USA TODAY International Edition
Smaller is better in Buick Encore GX
General Motors’ SUV transition is complete
Don’t look now, but Buick is the shape of the auto industry’s future, and that shape is an SUV.
Get used to it because as the 2021 model year hits its stride, General Motors’ oldest brand no longer has a single traditional car in its lineup.
The final piece of the puzzle arrived earlier this year in the 2020 Encore GX, an appealing small SUV sure to become Buick’s best seller in a jiffy.
The Encore GX completes a transition that began nearly a decade ago, when some farsighted exec recognized the approaching flood of SUVs as a rising tide that could lift a moribund brand. Buick bet on SUVs early and big, though it was easy to overlook in the early days when the Encore was the first and only premium subcompact SUV sold in the U. S.
There will always be customers for sedans, coupes and convertibles, but the heart of the car market has shifted to taller vehicles with decent cargo space, commanding sightlines and available all- wheel drive.
The question is, how many sizes and types of SUV do people want?
Judging by the Encore GX, which arrived at dealerships in small numbers this year just before coronavirus blew a hole in everybody’s plans, the answer is “at least one more.”
How much?
The Encore GX is bigger than the Encore that’s currently Buick’s top seller. At 171.4 inches long, it’s 3 inches longer, with more passenger and cargo space.
The base drivetrain is a 137- horsepower, 1.2L turbocharged three- cylinder engine linked to a continuously variable automatic transmission. That drivetrain is available only with front- wheel drive. Prices start at $ 24,100.
An optional 1.3L three- cylinder turbo produces 155 hp. It’s a $ 395 option on front- drive models and standard on allwheel- drive GXs, which also get a conventional nine- speed stepped automatic. The AWD package drive costs $ 2,000.
I tested a well- equipped FWD Encore
GX Essence with the 1.3L engine and CVT. It stickered at $ 28,500 before options, $ 33,120 as tested. All prices exclude destination charges.
Encore GX prices will only rise about $ 100 when 2021 model vehicles arrive this year. They’ll have a welcome new standard feature: wireless Apple CarPlay, which isn’t available on ’ 20s. SiriusXM satellite radio will be standard.
Driving impressions
The little 1.3L turbocharged threecylinder delivered better performance than I expected. Acceleration was more than adequate and there’s plenty of power for fast highway cruising.
The fuel economy penalty for adding AWD and foregoing the fuel- efficient CVT is not inconsequential. The EPA rated my FWD/ CVT Encore GX 30 mph in the city, 32 mpg on the highway and 31 mpg combined.
Interior comfort and controls
The interior is roomy and quiet, with plenty of headroom, attractive vinyl upholstery and soft materials on the dash and doors. The front seat has plenty of storage cubbies and legroom. Rear legroom is acceptable, headroom in both rows is fine and there’s usable cargo space.