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Little-bit-bigger 2020 Buick Encore GX gets two three-cylinder engines

Ford broke the ice on selling three-cylinder engines in the U.S. with the 2014 Fiesta, then followed up with the EcoSport. Buick is about to widen that supermini-sized crack in the ice with the 2020 Encore GX. The semi-subcompact crossover will come in three trim levels that mix-and-match two turbocharged three-cylinder engines, two transmissions, and two drivetrains. The smaller engine is a 1.2-liter three-pot with 137 horsepower and 166 pound-feet of torque. This comes in one horse and 18 lb-ft of twist beyond the 1.4-liter four-cylinder in the smaller Encore. This engine will only be paired with a CVT and front-wheel drive in the Preferred, Select, and Essence trims. The meatier motor is a 1.3-liter three-cylinder with 155 hp and 174 lb-ft. That's down on the 163 hp and 177 lb-ft that the same engine produces in the Chinese-market version of the Encore GX. However, it gets buyers close to the 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that used to be optional on the smaller Encore, producing 153 hp and 177 lb-ft. This engine can be optioned on the front-wheel drive Select and Essence trims, where it would be mated to the CVT. The 1.3-liter three-cylinder is standard on all trims optioned with all-wheel drive, where it gets paired with GM's nine-speed automatic. GM does say the horsepower figures are estimates at the moment, so don't be surprised at any slight changes before deliveries begin next year. The Encore GX will serve buyers who would love it if the Encore had a bit more room but don't want to step up to the Envision. For a price GM hasn't announced yet, the Encore GX will reward those buyers with five more feet of cargo space, and some extra power for all those who decide to level up further. The junior Encore weighs just over 3,200 pounds, it's likely the Encore GX will shade that some. The Encore GX does ride on GM's new VSS-F platform, though, so the advanced architecture could provide an overall superior experience even with the lesser three-cylinder. GM has also said that the Encore GX will come standard with safety kit like forward collision alert and lane keep assist with a lane departure warning, features that are cost extras on the Encore. The Encore GX will also include automatic emergency braking, which can't be had on the Encore at any price.

2018 Buick Regal TourX First Drive Review | Pop the champagne, it's another wagon!

As a newborn member of an endangered species, we should probably pop open the Dom to fete the arrival of the 2018 Buick Regal TourX. It's a wagon, after all, and if there's anything we automotive writers have been clamoring for is more wagons. "Forget those SUVs," we've implored. "This wagon over here is better! Just as much cargo space, better to drive! And have you seen it in brown?" Well, it seems like our collective proselytizing is starting to pay off, or perhaps far more likely, consumer tastes are shifting a bit to appreciate the wagon. Sure, they need to be lifted a bit and sport plastic fender flares to add a wee bit of SUV-ish flavor, but who the hell cares? Beggars, choosers, etc. It's a wagon, and we should be happy it's here. And we are, the Regal TourX is a pretty good one that thankfully offers more than just its mere existence. It especially delivers on the space front, which is refreshing since most of today's wagons are not as cargo friendly as the collective "we" would like to admit. An Audi Q5 regrettably does have more cargo space than an Audi A4 Allroad. Yet, the TourX has more than both – considerably more in fact, coming in at a certifiably huge 73.5 cubic feet of maximum space. The difference is palpable between it and the 53.5-cubic-foot Allroad, which Buick considers the TourX's closest competitor. As the below video (somewhat) demonstrates, I was able to cram 12 Patagonia duffle bags into the Allroad, filling up most of the cabin. The same amount in the TourX left tons of residual space, you could still see out the back and loading it all in didn't require a degree in Advanced Tetris. There's also a far more useful amount of space with the back seat raised (32.7 vs. 24.2). That area is especially lengthy, and with the large rear quarter windows and reasonably square roofline, it should be a good choice for dog owners. There's no built-in dog net behind the back seat as you'll find in the Allroad and BMW 3 Series wagon (you'd have to go the aftermarket route), but your four-legged buddy should at least appreciate the lower liftover/jump-aboard height. Which brings us to the next wagon benefit: the lower roof height. According to Buick's marketing folks, people who buy off-roadish wagons like the Regal TourX are far more likely to actually live the outdoorsy active lifestyles the owners of SUVs usually only envision for themselves.

Buick Envision interior just as nice as its exterior

GM China loosed more photos of the all-new 2021 Buick Envision, this time of the interior. We are happy to report that the cabin design is just as pleasing to the eye as the exterior. When the 2021 model shows up for the reunion with its earlier model-year siblings, no one will recognize it. The modestly dated interior of the current crossover with its too-small infotainment screen and Rorschach-blot button placement is all gone. The gaudy curves and textures on the current instrument panel give way to a simple, split-level, bi-color form. What's more, the IP subtly carves out distinct driver and passenger spaces, a design trait normally reserved for sports cars. When Buick and GMC design boss Helen Emsley said the coming Envision would possess "striking styling designed to combine the expressiveness of a car with the practicality of an SUV,” she wasn't lying. The new steering wheel picks up more substantial spokes decorated with linear buttons instead of the circular pads, and its center cap is wider and no longer reminiscent of an alien face. The dash's dark portion up top houses a 10-inch infotainment screen canted at an 18-degree angle for the driver's ease-of-use. Air vents accentuate the break between the top and bottom of the instrument panel. Beneath the center vents, in the cabin-colored portion of the dash, are a slick set of climate controls. The pushbutton gear selectors along the left side of the center tunnel come from the China-market Enclave. And even the cupholders are handsome. The Envision Avenir gets a few exterior changes like a mesh grille and nicer wheels to set itself apart, the interior wearing Ivory White and Jazz Black hues and diamond-stitched seats. We might prefer the interior with peanut-butter brown and black even more. And suddenly, the Cadillac XT4 could have a problem; the Buick and the Cadillac share the E2 platform, but one of them — in photos, at least — is incontestably more fetching. As for tech, expect Android Auto and Apple CarPlay standard, and driver safety features such as automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-keep assist, and the automaker's safety alert seat. Regular conveniences will include space for five, nearly two dozen storage cubbies, and an available giant panoramic moonroof. The only engine we've heard tell of so far is a 2.0-liter turbocharged unit, expected to be a carryover mill with 252 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque.