ANN ARBOR, MI -- When General Motors went through a government-assisted bankruptcy, those advising the Obama Admin. ordered several GM brands shuttered – Pontiac, Saturn, Saab and Hummer. They also wanted Buick closed, but were talked out of it.
The real strength of Buick, a brand that once stood for style and prosperity in the postwar suburbs, is not in the U.S. It’s 7,000 miles (11,270 km) away from Motown in China, where Buick sold 644,350 vehicles in 2022 compared with 103,468 in the U.S., per Wards Intelligence. Its success in China saved Buick from going the way of Oldsmobile and the rest into the museum of dead auto brands.
But the brand keeps plugging away in the U.S., even though most of its onetime customers have moved on to Asian, Korean and European marques. Besides giving GM business in the U.S., the thinking is that the brand would lose prestige and appeal in China if the brand wasn’t also selling in America.
Now comes the Envista, a sportback CUV that seats five and is priced under $30,000. But what year is it? 2010? It is launching with just an internal-combustion engine. No hybrid. No plug-in hybrid. No battery-electric version.
“When you consider all the Envista has to offer, from its stunning design, standard technology and premium affordability, it’s going to be hard to find a better package in that area of the market,” says Duncan Aldred, global vice president, Buick-GMC.
But let’s talk about what it is, instead of what it isn’t. The Envista is a sporty-looking, versatile, fairly fuel-efficient, good-value CUV. Anyone can buy one, of course, but every vehicle has customer targets. While pricing and packaging would, on paper, make it a likely consideration for millennials and even Gen Z starting out after they land their first job, U.S. car buyers in those demographics would consider a Buick with the same likelihood as they would, say, shop for prunes, analog wristwatches, condensed soup or new hard-wired phone service. Buick somehow must brighten up its marketing with the younger set to make an old brand seem cool again. It hasn’t worked thus far.
But if we are talking about buyers over 60 who are downsizing and retiring and shopping for a strong value for their next ride, then the Envista looks like a winner and a candidate for AARP Car of The Year. And c’mon, that’s not a bad thing. Retirees buy new vehicles, and a sale is a sale is a sale.
And besides value and style, Buick has been doing a great job scoring high on J.D. Power’s Initial Quality Study and Sales Satisfaction Study.
The most striking thing about the Envista is that is looks very good. Despite being an ICE vehicle, it is the most complete expression to date of the Buick Wildcat EV concept. GM has also revised Buick Encore GX with some of the Wildcat language, but the Envista, with its swept roofline that culminates in a contoured tail, is a far more elegant silhouette with athletic curb appeal.
The Envista is built atop the same platform as the new Chevy Trax and the Buick Encore.
The 1.2L turbocharged engine is extremely satisfactory for those not seeking to burn rubber. We had the opportunity to give the Envista a shakedown around Ann Arbor, MI, including highway and backroads. The turbo helps give it some pop off the line, and after that it is a super-competent, well-planted ride. Unfortunately, there is only a front-drive setup, so it’s not an ideal choice for snow states. No hybrid and no all-wheel-drive optional trims give the whole package less appeal than it otherwise might have.
The Envista comes in a Preferred trim, as well as Avenir and Sports Touring trims. Buick has been linking upmarket trims across models with the Avenir sub-brand.
- Pricing: $23,495-$29,695. The most expensive Envista one can option costs $31,430.
- 1.2L turbocharged engine, 6-speed transmission, producing 136 hp and 162 lb.-ft. (220 Nm) of torque.
- Estimated 30 mpg (7.8 L/100 km) combined city and highway.
- Headlamps and taillamps nod to Buick’s signature wing lighting with a thinner form than some of the other Buick models.
- The dash is dominated by a 19-in.-wide (48-cm) display of combined LCD screens including an 11-in. (28-cm) infotainment color touchscreen.
- A 40/60-split folding second row allows for storage of items up to 79 ins. (2 m) long.
- Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay with wireless phone charging.
- Standard lane keep assist, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking, front pedestrian braking, forward collision alert, Intellibeam auto high beams. Available adaptive cruise control, rear park assist, rear cross-traffic alert, lane change alert with side blind zone alert, Rainsense front wipers.
- Electrohydraulic boost brakes.
- 20.7 cu.-ft. (586 L) of cargo space behind the rear seat and 42 cu.-ft. (1,189 L) with rear seats folded down.
- 17-in. wheels standard on Preferred, 18-in. wheels standard on ST and 19-in. wheels standard on Avenir.
- Length is 182.6 ins. (4,638 mm), width 71.5 ins. (1,816 mm).
- Curb weight 3,030-3,115 lbs. (1,374-1,412 kg)
- Built in South Korea (SAIC-GM joint venture builds Envistas only for Chinese market).
With the average-priced car crowding around $50,000, salaries not keeping up with inflation and Detroit automakers reducing offerings below $30,000, the Envista could attract some new buyers who have previously bought sub-$30,000 sedans, hatchbacks and sport wagons that have been dropped from showrooms. Envista marketing manager Jazzy Teen pointed out that the sub-$30,000 market didn't disappear just because automakers have reduced offerings. "As we move towards bigger, more capable, EV vehicles, that leaves a gap in the marketplace for returning buyers."
The Envista fills that gap nicely, and is as stylish a value purchase as car buyers will find for the money.
