BRIAN HARPER
There’s no polite way of saying it: GM’s timing for the debut of the Buick Encore GX just plain sucked. Its supposed release at the end of March perfectly coincided with the overdue realization that the COVID-19 pandemic was indeed becoming global in nature. So, the awareness level for the latest addition to Buick’s crossover lineup – the GX slotted between the truly subcompact Encore and the mid-sized Envision — is nowhere near where it should be. Even a few months sooner would’ve allowed the smallish compact to take some advantage of the bonhomie crossovers, especially premium-priced ones, are engendering with consumers.
Whether there is a need for such an addition is rather a moot point.
“Just as we did with the Enclave in 2008 and the Encore in 2013, we identified a growing market niche and moved quickly to introduce a new vehicle to fill it,” noted Duncan Aldred, global vice president of Buick and GMC, earlier this year.
Still, even without the novel coronavirus messing up things, it was never going to be a cakewalk, not with the amount of competition out there. In its favour is the fact the longer, lower, and wider Encore GX is a far more handsome – if conservatively styled – rig than the Encore, which looks like someone had put the full-size Enclave in a vise and compacted it. Other than that, though, what are the key differences between the two similarly named Buicks? Well, the GX suffix supposedly stands for ‘Grand Crossover,’ there’s a $1,500 boost in price base AWD model to base AWD model, and size-wise, the GX has a 40-millimetre longer wheelbase and is 77 millimetres longer overall.
But the biggest difference, and what turns out to be the elephant in the room is Buick’s choice of powertrain options for the new crossover. The Encore GX is powered by a turbocharged 1.2-litre engine for the front-wheel-drive models, a turbo 1.3L for the three (Preferred, Select and Essence) all-wheel-drive versions. Oh, yeah, both engines boast just three cylinders – something GM has been very low-key about revealing.
If you are trying to decipher the logic of the larger, Korean-built GX having less displacement and one less cylinder than its smaller sibling, which itself is powered by a turbocharged 1.4L four-cylinder, then you’re not alone. Sure, at 155 horsepower, it has 17 more ponies than the subcompact Encore. But, compared with other small crossovers – the Mazda CX-30 and Subaru Crosstrek, Kia’s new Seltos, the Hyundai Kona, Honda HR-V, etc. – that’s a mouse motor under the GX’s hood, even if its power rating is rather impressive in relation to its size. From a marketing standpoint, this won’t be an easy sell. GM’s decision to go this route likely had something to do with improving its Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) numbers and/or a weight-savings program.
Truth be told, though, the engine works, just not with the grace one expects from Buick products. There’s a decidedly coarse note to the turbo three under a heavier right foot, but the topline ($32,598 before options) Essence tester, which weighs 1,453 kilograms, did accelerate to highway speeds and kept up with the flow of 120 km/h traffic, though smooth and easy passing power was in short supply. At a steady speed, the engine appeared no noisier than most four-cylinders. Also, unlike the front-drive 1.2L models, which are paired with a continuously variable transmission, the AWD versions get a rather nice nine-speed automatic that makes the most of the engine’s 174 lb.-ft. of torque. The GX even has a tow rating of 1,000 pounds (454 kilograms) with an accessory hitch.
Fuel economy, according to Natural Resources Canada, is 9.0 L/100 kilometres in the city and 8.0 on the highway — good, if not extraordinary. Just for comparison sake, one of the Encore GX’s closer competitors, the equally new Mazda CX-30 GT has a 186-horsepower, 2.5L four-cylinder and averages 9.9 in the city and 7.7 on the highway – and that’s without the available cylinder deactivation technology. For what it’s worth, I averaged 8.4 L/100 km during my week with the GX, about two-thirds of the time spent on four-lane highway. As for ride and handling, the GX is a bit stiff legged on the tarmac – not quite harsh, but decidedly firm. The steering has a light touch to it, with reasonable communication with the road. That said, the GX is definitely a soft-road cruiser.
Here’s the thing: As an aging baby boomer, maybe I’m placing too much emphasis on performance, which was (and still is) important to me. After all, GM is looking at a younger, professional audience for the new GX – to be fair, as is every other manufacturer with just about all of their product lines – and maybe it’s more about the safety, infotainment, and connectivity features that resonate with today’s smartphone-addicted buyers. With this in mind, the GX is well connected, literally and figuratively.
Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, available wireless charging and Bluetooth pairing, which allows up to two phones to be paired at the same time, are standard. GM says the Encore GX will also support SiriusXM’s next generation audio entertainment platform, SiriusXM with 360L, combining satellite and streaming to deliver more channels, plus access to both live and on-demand shows and musical performances.
The Encore GX’s cabin is cleanly laid out, complete and functional, though I found the ebony interior too sombre for my liking. The available Whisper Beige with ebony accents choice is a much better bet. There was one annoyance, however: the satin trim bits around the centre stack can, depending on the sun’s angle, reflect a distracting glare into one’s eyes. Speaking of the centre stack, it houses an integrated touchscreen that, while a bit small, displays crisp, clear graphics for the map – navigation being part of a $1,995 Advanced Technology package that also includes an HD surround-vision camera, heads-up display, and adaptive cruise control.
The cabin is relatively roomy, certainly for front-seat occupants but less so for taller rear-seat occupants, especially if those up front are also on the tall side. My knees were firmly shoved into the front seatback when I tried sitting behind myself. As for storage, there’s 665 litres for cargo behind the second row, and 1,421 litres with the back seat folded. One thoughtful touch is that the Encore GX’s front passenger seat folds flat to better accommodate an eight-foot long object diagonally from the passenger seat to the rear driver’s side.
As much as the Encore GX deserves consideration, it would be a whole lot easier to like if I could come to terms with Buick’s choice of engines, because the rest of crossover is pretty good. The new Chevy Trailblazer — the GX’s corporate brother — offers the same powertrain setup; having a higher-output engine in its pocket would help the Buick further distance itself as an upmarket product. As it is now, with the as-tested price bumping up on $38K, there’s a lot of compelling reasons to look at the more powerful and less expensive competition.
Copyright PostMedia Network, 2020
