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2019 Buick Envision First Drive Review | Still not a standout

ATLANTA – "We're in the fashion business," executive chief engineer Rick Spina told us as he introduced the 2019 Buick Envision. "Except with a lot of technology." Spina was referring to the changing whims of new-car buyers, which have prompted Buick to give the compact Envision crossover its mid-generational update early — just 18 months into its lifecycle — and drop its prices across all trim levels. As with much of our consumer goods, the Envision is made in China. That doesn't seem to have hurt it in the market, even though it wears the badge of one of the most quintessentially American brands out there. It even aced the IIHS crash tests, putting it in league with Volvo, Mercedes-Benz and Lexus. There's good news and bad news about how the Envision is doing. It's now the third-best-selling model in the Buick portfolio, behind the three-row Enclave in second place and the surprise hit Encore subcompact crossover in first. Sam Russell, Buick's director of marketing, reported 73 percent growth in the past nine months versus the first half of its market life. A full 60 percent of Envision buyers are new to the GM family, too, and Russell says that nearly half of those are likely to buy another Buick SUV when the time comes to trade in the Envision. And yet, the Envision trails in luxury compact-crossover sales, behind mainstays such as the Audi Q5 and Acura RDX, even amid crossover demand in the U.S. that has companies like Nissan posting record sales numbers and Ford canceling a redesign of the Fusion. Our test of the 2017 Envision found it competent, but lacking that "X factor" that would send buyers of German and Japanese marques flocking. Instead, we compared it to the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, and deemed those both better values. Perhaps Buick feels the same, because the base 2019 Envision now starts at $32,990, a $2,000 cut from last year. The Preferred trim level sees a greater drop of $2,400, to $34,495. Rounding out the naturally aspirated 2.5-liter grades, the Essence's price falls $1,900 to $36,795. The turbocharged 2.0-liter Premium and Premium II trims get a discount of $1,600 and $1,400, respectively. With those prices come changes that Buick hopes will make the Envision a more compelling prospect. Outwardly, the Envision sports a new grille, a winged affair to replace the 2018's waterfall and bring it in line with the rest of Buick's lineup.

Spy photos of the upcoming Buick Regal wagon, via the Opel Insignia

We're pretty sure Buick is working on a Regal wagon. And because the Regal is the Opel Insignia on the other side of the pond, these spy photos show us what's in store when it eventually turns into a Buick. The rakish wagon was lightly camouflaged, giving us our best look at the upcoming vehicle. The wagon shares a lot of the same design cues as the Insignia sedan that we spotted earlier. The bottom of the front end is covered in heavy camouflage, masking the wagon's grille. It's unsure to tell whether the black nostril-like pieces sitting above the grille are vents or just tape. The prototype still shares the same upright nose as the model we spotted earlier, giving the wagon a wider stance than its predecessor. The side profile of the wagon is sleeker, thanks to the extra four inches between the axles, than the current model is, with the design mimicking that of a shooting brake instead of a traditional wagon. The rear end of the wagon is also more upright with the taillights and bottom part of the fender jutting out beyond the glass. The boxy design sitting atop of the rear end doesn't match the rest of the vehicle and appears to be a part of the car's camouflage. With the tunnel-like design at the top gone, the rear end would have a more streamlined design. With the next Regal expected to continue on as a rebadged Insignia, the likelihood of a Regal Wagon in the US look good, but aren't set in stone. Late last year, Buick filed two trademarks for "Tourx" and "Regal Tourx," pointing towards a high-riding wagon with all-wheel drive. Imagine these spy shots with a taller suspension and some crossover-inspired trim pieces and you have a wagon that could take on the likes of the Subaru Outback and Audi Allroad. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2018 Opel Insignia Grand Sport Tourer Spy Shots View 10 Photos Image Credit: CarPix Design/Style Spy Photos Buick GM Opel Wagon Luxury opel insignia

How to hack a Buick Regal with CarKnow

If you own an Apple iPhone or Android device, perhaps you've been tempted to jailbreak or root it. This process gives you access to the the software's code, and can be used to make minor or drastic changes to its operating system. CarKnow, a company in Boston, is working applying a similar concept to the automobile.
Translogic recently took a look inside CarKnow to see just how it can tweak the computers inside a car and what sort of things can be done. As our transportation tech sister site explains, CarKnow basically created a digital duplicate of their Buick Regal in the cloud, while harvesting data generated to create custom apps and infiltrate the deepest function of their test car.
And before you freak out about people maliciously taking over your car, CarKnow's founder, Josh Siegel, stresses that it isn't quite so easy as driving up alongside someone. Take a look at the full video below to see just what it's like to jailbreak a car.