Buick unveils refreshed Encore GX ahead of brand's EV transition

Buick, General Motors Co.'s oldest brand, is reinventing itself starting with the 2024 Encore GX small SUV revealed Thursday as the first Buick in North America to sport the brand’s new tri-shield logo and front-end styling first seen on the Wildcat electric vehicle concept.

The updated Encore GX will also come in Buick's highest luxury Avenir trim for the first time and the brand's reimagined Sport Touring (ST) trim will also be available.

The gas-powered crossover is arriving before Buick starts to transition for the EV future with its first North American EV slated to arrive next year. It will be the last of the Detroit automaker's North American brands to have an EV but only this premium brand and its luxury sibling Cadillac have said they will be all-electric by 2030.

Encore GX is the first of five new models Buick will unveil over the next 18 months for North America. Some of those will be mid-cycle enhancements and some will be completely redone models. One of those will be Buick's debut EV.

"This is just the the very tip of a very large iceberg in terms of model rollouts, and the new face of Buick," said Steve McCabe, Buick advanced design manager.

Production of the Korean-built Encore GX will start next month and will be available for customers this spring starting at $26,895 for the Preferred trim, $28,095 for the ST trim and $33,195 for the Avenir trim.

Customers will be able to build and order a new Encore GX on Buick.com starting in May.

Design and engine capabilities

As first seen on the Wildcat, the new front fascia design of the Encore GX showcases the brand's new tri-shield logo. An updated grille is paired with new winged LED headlamps. New 18-inch and 19-inch wheel options are also available.

The Encore GX's LED headlamps are standard on all trims, with LED taillamps on ST and Avenir. The ST also comes with high-gloss black front and rear bumpers, and an optional black roof.

The refreshed interior of the GX is centered around Buick’s virtual cockpit System, which includes an 11-inch diagonal infotainment system and a configurable 8-inch diagonal driver cluster screen. Both are angled towards the driver.

“The Encore GX is the first Buick in North America to sport our revamped interior and new virtual cockpit system,” Director of Global Buick Design Bob Boniface said in a statement. “It’s rare to get such an elevated, tech-forward interior in a vehicle at this starting price. We wanted to uplift every aspect of the Encore GX and put the entire small SUV segment on notice.”

On the Avenir and ST trims, logos are stitched into the headrests. The ST features a sporty flat-bottom steering wheel.

The cabin has Buick's QuietTuning system to help limit road noise inside the vehicle.

Customers purchasing the higher-end Avenir trim will have a unique grille, clear-lens LED tail lamps, 19-inch wheels, chrome accents on the front and rear bumpers, and black carbon metallic body-side molding. For the interior, the Avenir trim will have a Whisper Beige and Jet Black color theme, leather seats and heated steering wheel, among other features.

The Encore GX comes standard with a three-cylinder 1.2-liter turbocharged engine that produces 137 horsepower and 162 pound feet of torque. A three-cylinder 1.3-liter turbocharged engine is also available that produces 155 horsepower and 174 pound-feet of torque.

All-wheel drive is available across all trims. Those models come with a nine-speed automatic transmission. Front-wheel drive models come standard with a continuously variable transmission.

Front-wheel drive models get a GM-estimated 30 miles per gallon and AWD models will achieve a GM-estimated 27 mpg.

Technology and safety features

The 2024 Encore GX comes standard with the Buick Driver Confidence package, which includes six active safety and driver assistance technologies such as automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist with lane-departure warning and IntelliBeam auto high-beams.

Other available tech and safety features include: lane change alert with side blind-zone alert, adaptive cruise control with enhanced emergency braking and rear camera mirror.

khall@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @bykaleahall