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Refreshed 2019 Buick Envision gets sharper edges, optional nine-speed transmission

After 18 months on the market in the United States, the Buick Envision took its place as the third-best-selling vehicle among Buick's eight models, slotting in behind the Encore and Enclave. January sales this year jumped 13.7-percent year-over-year, just a few hundred behind the Enclave. Now, the Chinese-made compact SUV gets a modest makeover, but buyers of the 2019 Buick Envision will need to reach up into the upper trims to access the best of what's new. The big mechanical upgrade comes with the option of GM's Hydra-Matic 9T50 nine-speed automatic instead of standard the six-speed. However, that appears to be limited to just two of the five available Envision trims: Premium I and Premium II. The base, Preferred, and Essence models stick with the six-speed only. Design changes center around the front and rear fascias. The grille motif switches to a be-winged Buick emblem - in tri-color spec, not monochrome - over the previous waterfall, matching that of the sibling crossovers. The lower front fascia gets redrawn, with the fog lights at the edges now sitting in square recesses with reworked chrome trim and sharper edges on the bumper. Premium trims move up from HID projectors to bi-LED headlights, while the other three trims shed their composite halogens for HID lights. According to the 2019 order guide, Ebony seats with Dark Plum interior accents leave the menu, replaced by Dark Galvanized leather seats with Ebony trim. White interior lighting will illuminate the instrument panel and door trim, replacing Ice Blue, and comfort/convenience tweaks come in the form of wireless phone charging, an cabin air ionizer and a button to shut off the stop-start system. The latter would be a noteworthy upgrade as it's been a common complaint logged against so-equipped GM vehicles. In back, design elements get sharper edges, and the taillights switch to slimmer LED units. Designers have hidden the single exhaust outlet on the lower three trims with the base, 197-horsepower 2.5-liter engine. It appears that choosing the optional, 252-hp 2.0-liter engine will be identified by dual rectangular exhaust finishers instead of the round tips of previous years. Exterior colors hold steady at six, but Midnight Amethyst Metallic gives way to Satin Steel Gray Metallic, and the current 19-inch wheels get replaced with two new designs. The 2019 Buick Envision has already gone on sale in China, and should reach U.S. dealers in April. Related Video:

2019 Buick Regal to get Avenir luxury treatment

Buick will make the 2019 Regal sedan available in its top-tier Avenir trim, the fourth Buick model to carry the sub-brand name after the Enclave, LaCrosse and the GL8 in China. Buick says the Avenir line is selling faster than other trim levels on both the Enclave and the LaCrosse, and that half of all Regal Sportback buyers are opting for the top trim level, reflecting buyers' demand for more premium midsize cars. "Avenir sales have exceeded our expectations," Phil Brook, vice president of Buick and GMC Marketing, said in a statement. "Buick customers value the exclusive styling, premium features and convenient experience Avenir provides, and we are excited to extend that successful formula to Regal." So what's the Regal Avenir all about? Well, Buick will debut its first cloud-connected infotainment system, bringing embedded apps and enabling owners to set up their own profiles and user preferences for use in things like available navigation and voice-recognition, and carry over that profile to other compatible vehicles. The Avenir will come standard with safety and driver-assist technologies such as rear park assist, rear cross traffic alert, lane-change alert with side blind zone alert, LED headlights with auto leveling, cornering lamps and driver-side auto-dimming mirrors. Advanced adaptive cruise control and other active safety technologies are also available. Inside, there's a "Whisper Beige" theme with ebony accents, diamond quilt-stitched front seats, embroidered first-row headrests and sill plates carrying the Avenir script. An ebony theme is also available. The exterior gets a more dramatic look, with the Avenir 3-D mesh upper grille, script badging on the front doors and 19-inch Pearl Nickel wheels. Under the hood is the Regal's standard 250-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder making 260 pound-feet of torque and mated to a nine-speed automatic. Avenir was the name of a four-door concept Buick unveiled as a surprise in 2015 in Detroit. The next year the company announced it would use the name as a top-tier trim level starting with 2018 Buicks. Pricing for the 2019 Buick Regal Avenir will be announced when it arrives at dealers. Related Video:

GM laying off 500 workers to slow Chevy Sonic production

Due to slow sales of the Chevrolet Sonic and Buick Verano, General Motors is cutting a shift at the Orion Township plant that builds the pair. The move lays off about 500 workers, but most of them are expected to get offers to transfer to other factories, Automotive News reports. The move came just a day after GM announced adding 1,200 employees to the Detroit-Hamtramck plant. GM has been trying all year at the Orion Township factory to align production of the Sonic and Verano with their demand. The automaker first attempted idling the plant several times and eventually resorted to laying off about 100 workers. It also reduced the production rate there. With the huge rise in popularity of crossovers, demand for the plant's small cars is on the downturn. According to Automotive News, there's currently a 116-day supply of Sonics and 100 days of Veranos to sell. Delivers tell a similar tale because the Chevy is off 35.2 percent from January to September, and the Buick does little better with a 27.2 percent drop from the same period last year. While the situation at Orion Township might look rough now, big things are on the horizon. Soon, the new Chevy Bolt electric vehicle will be built there when it hits the market around 2017. Plus, the plant will also get a $245-million upgrade and 300 new jobs for another, unannounced vehicle.