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2022 Buick Encore To Lose Flat-Folding Front Passenger Seat

Back in February, we reported the 2022 Chevy Trax was set to lose its available front-folding front passenger seat. Now, in a not-so-surprising turn of events, GM has also pulled this available option from the order books for the 2022 Buick Encore, GM Authority can confirm.

Just as on the Chevy Trax, the flat-folding front passenger seat in the Buick Encore was standard equipment in the subcompact crossover, but the vehicle could also be ordered without it. The feature essentially extended the surface area of the flat load floor, allowing users to load longer items (up to eight-feet long, in fact) into the vehicle. The absence of the flat-folding front passenger seat will likely go unnoticed by many buyers, but some might miss the ability to fold the front passenger seat flat in the Encore.

In place of the flat-folding front passenger seat will be a traditional non-folding front passenger seat, which will also come with a seatback map pocket. The flat-folding front passenger seat in the Encore did not have a seatback map pocket, instead using a different design with more protective plastic for loading items, so 2022 Buick Encore buyers will at least gain an extra storage pocket out of this rather ineffectual change.

The 2022 Buick Encore will also drop the base trim level from the lineup, leaving only the Preferred trim. The subcompact crossover also received a new engine for late in the 2021 model year cycle, with the turbocharged 1.4L I4 LE2 gasoline engine, rated at 153 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque, replacing the previous turbo 1.4L I4 LUV motor. A replacement for the current first-gen Buick Encore is currently being developed by GM and will likely have much in common with the GEM-based Buick Encore model that is already on sale in China.

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Sam loves to write and has a passion for auto racing, karting and performance driving of all types.

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Comments

  1. I have used the folding passenger seat feature on my 2002 Vue many times. This feature is likely even more useful on the very short Encore. Really surprised they are dropping this.

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    1. I used my folding passenger seat 2 days ago on my 2007 Vue. I use it at least once a year, -and to me, it’s as important as a folding rear seat. It’s a must have for a smaller utility vehicle. Dumb.

      Reply
  2. It’s a lot more significant change than adding a new shade of black.

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  3. This is GM bean counting. The 1978 Malibu/LeMans/Cutlass/Century had rear passenger doors with fixed glass, and the slope-back versions had no hatch, because GM wanted to save a few bucks. Those are only two examples. It’s possible to make money and make cars at the same time, but the General doesn’t know how.

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  4. I guarantee GM will cancel the encore due to lack of sales in 2023/24. GM does things strictly for politics internally to punish people. I have never seen a base encore on any lot and I hardly ever see an interior other than black being sold. Some of the stupidest marketing people must work at GM. A lot of people would like the base interiors or other colors to get fancy. Is there a reason to have four or five trims? The need is strictly two trims a base trim for low price, and another trim where you can order accessories and packages like the sunroof / safety equipment. You drive your customers and your sales people crazy. Another thing is on your monroney sticker, you call things packages, but you never specify what’s in the packages on the Monroney . Do you have any idea how hard it is for customers to actually understand these things? If you would have a base encore for $20,000 and an upscale encore for $25,000 loaded with everything you would do a hell of a lot better without having any discounts at all like Saturn used to do. And I have a few fun exterior colors.

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    1. Actually, they are going to replace the Encore in a year or two with one similar to the version sold in China. I forget the platform name, GEM?

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    2. You can find brand new 2021 Encores for $18K on autotrader.

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  5. GM has a history of penny pinching in the hopes no one will notice. My biggest pet peeve on this is their unwillingness to go to LED lighting. Buy an $80,000 Tahoe and you get 100 year old tech for the brake lights and turn signals. Even on many GM models that have LED lighting upgrades on the higher end models, they still don’t bother with the turn signals. C’mon man, it’s 2021, who still wants to drive around with burnt out bulbs after a few years?

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    1. LOL I see plenty of LED lights that fail to work on many cars all the time. Are you actually believing they will never go bad?

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  6. Typical of GM to get rid of features people like. Remember the power adjustable pedals in the GMC Sierra and Silverado. GM said people wouldn’t miss them. What?!?? Everyone misses them. Another classic move by GM was taking out the cargo divider on the old body style Terrain and Equinox so there was a gaping hole for items to slide and get stuck between cargo area and back seat! Classic. It’s not About thinking of the customer it’s about saving money for the corporate. Very frustrating!!!!

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  7. Sure am glad we got our 2018 and 2019 Encore Essences. They are like Cadillacs compared to the current Preferred, but at a Buick price. Maybe they will be showing something small but well accutered again by the time I need to replace the 2018… in 2026, considering my GM supported extended warranty. The only “shortcoming” is not being wide enough for golf clubs, but my split seat handles that for golf season and trips from Michigan to WDW in Orlando.

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  8. What a shame. This was the feature that sold me this car. I could get a small easy to drive commuter car, but on the weekend was still able to buy lumber, landscape timbers, I even got a sheet of plywood cut in half long ways in this car. What a shame that the versatility to stretch and be something bigger than what the car is will be disappearing.

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  9. Classic GM and nothing new. This has been going on for decades. Who can forget when Oldsmobile took the word Cutlass off the front fenders of the last year 1996 Ciera to save a few pennies per car? Or when they dropped the power pedal option from the 2007 Epsilon Malibu. Or when they deleted the bodyside moldings off the 2007 Monte Carlo and G6 making the cars look like some cheap rental car from the airport. Even the already cheaply made new Impala wasn’t immune. It initially came with an 8-way power driver’s seat std on all models. For 2008 they deleted the power recliner and cheapened it to a 6-way seat and removed he passenger back seat map pocket. Then in 2009 they deleted the Impala logo on the rear sail panel. Heck this car never even came with a key hole in the truck in case the battery died leaving base LS and LT owners screwed if their battery died that didn’t have split folding rear seats that needed access to the trunk!

    It is truly a shock that they bothered to reinstate the 153 HP version of the 1.4T considering they dropped it a few model years back in favor of the 138 HP version. But with GM there is always a price to be paid when they throw in something like this.

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  10. I am thinking of replacing my 2007 Saturn ION in a few years with a certified Encore 2017-2020. It is just one of a few vehicles I am looking into. I wonder how Encore owners are doing-are thier Encores holding up are they reliable ? One of my concerns regards the turbocharger-how reliable is that ?

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  11. We have a 2018 and a 2019 Encore Essence. My wife currently drives the 19, but not much… less than 5600 miles in over 2 years. I have 40k on my 18, but bought the GM sponsored warranty extension… good til 2026 or 110k. Love the cars, performance and reliability. When time comes to trade mine, in 5 years or so, I will get our 2019, and we will buy an electric as our second car. I have no respect for the GX, and even the 2019 get poorer mileage than my 2018. I set the report range to “last 450 miles” and get over 37.5 mpg from Michigan to Orlando. Drove the 2019 down, as a break in, back in late 2018 and only got a little over 35mpg… still better than the GX.

    Again, love our cars, and wish GM still had them available… but the newer models do not stack up. No meaningful recalls, but needed the info-system replaced after 3 months in the 2019… nothing since in either one except normal factory recommended maintenance, which we have done at the dealership.

    Reply

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