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What kind of vehicle is the 2024 Buick Envista? What does it compare to?
The 2024 Buick Envista is a compact crossover wedged between the smaller Encore GX and larger Envision in Buick’s lineup. Yet it’s priced as the entry-level Buick to compete against everything from the Chevy Trax to the Mazda CX-30.
Is the 2024 Buick Envista a good SUV?
We won’t know until we test it before it goes on sale this summer, but it occupies a strange place in Buick’s lineup and in the broader GM portfolio. It’s larger than the Encore GX but costs nearly $5,000 less, yet is well-equipped despite offering only one powertrain and only front-wheel drive. We’re curious. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
What’s new for the 2024 Buick Envista?
The Buick Envista small crossover is new to the U.S. market though it’s been sold in the Buick hotspot of China since 2022. The 2024 Envista adopts a profile that projects the sporty stance of a coupe with the taller ride height that has made crossovers so popular. It has a short dash-to-axle ratio, where the windshield or A-pillar ends near the front axle. The raked windshield then flows back over an arched roof that resolves at the tailgate spoiler of an even more raked rear windshield. Modeled after Buick’s Wildcat EV concept unveiled last year, the Envista has a wide mesh grille met by a hood that dips dramatically, as if to show off Buick’s latest tri-crest badging. It’s a handsome car, as long as you don’t look too closely at the congested rear pillar and rear quarter windows.
It’s a tough area to pull off with a coupe-like roof in a bulky crossover body, and another drawback to the design is the pinched cargo area and compromised rear headroom. The 2024 Envista measures 182.6 inches long with a wheelbase of 106.3 inches. That’s sized more like the 2023 Buick Envision mid-size crossover at 182.5 inches long with a wheelbase of 109.4 inches. The Encore GX measures 171.4 inches long, with a wheelbase of 102.2 inches.
The Envista has 20.7 cubic feet of cargo space behind its 60/40-split rear seats, or 42.0 cubic feet when folded down. That’s smaller than the boxier Encore GX at 23.5/50.2 cubic feet. The Envision is a couple cubic feet larger.
The passenger area in the Envista is fine for two long-legged passengers who aren’t too tall. Rear headroom in the Envista is 37.3 inches without the optional sunroof (worse with it), but rear legroom stretches out to 38.7 inches. The Encore GX is 38.1/36.0 inches.
The cabin favors the front seats, as it should, with a curved dash panel that integrates an 8.0-inch digital instrument cluster and a standard 11.0-inch touchscreen. It’s a black on black affair, girded by black plastic that likely feels and looks a tad better than a base Trailblazer or Trax but not quite as ambitious as a GMC Denali or the nicer end of Cadillac. Under the interface is a panel of climate dials and buttons so there’s not too much reliance on the touchscreen. A mechanical gear shifter remains in the console.
That shifter engages a 6-speed automatic transmission paired to a 136-hp 1.2-liter turbo-3. Sportiness will not be the calling card for the Envista, despite a standard flat-bottom steering wheel. Buick will only offer it in front-wheel drive as well. It rides on front struts and a solid rear axle, except for the top Avenir trim and its rear Watts link setup.
With such a limited powertrain and with styling cues adopted from an EV concept, we can’t help but wonder if the Envista presages Buick’s forthcoming Electra electric vehicle lineup. For now, GM expects it to get 30 mpg combined.
How much does the 2024 Buick Envista cost?
Offered in Preferred, Sport Touring (ST), and Avenir trims, the Envista starts at $23,495, including destination. Standard driver-assist features include automatic emergency braking, active lane control, and automatic high beams. Options include blind-spot monitors and adaptive cruise control. ST models cost $25,195 while top Avenir grades cost $29,695. A full feature list will be available closer to its summer on-sale date.
Where is the 2024 Buick Envista made?
In China.
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