2018 Buick Enclave Spied Wearing A Much Sleeker Profile
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It has been nine years since the Buick Enclave arrived on the scene. Much like various other Buick product, it was certainly a “right place, right time” vehicle as consumers began to fall in love with the idea of a tall station wagon with SUV-like characteristics. That would become known as a crossover.
The Buick Enclave soldiers on to this day with only a modest refresh under its belt, but the time is fast approaching for a new generation of Enclave. Autoblog has spied the 2018 Buick Enclave testing in Death Valley with plenty of camouflage obscuring style lines.
However, it’s fairly easy to tell this is indeed a Buick from the blacked-out waterfall grille and circular badge up front. The profile of this test mule already looks immensely less bloated than the current-generation Enclave. It’s a safe bet we’ll see a more rakish profile in an effort to continue fooling Americans into thinking CUVs are relatives of true, body-on-frame SUVs.
The 2018 Buick Enclave will ride on a long-wheelbase version of the C1XX platform, leaving the 2017 GMC Acadia and 2017 Cadillac XT5 on the regular wheelbase variant of the architecture. Thanks to this platform, we expect the 2018 Enclave to shed around 300 pounds, in keeping with GM’s initiative to shed weight wherever it sees possible.
Expect pricing and premium appointments to climb as the 2017 Buick Envision creates a newfound product bridge between Enclave and Encore.
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Is it me or does it look lower than the current gen?
It does look lower. Maybe it’s just the optical illusion, but it looks more like a station wagon that an SUV.
I think at the end, this CUV craze will take us back to where it all started, the station wagon. In order to better mpgs, these vehicles will have to shed weight and become more aerodynamic, basically becoming station wagons again. The circle will be complete. What you think?
If you note the car is testing and has a trailer on the back.
This testing is done in August to run the vehicles with full gross weight in the vehicle and at full towing capacity. They look to make sure everything works well from cooling to suspension.
So yes in the photo it is stilling low as they have weight in the vehicle and a trailer loaded down on it. Now they will remove the weight and trailer and it will raise up again to stock height.
They do this in Death Valley in August and then hit the Mountains for more testing on a grade,
Think of this as the Home Depot test like you see many vehicles over loaded or loaded to the max leaving sitting several inches lower.
Like to see Buick add this an Enclavr option https://dennishouse.tv/2016/05/31/return-of-the-woody-wagon/
It is lower. Much in the spirit of Dodge Journey. We must remember that the Buick G8 minivan is HUGE in China so certain similarities between the two vehicles may be intentional.
Personally, I hate this preview.
ya it will eat up the sedans sales…..since CUV heights will be closer to sedans height……..sedans will be phased out.
Ok, looks like the question of will the Buick Lambda (Enclave) and the Chevy Traverse be simply a lengthened 2017 Acadia; remain the same size body and frame as now; or be the new Acadia frame lengthened and widened? As some earlier speculators thought, it will be simply a lengthened Acadia frame for the Buick and Chevy in 2018 to improve from the “shorty” and cramped 2017 Acadia.
As to the height, it is just like the 2017 Denali I tried out…Alongside my 2010 Acadia it was A LOT lower, even with 20″ wheels as mine has, seemed like a foot or so. Therefore I would expect these lengthened 2018’s will simply have some additional luggage space behind the 3rd row seat with no improvement in their much more cramped 3rd row seating than the older versions like mine.
Hopefully at least they will come with the new 9 speed automatics so their is some additional reason to do a trade.
The profile and front fascia remind me a lot of the outgoing Audi Q7. Not a bad thing considering this car will likely be on the heels of the Audi in terms of target market and features, but obviously a lot cheaper.
It does look lower in ride height even with it pulling a trailer with the weight on the tongue of the car . You can tell with the gap between the front tire and wheel well versus the rear tire and wheel well . Looks like a heavy load they are pulling .
The windshield looks raked more too probably to help in the aerodynamics . I only wish that they would hide that rear wiper under the top overhang . A tall wagon withe a lower step -up into the cabin seems to be the latest design for CUV’s .
I saw a brand new Acadia parked next to a Terrain just the other day, but didn’t drive it as Jeff did. It is remarkably lower than the current model and appears much tighter and narrower on the inside as well.
Yes, I’ve heard the Enclave will have a longer wheelbase at the very least but I wouldn’t expect it to be much bulkier overall than what we’ve seen from the new Acadia.
I was disappointed that it had shrank to be honest (and like, yeah, of course it’s lighter… it’s smaller!).
I wish GM would have left their proportions intact and would give us a simple two-row Colorado/Jimmy/whatever you want to call it with off-road cred and decent crash-protection.
On a positive note, for GM at least, I’m seeing lots of Cadillac XT5s around here. Despite being ugly, I think we’ll soon be reading what a hit it is for Cadillac.
can they make CUVs lighter without making them smaller.
I have a 2004 Envoy with 228K miles and love it, so was waiting on the new Acadia with similar dimensions but was very disappointed. You sit down in the front seat and not nearly as good a view out as the Envoy. Interior feels cramped and cannot put golf clubs in the back crossways as I can in the Envoy. Maybe GM will see the error of their ways and make the corrections in Traverse and Enclave. Otherwise I will purchase a 2017 Honda or 2017 MDX, both very nice vehicles.
I am in exactly the same situation with a 2010 GMC Acadia. I have begun looking at the alternatives in case the 2018 Buick Enclave or Chevy Traverse “come up short”. Beware of the Honda Pilot as the European company building the 9 speed (ZF)transmission has just recalled all the Honda and Chrysler/Jeep products with it, apparently it is a real turkey of a transmission according to the Honda Pilot sites
The MDX is apparently using the same transmission so beware there too.
Other alternatives to GM are the 2017 Toyota Highlander 3 row (nothing but kids and dogs in the 3rd seat according to reviewers; the Ford Explorer (probably the most coherent offering but not perfect either. Of course we can “upsize” to a Tahoe/Yukon or Ford Expedition (all new in 2018 with 3,5 Twin Turbo and 10 speed trans) but of course figure on nearly 2X the price of the current Acadia or Enclave. GM at this point really abandoned a major market sector they owned, unless they come through on the Chevy or Buick
505K transmissions made by ZF before September 23, 2014 have been recalled. 325K of those were for Chrysler and Jeep.