After taking a chance to visit our reveal story of the 2017 Buick Encore and a full gallery of live images, you probably noticed a trademark design cue missing: portholes.
That’s right, the 2017 Encore arrives sans portholes. Whether you believe that’s for better or worse is up to you, but we say it’s for the better. The lack of portholes let the 2017 Encore’s sheetmetal pull together as a very cohesive look. Take into account the lesser use of plastic cladding up front, and the design really pulls together.
“Mature” was a word Buick liked to describe the 2017 Encore with, and we think the lack of portholes really helps accomplish such a motif. The portholes are tired, and Buick’s future face looks much better off without them.
Buick’s best selling model received an encore, and a well-suited one at that. It’s grown up, and strives to move a tad more upmarket with greater luxury, and more thoughtful design. We don’t miss the portholes, do you?
Comments
I have a collectors edition. Yay!
It was time to let go of the tacky piece of stick on novelty.
The port holes are ok if they are part of the design but when they are just stuck on because that is what we do then it is a mistake.
In good design all things work together as one. The port holes did not work.
Scott3, here is something that is worse- when a person puts those non functional hood vents on their car or truck.
I laugh every time I see those.
Buick is finally looking as mature, if not more so, than Cadillac. GM finally had two luxury brands which is a very good thing.
I disagree scott3. The portholes, sweepspear, and the chrome waterfall grille are all signature Buick features. I understand moving toward a new design direction, but at least offer a factory heritage option.
It is fine to disagree but the way you put it is like this.
But that line of thinking is like the old “Well we still do it this way because that is how we always did it even though it is not necessary anymore”.
The sweep works yet on the Lacrosse but on Encore not so much as the size just does not give much room to work. Same with the port holes as they really are meaningless with the size of the hood. It anything it clutters the car up.
Heritage works as long as it is relevant but too many times over the years things become non relevant.
Buick used to use a Straight 8 engine and were well known for it. But today no relevant.
The Corvette was known for hide away headlamps. But the weight and the inability to aim a projection light that moves now they are not relevant anymore.
If the fact is the port holes had their time and they just do not work as well on many of the new models as they grow smaller.
Also Buick was not the only one or even the first one to use them so it is not like they were the car singled out for them.
Even one of the best cars and most well known designs they had never had them in the 63-65 Riv.
But it all comes down to this. You have a small car and not a lot of clean space for good styling. If it means leaving them off for a cleaner nicer appearance then do it. Now if you have space and can integrate it properly into the styling then do it.
But to put them on just to put them on because that is how we did it for 50 years is not a proper reason to do it.
You must do things that are the right thing to do it not just because we have to do it. Great designs are created not forced. Many times less is more.
Port holes were first added to Buick for utility, not decoration. The current crazy glued on vents cheapened the look of Encore and were a campy effort at retro. As for the waterfall, we’ve seen that cue reinterpreted as well as come and go for decades. I do agree that some re-imagined waterfall should always have Buick given that even Audi has based their front facada on a water fall motif.
Collector’s editions are camp, aimed at older demos and will hold Buick back as the brand moves further upmarket in the Millennial imagination.
Yay! About time, I was thinking of how I could remove those tacky things!
On one hand I really miss them, but on the other they have really been cheapened by all the tacky aftermarket paste ons and the fact that every car seems to have some sort of fender vent “holes” these days. Having them on a four banger seemed pointless anyway. Sadly, you can just go to Pep Boys and get your own set that look no worse than what they were putting on these from the factory. I’ll gladly take the trade off for having the full color emblem back.
They were part of Buick , a styling element . BBB is spot on , had it not been for those cheap plastic 3M stick on wannabes , people would not be so glad to see them go .
Lipstick on a pig.
It’s a style that has run it’s course . They no longer are needed for functionality of the car . It;s a bit like putting a fake scoop on the hood . Plus the Encore is so small it actually looks cleaner without them .
I too laugh every time I see them stuck on a car these days , you almost want to ask them ….Why? …..
I will never own a buick again. As with most things these days we have lost too many things from the past. I will stick to cars from the past that have good looks and designs, not these dumb looking things that to me, do not even pass as cars. They can stick things like buicks without the holes right where the sun don’t shine.
Without the port holes, it looks boring and plain. Looks like a Hyundai now. I don’t think they look tacky or cheap. It gives character. My opinion.