A sedan, a three-row crossover, a Chinese-built compact and a subcompact turned Buick from a big-car brand into an SUV line-up.
Buick rebuilt its range from 2005 with the LaCrosse sedan, then the Enclave three-row crossover in 2007, the Encore subcompact in 2012 and the China-built Envision in 2014. The LaCrosse ended in North America with the 2019 model year and the Encore after 2022, leaving the Enclave and Envision.
In the summer of 2016 a Buick became the first Chinese-built General Motors vehicle ever sold in America. The Envision, a compact crossover made by SAIC-GM, was a sign of how much Buick's range had changed since the mid-2000s.
The Buick LaCrosse, Enclave, Envision and Encore are the four names that carry that change. The LaCrosse sedan arrived in 2005 to replace the Century and Regal, the three-row Enclave took over from the Rendezvous, Rainier and Terraza in 2007, the Encore added a subcompact crossover in 2012, and the Envision, on sale in China from 2014, slotted between them in North America from 2016.
Buick LaCrosse generations from 2005
The first LaCrosse debuted in late 2004 as a 2005 model, a front-drive sedan on the long-lived W platform. It borrowed its name from a 2000 concept with a descending swage line, front fender port holes, a removable rear roof panel that turned the boot into a truck bed, and voice recognition in place of switches. In Canada the car was sold as the Allure, because the words "faire la crosse" are Quebec slang that GM preferred to avoid.
Early cars used a 3.8 L V6 in CX and CXL trims, and a 3.6 L V6 in the CXS. Buick fitted an aluminium engine cradle that weighed 20 pounds less than the steel one, a magnesium beam behind the dash and a double-thick floor pan, and its QuietTuning package used laminated glass, steel laminate and sound deadener to hush the cabin. The 3.8 L cars were the first GM vehicles to meet the SULEV standard, for 2006. The last first-generation car was built on 23 December 2008, with roughly 290,000 sold in North America from 2005 to 2009, and the 2009 model was the last GM car to use the 3800 V6.
Buick offered the standard car as a five-passenger sedan with front bucket seats and a console shifter. At extra cost came a six-passenger layout, in which the front seats shared a flexible centre console that folded up for a sixth person and the shifter moved to the column.
The most striking version was the LaCrosse Super of 2008 and 2009. It revived a name from the 1930s to the 1950s and carried a 5.3 L V8 with 300 hp (224 kW) and 323 lb-ft (438 N-m), the engine used in the Pontiac Grand Prix GXP, Chevrolet Impala SS and Monte Carlo SS. It could shut down four of its eight cylinders to save fuel. Buick quoted a top speed of 150 mph (240 km/h) and 0-60 mph in 5.7 seconds. John Heinricy, a former Corvette engineer who led the project with the GM Performance Division, said the aim was a smoother, quieter and more grown-up car. It had Bilstein struts, bigger brake rotors, a stiffer steering rack and 18-inch wheels, and it started at $32,820 for 2008. Only 2,277 sold in 2008 and 139 in 2009.
Inside, the Super had a blue-faced instrument cluster, dark faux chestnut trim, heated front seats, remote start and leather with inserts embossed to look like woven leather, plus a nine-speaker sound system. The paint choices were Mocha Brown Metallic, Black Onyx, Red Jewel Tincoat and Platinum Metallic.
Safety scores were mixed. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety rated the LaCrosse Good in the frontal test and Marginal in the side test, and found the 2006 to 2008 cars had the second-highest fatality rate in the large four-door class, with only the Buick Lucerne worse. In China, Shanghai GM launched the LaCrosse in February 2006 as a more upscale companion to the Regal, and in 2008 added a mild hybrid, the first hybrid in the Chinese market.
| Generation | First model year | Sold in | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| First | 2005 | North America and China | W platform; replaced Century and Regal; Super V8 in 2008 and 2009 |
| Second | 2010 | North America and China | Flagship on a long-wheelbase Epsilon II shared with Opel Insignia and Cadillac XTS |
| Third | 2017 | North America and China | Epsilon platform shared with Chevrolet Impala; mild hybrid; North American production ended with 2019 |
| Fourth | 2023 | China only | Turbo 1.5-liter or 2.0-liter four |
The second generation, unveiled in Detroit in 2009, was a full redesign and Buick's flagship sedan. Its styling picked up the VentiPorts and falling swage line that Buick had used since 1949. It rode on a long-wheelbase Epsilon II shared with the Opel Insignia, the 2010 to 2012 Saab 9-5 and the Cadillac XTS, and it brought Buick back to Mexico in 2010 after 13 years. A 2.4L Ecotec four replaced the 3.0L V6 as the standard engine, and the 2010 CXS was the first North American car with HiPer Strut front suspension. For 2012 a mild hybrid called eAssist became the base model.
The New York Times said the second car mixed design elements from classic American cars of the 1930s and 1950s with traditional Chinese aesthetics. Aggregated reviews of the 2016 model year gave it 8.7 out of 10 overall, with safety scoring 9.7.
One quirk annoyed owners. The 2010, 2012 and 2013 cars had no interior trunk release, so the lid could only be opened with the key fob or a touch sensor by the number plate. The 2011 model had a button on the dash, and the 2014 refresh put one on the driver's door.
The third generation of 2017 used the Epsilon platform shared with the Chevrolet Impala and offered a mild hybrid pairing a 20-kilowatt (27 hp) electric unit with a 2.5-liter Ecotec. North American production ended with the 2019 model year, but the car lived on in China with a facelift, and a fourth generation launched there in 2023 with turbocharged 1.5-liter or 2.0-liter engines.
