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What’s Up With The Asymmetric Buick Enclave Front Fascia?

The Buick Enclave is a full-size, three-row crossover that – in a few words – is one fine vehicle. The 2020 Enclave brings with it a number of changes and improvements, including a new standard 8-inch touchscreen, standard massage seats for the Premium and Avenir models, and a few updates to the exterior to boot. However, there’s something strange about its front fascia, as some GM Authority readers have pointed out.

Specifically, the grille in the lower fascia of some second-gen Enclave models features three different panels, each with a different texture than the other. Trying to understand what this is all about started a debate amongst ourselves here in the GM Authority office.

Buick Enclave front fascia

Our first thought was that the reason for the three different grilles covers is that some of them house sensors for the crossover’s various active safety features. However, examining the 2020 Buick Enclave owner’s manual doesn’t mention the lower fascia as a spot to keep clean or free of obstructions in order to ensure proper operation of any driver assistance systems.

2020 Buick Enclave Owner Manual driver assist spots to clean

Another possibility, then, is aerodynamic functionality, with section 1 blocked off to reduce drag and funnel more air into section two to keep the radiator as chilly as possible, while the third section cools additional bits and pieces further back in the engine bay. However, this seems like a very strange way to handle aerodynamics, and it probably wouldn’t have that big of an effect on fuel economy figures, even over the long term.

There’s a third possibility here as well: future-proofing the lower fascia bumper design for some upcoming autonomous drive system. Basically, the idea here is that Buick designed the lower bumper with the intention of adding new sensors to it or behind it sometime down the road, which means it wouldn’t have to redesign the fascia when the time came to upgrade the onboard systems with some new feature. However, this also seems rather iffy, as automakers typically don’t make those kinds of changes until they need absolutely to.

2020 Buick Enclave Avenir Exterior 003

As it turns out, option number one was the right one: the asymmetric grille is specific to the range-topping Enclave Avenir models equipped with Adaptive Cruise Control, with the design enabling the system’s visibility needs, Buick spokesperson Stuart Fowle explained to us. By comparison, an Enclave Avenir without Adaptive Cruise Control has a full mesh lower grille.

Makes sense to us, and it finally puts to rest the question various GM Authority readers have written in about on numerous occasions. Meanwhile, Enclave sales are through the roof and the full-size crossover is about to get better with a refresh / midcycle enhancement, in the near future.

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Jonathan is an automotive journalist based out of Southern California. He loves anything and everything on four wheels.

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Comments

  1. Glad to hear Enclave sales are going well. Interesting article. Thanks.

    Reply
  2. This is Buick’s unicorn, GM’s Chrysler Pacifica–a sales fluke that isn’t being built upon.
    GM feels the need to keep Buick middle luxury so not to harm struggling Cadillac: An idea that looks great on paper but limits The General’s ability to achieve higher margins and better differentiate Chevrolet and Buick.

    Reply
    1. In what way is Buick allegedly not building on the success of the Enclave? Enlighten us with your armchair CEO knowledge.

      Reply
  3. Buicks are made like tanks, very quiet. Had the Enclave as a rental and wasn’t impressed, felt like a big station wagon.

    Reply
    1. Did you expect a sports car? The vehicle is over 200 inches long for crying out loud… and it drives really well.

      Reply
    2. @Jo Smith: What is your personal car that you drive?

      Reply
      1. Thinking of trading in my 2016 Lacrosse leather for this one in Avnier. My car is comfy, has all the bells and toots and I commute in comfort 100+ miles 4 days a week. I trust this one will have the same great features and some with extra room to boot.

        Reply
    3. It…it’s an SUV. They’re all big station wagons, some just have higher performance than others. Having driven a Porsche Cayenne Turbo, and Alfa Romeo Stelvio, the Buick has a much nicer ride.

      Reply
  4. Buick is the most comfortable ride and seats and also has the most quiet ride of any vehicle I have ridden in its unfortunate that everyone thinks they are an old persons car drive one sometime and tell me that you arent impressed

    Reply
  5. Only reason Buick is around is because it sells like crazy in China. I miss Oldsmobile so much.

    Reply
  6. Could it be that one side has an oil cooler (any sort, steering, trans, etc) so it’s left vented?
    To me the center (#2)panel looks decorative, like it’s molded to bring the facia together. With panel 1 being original design and panel 3 perhaps an after thought to accommodate venting for a cooler.

    Reply
  7. I’m more worried about modern engine timing chain failure (all manufacturers) than an asymmetric lower valence.

    Reply
  8. great looking suv and its the only AMERICAN made BUiCK –how sad

    Reply
  9. Not happy Buick is concentrating on foreign markets rather than America. It’s only a matter of time before Buick goes the way of Pontiac and Oldsmobile.

    Reply

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