This is a Buick Encore, but it’s not the Encore we’ve known here in the U.S. since 2013. Instead, this is the 2020 Buick Encore GX — an all-new, larger model meant to slot between the smaller Encore and the larger Envision crossover. This new model is heading to the 2019 LA Auto Show before it officially goes on sale early next year, and Buick today announced more information on its engines and tech features.
If you’re looking for a four-cylinder engine here, like what we see in the current Encore, then you’re in for a surprise. Instead, the 2020 Buick Encore GX will house two three-cylinder options, with either a 1.2- or 1.3-liter unit. The smaller turbocharged engine produces 137 horsepower and 163 lb-ft of torque, while the larger unit manages 155 horsepower and 175 lb-ft of torque.
Both engines will come standard with a continuously variable transmission, but the 1.3-liter engine with all-wheel drive will get GM’s nine-speed automatic transmission instead. For those wary of such small engines, take note that even the smaller powertrain manages the same sort of horsepower and more torque than the 1.4-liter engine in the smaller Encore.
GM estimates the 2020 Buick Encore GX will manage 31 MPG combined. Their release did not mention whether that was on the all-wheel drive model, but we’ll assume that rating is for the 1.2-liter equipped model with front-wheel drive. That is slightly better than the smaller Encore’s 30 mpg combined, even with the GX’s larger size.
Driver assistance tech
As a 2020 model, the new Buick Encore GX won’t skip on driver assistance features. Forward collision alert, emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane keep assist and automatic high beams are standard equipment. However, the list of helpful tech continues with things like rear park assist, rear cross traffic alert, a rear camera mirror and a hands-free poewr liftgate as optional equipment. Things like the head-up display, automatic parking assist, adaptive cruise control and the surround vision camera system are also options, depending on which model you choose.
Inside, the 2020 Buick Encore GX looks fairly roomy, with 94.3 cubic feet of passenger space. With the seats in place, there’s also a decent 25.3 cubic feet of cargo space, with additional storage thanks to a two-stage floor.
Buick has not announced pricing yet, but we should know more closer to the car’s early 2020 on-sale date. Stay tuned to TFLcar.com for more updates from the 2019 LA Auto Show!