• by Tanya Gazdik , Staff Writer, April 17, 2023

Buick is unveiling the Envista, a new crossover SUV designed to attract migrating sedan owners, young professionals and small families to the Buick portfolio.

It will offer the cargo space and utility of an SUV, packaged inside the sporty and sleek proportions typically found in a sedan.

“We see this as a huge opportunity across sedans, small sedans, even hatchbacks, and definitely small SUVs, to recapture millions of people who have either been priced out of the market or forced to go into a used car,” says Rob Peterson, marketing manager, Buick.

The 2024 Envista will come in three trims: preferred (starting at $23,495), Sport Touring or ST (starting at $25,195) and the luxurious Avenir sub-brand (starting at $29,695). The Avenir trim level is being offered on other Buick models.

“The departing Encore actually was [for] our youngest, most diverse buyer in the Buick portfolio,” Peterson tells MediaPost during a walk-around of the vehicle last week at the General Motors Design Dome in Warren, Mich. “So we think that we'll be able to capitalize and extend that with the Envista."

It will be positioned as Buick’s new entry-level vehicle, replacing the Encore model, which was upgraded to the Encore GX.

“We really wanted to develop three different personas for each trim level,” adds Jazzy Teen, assistant marketing manager, Buick. “We are hoping to reach multiple different types of customers with different interests with this vehicle.”

The more luxurious Avenir includes bespoke pearl nickel 19-inch wheels and two colors that are only available on that trim level. In keeping with its sporty nature, all-black 18-inch wheels are standard on the ST trim.

Avenir and ST logos are embroidered on the head restraints of their respective trims and a flat-bottom steering wheel is standard across all trims.

All elements of the Envista’s interior design are carefully curated, down to even the smallest of touch points.

The competitive set will vary depending on the trim level and could include a Subaru Outback, Mazda CX 30, Honda HR-V, Hyundai Elantra, Honda Civic or VW Jetta, Peterson says. 

There’s also an opportunity for Buick to attract conquest customers using the Avenir subbrand, which currently represents about 30% of sales for the Enclave and Envision, he adds. 

Luxury brands such as BMW and Lexus which offer competitive vehicles in the small SUV segment are priced $8,000 more than the Envista Avenir, he says.

Customers can preview the Envista on Buick.com starting today, and will be able to build and order online starting later this summer..

An EV version of the vehicle is planned for 2030, says Scott McLane, lead development engineer, small SUVs.

Buick will reveal and launch three more products in the next 18 months, and one of those will be an electric vehicle that will be in showrooms in the second half of 2024, he says.