When Buick unveiled the sleek Buick Wildcat concept, it was out to show the world that the brand still had design pedigree left in its iconic blood. While this might be hard to see with the brand’s current lineup of SUVs, the situation is now beginning to change, with Buick taking the wraps off of the 2024 Buick Encore GX, which aims to shake up Buick’s sales fortunes.
Wild Cat Front End Adds Sport To Encore GX
When taken at the sum of its parts, the 2024 Encore GX is not a radical ground-up reboot but a long overdue mid-cycle update that aims to solidify the GX’s appeal with younger buyers. The front fascia pitches the rather bland-looking front end and replaces it with a drooping front bumper and the same aggressively honed headlights that made their mark on the Wildcat EV concept. The rear styling is a subtler affair but new taillight lenses and replaced badging and chrome script define the 2024 changes for rearward-facing observers.
The Encore’s trim levels have also been shuffled for the 2024 model year. The ST package gets promoted to a formal trim level and adds a number of sporty features to the Encore GX, including a flat-bottomed steering wheel, spiffier rims, and black cladding that’s splashed throughout the exterior. Meanwhile, the Avenir trim not only allows Buick to say that it now has an Avenir option for every Buick model, but it also comes with distinctive exterior appointments and an exclusive trim interior that has higher-quality leather seating surfaces. The appearance of the Avenir also lends credence to Buick’s assurances that the Avenir will continue to play a key role in the brand’s long-term sales plans.
Encore GX Interior Adds More Technology; Performance Plays The Same Song
Slip inside the 2024 Encore GX and you’ll see that the model takes a page or two from the reworked 2024 Chevrolet Trailblazer regarding interior technology. Like the Chevy, the 2024 Encore GX shuffles its infotainment options around, with all models now coming standard with an 11-inch touchscreen infotainment system and an 8-inch digital instrument cluster that Buick calls the Virtual Cockpit System. The steering wheel now features the new Buick tri-shield logo, and the entire dashboard has been redesigned with higher-quality plastics and a new shape to help it accommodate the bigger screens.
Performance hardware also follows the same script as its Chevrolet counterpart, with the base model getting a 1.2-liter three-cylinder that makes 137 horsepower and 162 lb-ft of torque. Higher trims and models with all-wheel drive get a 1.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that makes 155 hp. The engines are carryover, and it should be no surprise that the transmissions are, too, with front-wheel drive models getting a CVT while all-wheel drive models get a nine-speed automatic.
When Can I Buy One?
Production of the 2024 Buick Encore GX is slated to start in March, with the ST model starting at $28,095 while the ritzier Avenir starts at $33,195. Buick will open the order books this spring, with the first Encore GXs making their way to showrooms this May.