The first Chinese-built General Motors vehicle sold in America wore a Buick badge.
Buick Enclave history, from 2007 to 2025
The Enclave is a three-row full-size crossover that GM previewed as a concept at the 2006 North American International Auto Show, the first Lambda vehicle shown. It shares that platform with the Saturn Outlook, the original GMC Acadia and the first Chevrolet Traverse. Production began on 11 April 2007 at Delta Township near Lansing, Michigan, and it opened at $32,790.
It seated seven, or eight with an optional bench in place of the second-row captain chairs, and offered front-drive or all-wheel drive. The first engine was a 3.6 L V6 with 275 hp (205 kW; 279 PS), and for 2009 a direct-injection version raised that to 288 hp (215 kW; 292 PS) and 270 lb-ft (366 N-m). Economy estimates for that engine were 17 and 24 mpg-US (14 and 9.8 L/100 km) for front-drive and 16 and 22 mpg-US (15 and 11 L/100 km) for all-wheel drive. Early cars were criticised for a six-speed gearbox that hesitated to downshift, and it weighed nearly 5,000 pounds (2,300 kg) with all-wheel drive. Demand outran capacity so far that GM added a third shift at Delta Township. The 2008 model was an IIHS Top Safety Pick, and in 2008 the Enclave began shipping to China.
The 2013 refresh, shown on 3 April 2012, added a chrome waterfall grille, LED lighting, IntelliLink and seven airbags, including an industry-first front center airbag.
The second generation was unveiled on 11 April 2017, ten years to the day after the first Enclave was built. It moved upmarket against the Volvo XC90, Infiniti QX60 and Acura MDX, sharing a long-wheelbase C1XX chassis with the Chevrolet Traverse. A 3.6-liter V6 with 310 hp (231 kW; 314 PS) and a nine-speed automatic powered it, and a new Avenir trim sat at the top. A 2022 refresh, delayed by a year, made a driver-assistance package standard, with front pedestrian braking, automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, a blind spot monitor and rear cross traffic alert, and added a push-button transmission.
China received its own Enclave in 2019, a shorter "mid-size plus" car on the C1 short platform with a 233 hp (174 kW; 236 PS) turbo four, and GM said there were no plans to sell it in North America. It was removed from Buick's China website in December 2025.
GM unveiled the third generation on 9 April 2024 in Preferred, Sport Touring and Avenir trims. Styling came from the Wildcat EV concept, and the cabin has a 30-inch display. A turbocharged 2.5L four makes 328 hp (245 kW) and 326 lb-ft (442 N-m) through an eight-speed automatic. It earned a Top Safety Pick+ rating and is the first Buick offered with Super Cruise.
Buick Envision, the Chinese-built crossover
The Envision started in 2011 as a plug-in hybrid concept with scissor doors, a solar roof and a head-up display. Only the waterfall grille survived. The production car went on sale in China on 20 October 2014 and reached America at the Detroit show on 11 January 2016, initially with all-wheel drive and from 2017 with a front-drive option.
The North American first generation offered a 2.5-liter four with 197 hp (147 kW) and a turbo 2-liter with 252 hp (188 kW). A 2019 facelift brought a nine-speed gearbox to the turbo model. The second generation arrived in May 2020 with a 228 hp (170 kW) 2.0L turbo, four trim levels including Avenir, and the E2XX platform shared with the Cadillac XT4. In China it is sold as the Envision S, and a stretched three-row Envision Plus has a wheelbase of 2,833 mm (111.5 in).
The 2024 facelift brought front design changes and new dashboard-mounted digital displays. GM had also planned Super Cruise, but the launch was delayed and it was not realised.
US sales were just over 41,000 in 2017, making it Buick's third best seller. They fell 27% in 2018 and then peaked at over 47,000 in 2024. In August 2018 GM warned it might withdraw the car because of tariffs on Chinese goods, and when its request for a waiver was denied in May 2019, GM paid the tariffs without raising the price.
Buick Encore, the small one
The Encore was a subcompact crossover sold from 2012 to 2022. It was a restyled Chevrolet Trax sharing its look with the Opel and Vauxhall Mokka, debuted in Detroit on 10 January 2012, and was assembled in Bupyeong, South Korea. The name had been used before, on Renault Alliance hatchbacks sold by American Motors from 1984 to 1987.
Early cars had a 1.4-liter turbo four with 128 hp (95 kW; 130 PS) and a six-speed automatic, with front or all-wheel drive. In 2016 the Sport Touring trim brought a 153 hp (114 kW; 155 PS) engine, although Opel rates the same unit in the Mokka at 150 hp (112 kW; 152 PS). The 2017 refresh added LED tail lights, a 4.2-inch information screen and an 8-inch infotainment screen, and removed the faux fender ports.
After the Encore GX arrived for the 2020 model year, the Encore became the entry-level Buick with only the Preferred trim left. General Motors discontinued it after 2022 with no direct replacement. A second-generation Encore revealed in Shanghai in 2019 used a 1.0 L or 1.3 L three-cylinder turbo and was never exported to North America, and it vanished from Buick's China website by July 2023.
Envision production is due to leave China in 2028
In January 2026 General Motors announced plans to move production of the Envision sold in the United States to its Fairfax Assembly site in Kansas City, Kansas, in 2028, as a way to mitigate the impact of tariffs. By then the LaCrosse had ended in North America with the 2019 model year and the Encore after 2022, so the Envision and the Enclave carry the range.
