To Fill an American Need, Buick Turns to Chinese-made Envision

For years now, General Motors’ Buick division has made its biggest impact not in the United States, but in mainland China where it sold almost 470,000 cars in the first half on 2015. Now, Buick is gambling that a Chinese-made crossover SUV can help them seize control of the crossover market in America and fill the gap between the smaller Buick Encore and the Buick Enclave.

The Buick Envision, slated to be sold in various countries under the Opel and Holden brands for GM and already sold in China, is targeted for release in the US starting in 2016. Slightly smaller than its cousin the Chevrolet Equinox, the Envision is based on GM’s new front-wheel drive D2xx platform that the 2016 Chevy Cruze and Volt also use. It has a full front subframe, a MacPherson strut front suspension, and a fully independent four-link rear suspension for a wheelbase of almost 109 inches.

According to Consumer Reports, the Envision soon to hit US shores will have two engine options: a standard 1.6 liter, 160-horsepower four-cylinder engine, or an optional 2.0-liter four-cylinder powerplant that churns out 250 horses. Both engines come from Chevy’s Malibu line. It’s expected that both engines will be paired with automatic transmissions, and all-wheel-drive will also be available.

Alloy 19-inch wheels come standard, as well as LED daytime running lights, xenon headlights, and LED taillights as well. Buick also may be offering what it refers to as its Flex-Ride system; already available on the Chinese-market version, it offers four different settings for ride comfort: Normal, Tour, Sport, and Off-Road. It’s also the first Buick ever to have an off-road mode.

Top Speed had an opportunity to check out the 2015 Envision’s interior; a leather-wrapped steering wheel and active noise cancellation technology are two features that Buick is heavily promoting, and both are a first for this market segment. The model they reviewed came with an eight-inch touchscreen, chrome trim, and a center console, armrest and door panels wrapped in leather. The rear seats can fold flat, giving owners almost 55 cubic feet of storage space.

Whether Buick can begin shipping the Envision on time remains to be seen; originally, reports had it debuting in the third quarter of 2015. GM has been very tight-lipped about production of the Envision, and has not officially confirmed that it will even be sending the vehicle to the US. But with the Envision already selling well in China for two years and Buick needing a competitor against SUVs like the Toyota Highlander, odds are good that 2016 will see an American version.