It has been a long, very long time for the current generation of large General Motors crossovers. But, can you blame GM? The Chevrolet Traverse and Buick Enclave still sell well. Why fix what isn’t broken?
Well, the buck stops here (finally) as Autoblog has spied the 2018 Buick Enclave ahead of a reveal sometime next year. It’s no doubt a big, Buick crossover, judging by the reimagined waterfall grille up front. There’s even a massive Buick tri-shield peeking through the camouflage.
We do like the shape of the 2018 Enclave thus far. It looks decidedly more rakish, and less bulbous than its current form. Less minivan, more “let’s keep telling consumers this is an SUV.”
The 2018 Enclave will ride on GM’s C1XX platform, derived from E2XX. Expect a standard V6 engine, and plenty of weight loss from the long-awaited, second generation Buick Enclave.
Comments
About time. I like the Enclave for a lot of sound reasons, for me. But I’ve wanted to upgrade and been thwarted by few changes. But inside the cabin are out of date electronics which do not justify carrying a new year moniker. Then there is
the OnStar/Intellilink appearance that they want to compete with Apple/Android apps. Don’t get me wrong as I love the CarPlay app and think it will replace both of those outdated systems. The Navigation maps haven’t been updated in four years from original data and that is unjust and dangerous. CarPlay solves that with instant upgrades and currency. The thought of having to spend more money monthly on OnStar to find Starbucks is nuts and should they not become a “sponsor” won’t even be listed. Buick better get some kids in the redesign group and catch up with today’s technology. It is, afterall, a great car.
I totally agree with you Jim. I have the 2010 Enclave and nothing looks changed at all with the cabin tech. The nag unit is so small it just looks out of place and hope one has guid eye site to view. For a top of the line SUV for Buick, they sure have lagged on this one. By the time it comes out though i will have moved on with another one. Goes to say, whoever runs that tech depart at Gm should be fired, they are soooo far behind the times with their competitors.
I would agree. The technology on the Buick Enclave is terrible. The technology in that vehicle pre dates 2005.
Lambda are still running GMT-900 switch gear just like when they debuted. They are long, oh so long in the tooth for a reboot.
Will the Enclave still be able to fit 8 adults, or will it be another one of those “Coupe-UVs” like the GLE Coupe or the X6?
The link says they assume the new Enclave to be 7-seater.
Or maybe it will be even up to 8-seater, as before, who knows.
Suprised that they didn’t integrate the exhaust tips into the bumper . And the side mirrors look huge , hope they are power folding . The shape does look more SUV-ish than a MPVan .
It looks like it does retain the silhouette of the current model
Is a European version planned as a Vauxhall & Opel, GM could do with a three model SUV range here.
I agree with everybody here in this thread that the current (2008-2017) Enclave has woefully outdated interior tech, which is especially unacceptable these days in the vehicle this much expensive, and being overall Buick Flagship at the same time (like e.g. Escalade is for Caddy).
I wrote about this issue with Enclave myself on this website previously, if someone may recall. Steering wheel controls and Driver Information Center (DIC) are still the same as 2008 Enclave, which is like on 2006 Lucerne.
2006, Carl! GM should have addressed this before, instead of manufacturing Enclave equipped with this old interior tech 10 MODEL years straight in a row (2008-2017 inclusively). Even any Chevy Cruze or, say, my own 2010 2nd gen Buick LaCrosse has newer gen DIC and steering wheel controls, than current 2016 Enclave and even 2017 Enclave.
However, it is pretty obvious to me, that new gen 2018 Enclave will get the same cabin tech as Envision or (current or new) LaCrosse, so ye goode olde cabin tech issue will be fully resolved with next gen Enclave.
Funny how Toyota can run with a 10 year old model (Rav 4, Tacoma, etc.) and no one complains (well, hardly anyone), but God forbid GM does it. Mind you they should have learned their lesson with the 2007-2013 1500’s and the 2007 -2014 hd’s and updated the interiors at least while they waited for the 2014’s to come out. Sure we’d all like to see completely up to date vehicles every year with all new technology, powertrains, interiors , etc. but unless sales have dropped off the face of the earth any company is going to keep going with a proven winner, like GM is doing with the Enclave.
Sounds like comprehension is a issue with you. I think the comments was made that GM is behind in the safety tech thats been out several years on other makers. Esp in the Enclave, i know. Have a 2010 and slowly just the past couple years they added and they tout like its the best thing since dirt. The Lacrosse was like updated, but the pricey SUV was not. Plus they option it like it is gold.
No, comprehension is not an issue with me, however grammar and spelling seem to be an issue with you. Now, if we are through with the insults, lets address the crux of the matter. Technology and associated apps change ever more rapidly these days. Hardware changes to accommodate these new apps and functionality takes time and unless any vehicle has a completely “plug and play” system that can be instantly updated, they will never keep up to the changes. The best one can hope for is to be “somewhat current”, with the hardware available. Is it out of date by today’s standards? Sure it is, but it still functions well enough. Now for those who want the latest gadget mobile, the 2017 Enclave may not be it. However, if you need a comfortable, roomy, library quiet crossover to seat 7-8 adults it is still an excellent choice. Believe it or not, there are still folks out there who don’t care as much about the wizz bang gadgetry in today’s vehicles as much as they do about the vehicle itself.
I suspect that they use the lower end cars as a test bed for gadgets and lure buyers with it. If it proves reliable and successful, then they move it to the higher end cars, that way they don’t make mistakes with unreliable gadgetry and drive away the buyers. I own a 2010 Enclave and I’m glad they didn’t put more gadgetry in it, so there is more to fail.
Heres hoping that they do not shorten the Enclave like they did the new Gmc Acadia, its twin. The present size is perfect for me but less space behind the third seat would drive me to another vehicle.