Envisioning what Buick has to offer

Luxury without the price? That is the question!

For General Motors, it has excluded some brands over the past few decades that symbolizes what its brand was known for. For example, Pontiac, its sporty brand, or Oldsmobile, its family brand. While keeping Buick and Cadillac, both brands had to pick up the slack of what is now gone.

In Grasso’s Garage this week, we welcome Buick. As this is its first time for a slice of the auto review pie, we dig deeper into what Buick has to offer consumers and its 2022 Envision Avenir.

Wrapped in Rich Garnet Metallic paint, this all-wheel-drive compact SUV is a true display of elegance. It is ultimately a Chevrolet Equinox with Buick badging and some added flair. With a base price of $41,650, we recognize a lot of similarities and nice differences. Starting with a 2.0-liter Turbo fourcylinder engine producing 228 horsepower and 258 lb.-ft. of torque, and a nine-speed automatic transmission. We noticed the Envision is not necessarily the quickest or most powerful compact SUV, but one that offers comfort and design thrills, while keeping in the compact SUV price point.

In the eyes of GM, the Buick brand is designed to appeal more to the seasoned clientele as they demand comfort and enjoy those additional accouterments all while not hitting the pocket too hard like their European competitors. We noticed a nicely added panoramic sunroof, a standard 10.2 inch infotainment system with navigation, Bluetooth, while chrome was added to the exterior for that Buick-brand like flair. Our Avenir model tester did not have any issues displaying its luxury-like features. Twenty-inch aluminum wheels with a pearl nickel finish, a nine-speaker Bose stereo, ventilated front seats, just to name a few of the perks. Six exterior colors are options, while white comes standard. The interior was very elegant while keeping the driver in a cockpit-like environment with push-button transmission controls. Legroom was no concern either in the Envision as its comfort level was pretty impressive and fit for a full frame person like myself.

“The Buick Envision Avenir is intended to make a statement, with a premium design — one full of character — that captivates from every angle,” said Buick Design Manager Christine Cheng. “Distinctive exterior touches include an exclusive grille design and finish, 20-inch pearl nickel wheels and clear tail lamps with a swipestyle turn signal sequence. The refined interior features diamond perforated quilting on the seats, with contrast stitching resembling that of a French seam, and textured wood details on the door panels.”

In layman’s terms, the Buick Envision is designed for consumers who want that extra comfort of historic Buick-like vehicles, while enjoying the name plate of something nonchevrolet. For the Envision, this is just that. Although nicer than a Chevrolet and less expensive than a Cadillac, the Envision is consumer friendly and ultra comfortable while priced right in the compact vehicle category.

Grasso’s Garage is here for you! Are you in the market for a new car? I would be happy to provide my honest input. All you have to do is email me: marc.grasso@bostonherald. com.

Buick Envision Avenir MSRP: $41,650 As tested: $47,305 MPG: 22city, 29highway, 24.4 as tested

MARC GRASSO — MEDIANEWS GROUP The Buick Envision Avenir is an elegant SUV that won’t break the bank, which is something a lot of people could envision themselves driving.