General Motors is preparing two all-new, mid-size crossover SUV to expand the utility portfolio of its two biggest-volume brands – Chevrolet and Buick. We are specifically referring to future all-new Buick Enclave and the future Chevrolet Blazer XL, two midsize utilities with three rows of seats that are closely related to each other and that will launch in the very near future.
2021 Buick Enclave teaser captured in China
GM Authority has collected an extensive amount of exclusive information about both vehicles over the past few months, allowing us to identify several noteworthy aspects that both models have in common. Below, we have listed five elements shared by the all-new Enclave and the future three-row Blazer.
Before we go forward, a quick note about naming: the mid-size crossover we refer to as the all-new Enclave or “baby Buick Enclave” in this report shares its name but is otherwise smaller than the full-size Buick Enclave sold in North America. It is currently unclear if the “baby” Enclave or the three-row Blazer will be marketed in North America.
| Vehicle: | “Baby" Buick Enclave | Chevrolet Blazer XL |
|---|---|---|
| Platform: | GM C1 “Chi" | |
| Program code: | C1UB | C1UC |
| Seating: | 3 rows | |
| Expected assembly: | SAIC-GM-Cadillac Jinqiao plant in Shanghai, China | |
| Expected availability: | China. Availability in other markets unknown | |
| Expected length: | ~196 inches | |
| Expected starting price: | ~$30,000 USD equivalent | |
1. They Are Based On The Same Version Of The GM C1 Platform
The Baby Buick Enclave and the three-row Chevrolet Blazer are assigned project codes C1UB and C1UC, respectively. These internal GM codes indicate that the vehicles are being developed on the short variant of the GM C1 platform, which has a wheelbase of 112.7 inches.
Chevrolet FNR-CarryAll Concept previews the three-row Blazer
2. They Will Be Made At The Same Plant
Our sources indicate that both the all-new “baby” Enclave and the Blazer XL will commence production at the beginning of the 2020 calendar year at the Jinqiao Cadillac plant, located in the city of Podong, Shanghai, China. As we have mentioned previously, it is currently unclear whether GM plans to market these models in North America or produce them in countries outside China.
GM-Cadillac Jinqiao plant in Shanghai, China
3. They Will Go On Sale Almost Simultaneously
An internal document obtained by GM Authority indicates that serial production of the baby Buick Enclave will start in January 2020, while the three-row Blazer will go into production a month later – in February 2020. This indicates that the models will launch almost at the same time, and that they were probably conceived together.
A prototype of the Baby Buick Enclave undergoing testing at GM’s Milford Proving Grounds
A prototype of the Blazer XL undergoing testing in the U.S.
4. They Will Use Names Of Existing Models
These two new GM mid-size CUVs will hit the market as variants of existing utilities, with which they will share a name. Last month, it was confirmed that the Buick C1UB project will be marketed as the all-new Enclave, at least in China, thereby becoming a shorter, mid-szie variant of the longer, full-size Buick Enclave currently on sale in North America (but not in China). Note that we initially reported that the C1UB model would be marketed as the Buick Envoy, but GM has since gone in a different direction to create “families” of models, at least in the Chinese market.
On the other hand, project C1UC that represents the three-row Chevrolet Blazer that will be a variant of the all-new 2019 Blazer, and its expected name is Chevrolet Blazer XL.
Baby Buick Enclave undergoing testing in Michigan
5. They Will Resolve A Competitive Disadvantage For GM In China
Both Chevrolet and Buick have offered crossovers with three rows of seating since 2009 in the Traverse and original Enclave. However, the full-size format of these models is too large in most international markets, including China.
For this reason, the new “baby Enclave” and Blazer XL will resolve a competitive disadvantage currently faced by GM in markets outside North America, where it doesn’t offer dedicated crossover utility vehicles with three rows of seats.
Three-row Chevrolet Blazer / Blazer XL prototype
Finally, we want to highlight one small detail: upon our first sighting of the camouflaged C1UB in September 2018, we believed that the prototype was a potential three-row Blazer, but shortly thereafter realized that it is actually Buick. As such, we were far off from reality in our assessment.
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Comments
Ok, while China gets Blazer XL we get “Envoy” (same vehicle different clips/interior). Makes sense.
Another GMA exclusive.
I don’t think the US is going to get any of these two models.
If the US does get them, then the smaller Enclave outlined here will adopt the Enclave name, and the larger one will become Enclave GX.
These are C1 Short, so similar to our Acadia, yes?
If so they could easily be built in Spring Hill. I don’t know that Chevy needs a 3 row Blazer due to Traverse, but there’s a fairly large gap at Buick between Enclave (204″) and Envision (184″). I think a C1 Short Enclave would sell well.
Agreed! GM needs to rebuild Buick as a soft luxury SUV brand aimed at families with a few FWD sport offerings.
GM has a branding mess on its hands with the US being the only market in which Chevrolet isn’t a purely value option.
In China Buick may be “premium” but no more so than VW or Europe’s Opel. The rest of the world still maintains various price point niche points much like pre Y2K America when we had Olds and Plymouth. China expects band for its buck while we Americans are supposed to consider Envision a proper Luxus, Infinity or Audi rival–NOT!
GM should simply rebadge Buick here in the States as Chevy and then sell Chevy Latin American models in China and globally.
The General would save cash and Americans would get better cars.
Dude, you really didn’t take the meds today did ya?
Buick can and should be the soft luxury brand. Nothing less. Now that it’s untied from Opel, it can focus on making comfortable cars lux cars.
Rebadging Buicks to Chevy in the US would be a lost opportunity from a sales and profit standpoints… showing you just don’t get it.
If Buick had a CUV sized between the Enclave and the Encore, I would buy one. But, since it doesn’t I’m going to buy a Blazer. Then, later this year, I’m going to check out the 2020 GMC Acadia Denali since the interior is more upscale than the Blazer.
That would be called the Envision. Unless you’re referring the size between the Envision and Enclave
Well the thing is, what would be the point of offering the Baby Enclave/Blazer counterparts here in the U.S. if both are going to have third row? Wouldn’t that already cannibalize the sales of the “regular” Enclave and Traverse?
So Chevy’s going the Honda Passport/Pilot route with the Blazer and Blazer XL. Keep the same wheelbase, just give it a bigger badonkadonk. Simple enough (unlike the old TrailBlazer and EXT, which had a longer wheelbase), but like others have said, I’m not sure there’s really a necessity for a 3-row mid-size *and* a 3-row full-size from the same brand.
The Traverse and Enclave are also wider than Blazer on top of being longer. Gm should offer both as a cheaper 3 row.