Passengers inside the vehicle will not be aware of it, but the all-new, 2021 Buick Envision crossover plays a neat animation every time the turn signal is switched on.
This is possible due to the inclusion of light-emitting diode (LED) technology in the vehicle’s tail lights. In olden times, manufacturers would fit one or more conventional bulbs, which shone when an electric current was passing through them and didn’t when it wasn’t. It would have been possible to create animations using this system, but it would have been difficult, and the results would not have looked great.
But with LED technology, things are very different. Animations are relatively straightforward to create, and several manufacturers use them. For example, the Ford Mustang has a sequential turn signal pattern. Over in Europe, Audi and Porsche were early adopters of the idea. Across the world, it is becoming increasingly common even in budget vehicles.
The animation used on the 2021 Buick Envision is very subtle. The vehicle’s tail lamps feature two horizontal outer rows, plus a single inner row on a separate cluster mounted on the liftgate. All of the LEDs illuminate at the same time when the signal sequence begins, and the outer ones turn off at the same time when it ends.
The inner LEDs have a different finishing pattern. The one nearest the center of the vehicle turns off first, followed by the one after that, then the next one, and so on. All of them are extinguished within a fraction of a second of the process starting, but there is a clear sense of movement in the direction that the Buick Envision is signaling to take.
It’s also worth noting that the hazard lights do not produce the same animation, but instead deliver a more traditional “on-off” lightning pattern.
The Envision was Buick‘s third best-selling vehicle in the United States in Q1 of 2021, at 10,476 units, but it was a very close second to the Buick Enclave (10,617 units). It is assembled at the Jinqiao plant in Shanghai, China, and rides on the GM E2 platform, which is also used for the Cadillac XT4, among other vehicles.
Sales Results - Q1 2021 - USA - Buick
| MODEL | Q1 2021 / Q1 2020 | Q1 2021 | Q1 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENCLAVE | +21.31% | 10,617 | 8,752 |
| ENCORE | -56.25% | 6,229 | 14,238 |
| ENCORE GX | +608.77% | 18,435 | 2,601 |
| ENVISION | +51.12% | 10,476 | 6,932 |
| BUICK TOTAL | +35.18% | 45,784 | 33,870 |
The only available engine is the turbocharged 2.0L I4 LSY gasoline motor, which produces 228 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The boosted four-pot is mated to GM’s nine-speed automatic transmission. Front-wheel-drive is standard, while all-wheel-drive is optional.
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Comments
That sure makes me want to be at my friendly neighborhood Buick agency first thing tomorrow morning…
LOL! But It beats another dark shade of gray!
I like this great idea Buick. It’s about time Buick’s where more then rebaged Pontiac’s!
What’s a Pontiac?
Very cool Chinese made SUV!
The Chinese can keep it. Until its built in the USA I will never buy this vehicle.
Sad part is the Enclave is the only one made in the U.S. (Michigan made no less).
As long as it’s made by GM, it shouldn’t matter. Not everything can be made in the USA. IT would be nice though.
…but they’re red.
my ’69 Cougar has sequential blinkers.
My brother’s 1972 Mercury Cougar also had them.
Nice looking s u v Buick did nice job on this envision impressive!
Big Buick fan. Have owned several. Love the Envision but will not be buying one since it is made in China. There is a lot of things we cannot do anything about on where it is made but I will look at where the assembly plant is located at least. American Workers deserve some loyalty.
Proudly made in China by gM.
More ‘great’ work from Mary Barry.
Why do I feel like they sequence wrong? Like instead of all lit up and then disappear to the left, they should be off them light up as you go outward? Hope that make sense. Just seems backwards to me.
I believe it has to do with NTSB regulations.
Hipocricy test…
How many of you that are angry at Buick being made in China are using your own China made electronics to voice your anger here?
Give me one made in USA and I will buy it. (like I said earlier, not always possible) Cheap Foreign Labor along with virtually no environmental regulations has made it tough to compete with American/Canadian manufacturers.
Water sez.
Find a US made smartphone…oh, that’s right there are none. No alternative.
There are some US assembled computers, but finding one at retail is not an easy task.
There are more sensible and “responsible” choices available when it comes to choosing a crossover. It is very easy to find a non-Chinese option. Plus, a smartphone or computer doesn’t cost $41K.
Guess you don’t know that Apple is American made. Not all the parts, but it is an American phone company.
Don’t really care where it’s made, just not interested in GMs one size fits all powertrain options. The current 2.0 or 3.6 used in the cuvs are a definite pass especially when they call them luxury cuvs.
My 1995 Buick Regal had five bulbs per tail light but only the odd lights flashed together. I converted them to sequential with a Basic Stamp microcontroller from Radio Shack in 1999. I sold the Regal in 2015 with the lights still working. It was probably the first Buick to have sequential lights. Now I would use a Arduino or a Raspberry Pi to do it.
How did you change it? Just curious and in need of minute details.
Regardless where it’s built it is a pretty good looking. Could us more power though.
Audi turn signals have done this for a while now.
Innovation at its finest. 3rd best selling Buick vehicle-out of four. Better said -second to last in Buick sales despite being its newest edition. This is a fine vehicle but stop cheerleading and start reporting, BS’ing does no one favors.
only if AMERICAN assembled
On another separate note: Does anyone know how to make the album artwork appear using a USB thumb-drive filled with FLAC music files? I’ve embedded the artwork & they worked in my older 2016 Chevy Impala, but……this one won’t show the artwork no matter what I’ve tried. I can see the artwork when you go into the menu settings and select albums, but once the music file starts playing, the artwork is not there.
Now when using Android Auto and using any of the apps, such as Spotify or Tidal, I can see the artwork, but that is controlled by Android Auto. I’d appreciate any hints or solutions.