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2021 Buick Envision First Drive | A successful sequel

The 2021 Buick Envision inaugurates the second generation of what GM's premium division hopes will become the staple of its all-crossover lineup. The original Envision, while reasonably competent, suffered from ungainly styling and struggled to separate itself from its reputation as the built-in-China Buick. Bundle that with a brand that has (at best) an on-again, off-again relationship with being interesting and you have a recipe for “Who cares?” No longer, says Buick. While itÂ’s still assembled in China, the 2021 Envision gets a new platform, a new powertrain, and a complete styling overhaul. Feeling a little deja vu? ThatÂ’s reasonable. Buick gave us a promising first look at the new Envision last summer, but thanks to, well, you know, 2020, weÂ’re only now getting our hands on the final product, and if we were intrigued in June, weÂ’re impressed in February. BuickÂ’s first attempt at a compact CUV was not particularly impressive, especially when it came to design. The Equinox-in-a-dinner-jacket thing never really worked and weÂ’re happy to say that the second effort is a huge improvement. The new look is genuinely attractive. Like the Enclave, the Envision borrows cues from the Avenir concept whose name BuickÂ’s product planners appropriated to denote the brandÂ’s top-trim variants. It works. Power comes from a 2.0-liter, turbocharged inline-four producing 228 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque as its only available engine. Front-wheel drive is standard; a twin-clutch all-wheel-drive system is optional. Both setups utilize a nine-speed automatic transmission. Your author managed an average of 23 mpg over the course of a 60-mile test loop against EPA estimates of 22 mpg city, 29 mpg highway and 25 mpg combined. FWD models are rated at 24/31/26, respectively.  Size-wise, the Envision is a bit of an odd duck. One could teach an undergrad course on GMÂ’s two-row crossover ecosystem, but suffice it to say that itÂ’s a bit more closely related to the Chevrolet Blazer than it is to the Equinox this time around, despite being closer in size to the latter. Within the luxury realm, its length and wheelbase are a few inches shorter than those of larger compact models like the Volvo XC60, Acura RDX and BMW X3, but its rear legroom is greater than them all. It's actually closer in that measurement to the midsize Lincoln Nautilus.

2016 Buick Cascada marks the return of casual convertibles

Buick is reentering the convertible game after a 25-year absence with this, the long-awaited 2016 Cascada. Fans of General Motors' European operations will recognize this svelte, four-place droptop as a rebadged version of the critically well-received Vauxhall/Opel Cascada, a model that has been on sale to audiences across The Pond since 2013. The Cascada will once again give American car buyers the chance to buy a relaxed, affordable two-row convertible without sporting pretensions, an option that arguably hasn't been available since the demise of the Chrysler 200 droptop. For US duty, the softtop Cascada will arrive with a 1.6-liter, direct-injected, turbocharged four-cylinder that churns out 200 horsepower. That figure is paired up with 206 pound-feet of torque, which can be bumped to 221 lb-ft via an overboost function. A six-speed automatic will dispatch that power to the front wheels, which are managed courtesy of a HiPer strut front-suspension system. While the Cascada might share its front suspension with the setup found on the Regal, its torsion-beam rear suspension has more in common with the Vauxhall/Opel Astra (and Buick Verano) on which it's based. 20-inch wheels and an electric power-assisted steering system round out the convertible's handling hardware. Of course, we doubt most Cascada customers will care about such oily and unseen things. Instead, they'll be more focused on the droptop's sheetmetal, which, considering it's basically a convertible version of the extremely handsome Astra, should win the car at least a few fans. While we only have so much detail to work with in the images that have been released so far – we'll be seeing the Cascada firsthand this evening (Sunday), so check back tonight for additional live images later today. Naturally, the Vauxhall/Opel grille will be replaced by Buick's trademark waterfall grille, although the company's other big styling calling card, portholes, are absent from our current pair of shots. A wide chrome strip stands out on the rear, tying the taillights together and increasing the Cascada's resemblance to the Regal sedan. A single oval exhaust tip juts out from the driver's side rear bumper. In terms of its actual dimensions, the Cascada's wheelbase is less than half an inch longer than the Verano, while the droptop is an inch longer than its four-door counterpart overall. At only an inch wider, meanwhile, the Cascada will enjoy the same easy to manage footprint as Buick's entry-level sedan.

Buick will cease using ‘Buick’ badge on vehicles from 2019

GM Authority recognized that the recently unveiled 2019 Buick Envision is missing something: a " Buick" badge on the left side of the tailgate. Every other vehicle the carmaker sells features that script, but not the new mid-sized crossover. When the site asked about the omission, "representatives recently told GM Authority that Buick will stop using the brand badge on the rear of its vehicles, starting with the 2019 model year." The only identifiers that will remain are the three-color Tri Shield logo and the model nameplate, i.e., "Envision" or " Regal." It's a bold game for a mass-market major automaker, though Audi, Hyundai and Volkswagen follow the same trend. Even Bugatti, Rolls-Royce, Bentley, and Aston Martin affix their brand names to their vehicles within company icons or on brake calipers, albeit in small fonts. The coming Continental will wear the word "Bentley" across its trunk, silverware the present Continental does without. Porsche allows customers to delete model designations, but it must be requested. At the other end of the spectrum, the Ford Mustang Bullitt wears zero badges, but the Bullitt is a special edition of a well known model that otherwise advertises its provenance everywhere. Buick plays in hard-fought segments where mass appeal overrules instantly-identifiable design daring. Those kinds of carmakers usually want to take every opportunity to advertise every sale. Remember the last Buick to go without a make badge? The terrifically handsome Buick Avista concept that wore only two Tri Shield logos and its model name on the decklid. Perhaps that gave Buick some ideas. If the carmaker plans to start putting out cars like the Avista, then this move makes perfect sense. Update: A commenter pointed out that Hyundai vehicles don't have "Hyundai" badges, only the "Flying H." We've thought of some other brands/models, too. So Buick has mass-market company. Related Video: