The new Buick Encore makes its world premiere at Detroit Motor Show, and that, at the very least, means no more annoying teasers!
Oh, the car. Yes, it’s very good. A very small and agile crossover garnished with room for five and lots of luxury amenities not typically found in vehicles of its size. It is very practical as well, offering up to 1,372 liters of storage space and that’s more than what BMW X1 or Audi Q3 offer.
Design-wise, it seems Buick put the Enclave int a copier machine and set it at 60 percent to make the Encore. It’s got very similar features to the big Buick, including a waterfall grille, chrome accents and surrounds, portholes on the hood and painted lower panels. That’s not a necessarily bad thing, as the Encore is a rather handsome machine. It will be offered with nine exterior colors and three interior color combinations.
Powering the Encore is an Ecotec 1.4L turbocharged four-cylinder engine and six-speed automatic transmission. It develops 140 horsepower (103 kW) and 148 lb.-ft. of torque (200 Nm), which doesn’t sound like enough – even for the Encore’s microscopic size.
But it’s efficient. and it’s efficiency is complemented with low-rolling-resistance tires, electric power steering, neutral idle feature and optimized aerodynamics.
The 2013 Encore is such a well-equipped car for its class. The luxurious cabin is lavishly trimmed with leather and wood, and is packed with features including a large, full-color, seven-inch LCD display for the IntelliLink voice-activated radio system.
Some of the standard and available feaures of the Encore include
- Remote vehicle start
- Dual-zone automatic climate control
- Rainsense wipers
- Bose premium sound system
- Heated, leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls
- Six-way, power-adjustable driver’s seat with power lumbar adjustment and driver memory
In terms of safety you get 10 standard air bags, plus
- Standard StabiliTrak electronic stability control
- Four-wheel disc brakes with ABS and electronic brake force distribution
- Cornering brake control and brake assist
- Available all-wheel-drive system that seamlessly shifts power to the rear wheels when required for better traction and handling
- Available forward collision alert and lane departure warning
- Available front and rear park assist
- Available rear vision camera.