Buick could soon offer a more powerful engine option in the Encore compact crossover, if recent remarks by Buick-GMC’s U.S. vice president to Automotive News are any indication. The sole engine option in the Encore is a 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder producing 138 horsepower, and it will soon be outclassed in power by new segment rivals.
The addition of a more powerful engine option in the Encore may help the model continue with its strong sales momentum into 2015 and onwards. Buick sold 48,892 Encores in 2014, making it the brand’s third strongest-selling model, a market performance Buick would like to maintain.
Aldred said “he’d be lying,” if he said Buick wasn’t considering offering a more powerful engine in the Encore. A new engine option would help differentiate the Encore further from its platform mate the Chevrolet Trax, however Aldred said the company is paying close attention to costs.
“I’m looking to grow volumes, and we’re always looking at customer feedback for what changes we need to make,” Aldred said. “But there’s always a trade-off between cost and benefit.”
Aldred said there is no imperative reason to upgrade the Encore’s engine, apart from it being outclassed in power by competitors. He added it’s “often journalists” who have complaints about a vehicle’s power “rather than consumers.”
Comments
Wishful thinkingif they put 2.0 t
You won’t find me saying this often, but that engine is way too powerful for this vehicle and it’s intended market. You’d be doubling the power from one engine option to the next.
The 1.6T would be the logical solution, 180hp and 220lb-ft.
Agreed, Encore outta filling a Saturn-like niche in GM’s line up. It is garnering similar demos, albeit a bit older.
It should be offered as a low cost option, I suppose; however, Buick and Jeep are not directly competing–that is GMC’s job.
Maybe Buick US should offer a Dalani trim like GMC? For the US, due to distribution channels, the two more than less function as one brand.
Maybe they should go so far as to slap the Tri Shield on GMC vehicles, too, since the marque lacks a genuine logo?
This would go a long way in the creation of a new, accessible style of luxury for both brands, and help further distance Buick from Cadillac.
Buick and GMC do not function as one brand, they are just typically sold at the same dealerships. You want Buick to have more premium luxury a la Denali, but want to distance it from Cadillac, who is the luxury offering from GM… Buick already offers an ‘Ultra-Luxury’ package for some models, there’s your Denali idea except it’s still staying true to Buick’s soft luxury style. Cadillac being more sharp and sporty.
GMC doesn’t need a logo, the block letter “GMC” is their logo, just like Ford has the “Ford” blue oval. GMC has it’s own panache and doesn’t need Buick’s tri-shield or any other stylized logo that takes away from it’s rugged perception.
1.6 SIDI (200hp) please !!
Would be nice!
Whatever they choose to offer in the Encore, would also be nice to include in the Sonic RS and give it a bit more competitive edge against the Fiesta ST, Abarth, and to a lesser degree the Cooper S.
GM either crap or get off the pot. This always considering is killing us.
Now that the Chevy Trax is here we will see 200-220 HP with a new engine.
2.0 with 270 HP would be too much for this car. I could see a lot of liability issues with the high center of gravity and that much power in the hands of some folks who don’t know how to use it.
Also I am not sure how strong this AWD system is as my 2.0 is over 300 FT LBS and that may be more than this one will take.
GM needs more power but keep the MPG up in this vehicle as it is not a performance car.
I too would love to see this engine in the Sonic too.
Paul let me translate Considering is GM speak that we will be releasing this in about 18 months.
Generally GM state this when the plans are in place to do what they are considering. The only thing that could change that is a canceled program late in the game.
The ZR2 they are considering will come too.
These are not a matter of if but when deals. In this case they had to wait till the engines started production and they had enough to go into the models they want them in.
I hope you’re right.
I also think that the 2.0t provides too much power for such a vehicle. The updated 1.4t I4 with VVT, SIDI, and IVVL would be a good replacement. It should easily be capable of packing at least 165HP and 170LB-FT. Stop/Start should also make its way into the Encore along with an updated 6 Speed Automatic that’s geared for improving fuel econonomy whilst making for a fun and responsive driving experience. The fuel efficiency should be no less than 28 City and 39 Highway with 34mpg average. The infotainment system, gauge cluster, and exterior fascia could also be refreshed too! The 1.6t should be saved for the Envision….
I feel like the most likely replacement canidate would be the GM Small Gas Engine (SGE) 1.5 I4 turbo making ~165hp/180lb ft. Not completely impressive for the category but the most logical, as the SGE is the successor of the Family 0 1.4 I4 turbo found on the current model. If the new upcoming Medium Gas Engine (MGE) 1.6 turbo can fit in the Gamma, then a possible configuration would be 170hp/192lb ft would be likely and even a ‘high-tune’ 197hp/221lb ft like the motor found in the upcoming Cascada.
I heard somewhere before that GM’s Family 1 engine (the 1.8 I4 found in the current Cruze LS) and the Large Gas Engine (LGE) Ecotec 2.4 I4 and 2.0 I4 turbo found in the Verano/Regal would not fit in the Gamma platform. As an FYI, the Cruze & Verano are underpinned by the Delta platform and the Regal/Malibu/Impala/etc. are under the Epsilon platform. So I don’t expect any engine bigger than a 1.6 displacement coming up.
As much as everybody loves power, the best approach Buick will probably take is the engine that has the best tradeoff between performance & MPGs. Given the original Encore was released with the 1.4T producing 138hp, sportiness is clearly not a priority. Therefore, I think the new engine, while definitely more powerful will place its focus on MPG>power, much like the Family 0 1.4T