta crossover platform models and bring GM?s line-up of crossovers into closer line with its car platforms. The D2Ux platform is expected to become the basis for a wide range of vehicles in future GM line-ups, including the Buick Verano, the Chevy Equinox, the GMC Terrain and the Opel Astra.

What will make the Buick Anthem hum is a different question. If the Verano can be taken as an indicator, the Anthem will likely have engine options of 2.4L and 2.0L, with the possibility of purchasing a plug-in hybrid package as an upgrade. Most versions are anticipated to be either a hatchback or 5-door model.

The Anthem opens up possibilities for a medium-sized crossover vehicle that has long been missing from the Buick line-up. It is not considered a model that GM will push aggressively in North America. In fact, the biggest expectations are for an Opel version to be marketed in Europe in the coming years and a Buick badged version that will be sold aggressively in China. Work on the Anthem indicates that GM is committed to finding a middle ground between its pre-bankruptcy monster-sized SUVs and the smaller crossover models that have come onto the scene in recent years.