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Buick Encore, Chevy Trax earn Top Safety Pick from IIHS [w/video]

The Buick Encore has been a massive sales success practically from the moment it debuted, and Buick recently decided to increase production to keep up with demand for the premium compact crossover. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recently put one to the test again, and the Encore earned a Top Safety Pick award. It's the first model from the brand to score the nod since 2013, according to the IIHS, and the rating also carries over to the 2015 Chevrolet Trax. The 2015 Encore scored a Good rating in all of the IIHS' evaluations, including the 40-mile-per-hour, small overlap front crash test. That was a big improvement over the previous model the institute tested, which scored a Poor result in the overlap test. In the first test, about 13 inches of the lower door hinge pillar came into the passenger compartment, and the steering wheel airbag moved too far to protect the dummy's head. Improvements for the latest model year showed six inches of intrusion this time, and the airbags caught the dummy's head well. The dummy's sensors also indicated a low risk of injury. The two CUVs missed out on the full Top Safety Pick+ because the IIHS scored the Encore as only having a basic front crash prevention system, and there was no such equipment for the Trax. To earn the highest mark, models need at least an advanced rating by the institute for this technology. Buick Encore, Chevrolet Trax earn 2015 TOP SAFETY PICK award ARLINGTON, Va. - A small SUV is the first vehicle from the Buick brand to qualify for a TOP SAFETY PICK award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety since 2013. The Buick Encore's newly introduced, lower-priced twin, the Chevrolet Trax, also qualifies for the honor. The Encore's award follows improvements to the SUV's structure for better small overlap front protection. The 2015 model earns a good rating in the small overlap test. In contrast, the 2013-14 Encore rated poor in the test. The driver's space was seriously compromised with intrusion measuring as much as 13 inches at the lower door hinge pillar. The dummy's head barely contacted the front airbag before sliding off the left side, as the steering column moved to the right. The side curtain airbag deployed too late and didn't have sufficient forward coverage to protect the head. In the latest test, the driver space was maintained reasonably well, with maximum intrusion of 6 inches at the door hinge pillar and instrument panel. The dummy's movement was well-controlled.

1987 Buick GNX with 8.5 miles sells for ... well, you won't believe it [UPDATE]

UPDATE, FRIDAY, FEB. 15: Blowing past what was believed to be the previous sales record of $165,000, this 8.5-mile 1987 Buick GNX sold for $200,000. It jumped approximately $80,000 in the final 10 minutes. The winning bid went to username PETRO917, who joined Bring a Trailer in February, seemingly specifically to bid on the GNX. The previous story appears below. Automotive grails are expected to cost unfathomable amounts of cash, but this 8.5-mile (EIGHT!) 1987 Buick GNX could reach monetary digits not seen before. With four days still left on the Bring a Trailer auction, the GNX is already up to $100,000. The Grand National, particularly the GNX, is one of those cars that has skyrocketed in value in the past 10 years. It's been earning payouts that put it in a rare class of General Motors vehicles typically occupied by classic Corvettes and Camaros. At the Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach auction in 2015, a 362-mile example sold for a brain-scrambling $165,000, likely the most ever paid for a GNX. Last year, the first GNX ever released to the public (VIN No. 1 and 2 were kept by the company) had 8,200 miles and sold for $126,500. The most expensive GNX ever sold on Bring a Trailer had 28,000 miles and ended at $60,000 in summer 2018. Bidding on this example is already $40K past that, with days to go. To the shock and dismay of many, this ultra-rare performance icon has been driven less than the distance of a half marathon. Its odometer reading makes it possibly the most pristine GNX on the planet. After it was originally sold in Mena, Arkansas, it simply sat on display in a Texas dealership for decades. The seller purchased the car in 2002 and supposedly kept it in a climate-controlled environment. Plastic wrapping over the seats and door panels further the immaculate cleanliness. According to the listing, the only parts that have been replaced are the battery and a relay switch, both of which come with the sale. In a comment on the auction, the owner shared the reason he has decided to sell the car: Collecting is enjoyable only if you can share the collection with other people of similar mind who can also appreciate it. I am at a point in my life when the relationships, not the material possessions, mean the most to me. The time has come for someone else to own a piece of history and share it with those individuals most important in his or her life.

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: