1. Background

2. 2019 facelift

3. Controversy

4. Reception

5. Sales in the United States

6. References

7. External links

• Chevrolet Equinox
• GMC Terrain

The Buick Envision is a compact crossover SUV built by SAIC-GM.^[4]

Background

The Envision was first introduced publicly in China on July 1, 2014, with a photo of the car under a cover and placed between a Buick Encore and a Buick Enclave. On July 21, some specifications and the first official photos, as well as its Chinese name “Ang Ke Wei” (昂科威), were made public. The car is produced in China by SAIC-GM and went on sale in late 2014.{{citation needed|date=August 2015}} By 2016, the Envision was available in China, the United States, Canada, and Mexico.^[4][5][6] In addition to the larger engines offered in North America, Chinese buyers also have the option of a turbocharged 1.5-liter unit.

The Envision made its American debut at the North American International Auto Show on January 11, 2016, as a compact CUV,^[7] sharing the segment with a second generation GMC Terrain and the Chevrolet Equinox.^[8] It went on sale in the United States in the summer of 2016, making it the first Chinese-built GM vehicle to be sold in America.^[9] It was initially only offered in all-wheel drive, but front wheel drive became an option starting in the 2017 model year.

The North American version of the Envision features two powertrains: a 2.5L LCV four-cylinder with {{convert|197|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} and {{convert|192|lbft|Nm|0|abbr=on}} and a turbo-charged 2.0L LTG four-cylinder engine SAE certified at {{convert|252|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} and {{convert|260|lbft|Nm|0|abbr=on}}, paired with a third-generation six-speed transmission, seven active safety technologies, and On-Star/Intellilink connectivity. For the 2016 model year, it was only available in Premium I and Premium II trim levels.^[10] The trim levels expanded to five for the 2017 model year, with the base level Envision starting at $34,990 (USD).^[11]

2019 facelift

Debuted in late 2017 in China, and revealed in 2018 for North American market, the 2019 Envision features an updated exterior that now falls more in line with Buick design themes across the rest of the lineup. The updated model has improved seating, a change in the grille that follows Buick’s American winged/waterfall models, a more chiseled design at the rear end, angular tail lights, and a newly calibrated stop/start feature.^[12] The 2019 Envision has a starting price of $32,990 (USD) in the U.S. market.

Controversy

The announcement about selling the Chinese-built vehicle to American consumers has drawn a backlash from the United Auto Workers, who had just finalized a contract agreement with GM and had wanted the automaker to build the Envision stateside: “Today’s announcement by General Motors that they are importing the Envision from China is a slap in the face to U.S. taxpayers and the men and women who worked so hard to save GM during its darkest time,” UAW President Dennis Williams and Vice President Cindy Estrada, who head the GM department for the union, said in a joint statement on December 4, 2015. On the other hand, Buick spokesman Stuart Fowle defended the decision to keep production in China and import it rather than having it built in the United States because it made sense from a business point of view: “We have production already going (in China) and adding a second manufacturing facility for the volumes that we would expect in the U.S. just wasn’t feasible,” he said. “We wanted to take advantage of the manufacturing already in place. We’re very confident in the vehicle.”^[13]

On August 6, 2018, Buick announced that it might withdraw the Envision from the North American market, should a request to seek a waiver to continue to import the vehicle is denied. GM is seeking the waiver amid a trade war between the United States and China over tariffs that could hurt the sales of the Envision. The automaker sees the potential exemption as “the only way” to continue offering the vehicle to U.S. consumers, according to GM President Dan Ammann.^[14]

Reception

As of 2019, the Envision has seen a downturn in the number of units being sold after its refresh, with only a 201-day turnover in terms of sales, making it the second weakest vehicle in the Buick lineup behind the Regal TourX.^[15]

Sales in the United States

References

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External links

• Official website

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