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Buick Encore Sales Near Bottom Of Segment During Q1 2022

Buick Encore sales decreased in the United States, Canada, and Mexico during the first quarter of 2022.

Buick Encore Sales - Q1 2022 - United States

In the United States, Buick Encore deliveries totaled 2,620 units in Q1 2022, a decrease of about 58 percent compared to 6,229 units sold in Q1 2021.
MODEL Q1 2022 / Q1 2021 Q1 2022 Q1 2021
ENCORE -57.94% 2,620 6,229

Buick Encore Sales - Q1 2022 - Canada

In Canada, Buick Encore deliveries totaled 128 units in Q1 2022, a decrease of about 76 percent compared to 534 units sold in Q1 2021.
MODEL Q1 2022 / Q1 2021 Q1 2022 Q1 2021
ENCORE -76.03% 128 534

Buick Encore Sales - Q1 2022 - Mexico

In Mexico, Buick Encore deliveries totaled 46 units in Q1 2022, a decrease of about 77 percent compared to 197 units sold in Q1 2021.
MODEL Q1 2022 / Q1 2021 Q1 2022 Q1 2021
ENCORE -76.65% 46 197

Competitive Sales Comparison (USA)

Buick Encore sales during the first quarter of 2022 place the Tri-Shield brand’s subcompact crossover just one spot above last place in the segment of 20 entries. The Honda HR-V once again led the pack with a 61 percent jump in sales volume to 42,168 units while the the Jeep Compass took second place with a 22 percent increase to 24,408 units. The Nissan Kicks took third with a 16 percent drop to 20,577 units while the Hyundai Kona placed fourth with a 31 percent drop to 15,536 units. The top five were rounded out by the Kia Soul, which saw sales drop 18 percent to 14,124 units.

The Encore’s corporate cousin from Chevy, the Chevy Trailblazer (see running Chevy Trailblazer sales), placed 12th with a 66 percent drop to 8,606 units, while the Encore’s other corporate cousin (and platform mate) from Chevy, the Chevy Trax (see running Chevy Trax sales), took 15th place, also with a 66 percent drop in sales to 5,801 units. The Encore’s other corporate cousin, the Buick Encore GX (see running Buick Encore GX sales), followed in 16th place with a 71 percent decline to 5,382 units. The Encore placed 19th with a 58 percent slide in sales to 2,620 units, only beating out the Fiat 500X.

Sales Numbers - Mainstream Subcompact Crossovers - Q1 2022 - United States

MODEL Q1 22 / Q1 21 Q1 22 Q1 21 Q1 22 SHARE Q1 21 SHARE
HONDA HR-V +61.10% 42,168 26,175 19% 10%
JEEP COMPASS +22.29% 24,408 19,959 11% 7%
NISSAN KICKS -15.74% 20,577 24,421 9% 9%
HYUNDAI KONA -31.29% 15,536 22,610 7% 8%
KIA SOUL -17.84% 14,124 17,191 6% 6%
VOLKSWAGEN TAOS * 13,674 * 6% 0%
KIA SELTOS -33.76% 11,119 16,786 5% 6%
TOYOTA COROLLA CROSS * 10,157 * 4% 0%
JEEP RENEGADE -37.55% 9,990 15,997 4% 6%
MAZDA CX-30 -34.92% 9,494 14,589 4% 5%
KIA NIRO +114.01% 9,226 4,311 4% 2%
CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER -65.61% 8,606 25,024 4% 9%
FORD ECOSPORT -34.57% 8,426 12,878 4% 5%
HYUNDAI VENUE +13.23% 6,549 5,784 3% 2%
CHEVROLET TRAX -65.79% 5,801 16,955 3% 6%
BUICK ENCORE GX -70.81% 5,382 18,435 2% 7%
TOYOTA C-HR -59.09% 4,255 10,401 2% 4%
MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER SPORT -75.86% 3,707 15,356 2% 6%
BUICK ENCORE -57.94% 2,620 6,229 1% 2%
FIAT 500X +28.30% 340 265 0% 0%
TOTAL -17.27% 226,159 273,366

From a segment share standpoint, the Encore earned just one percent, down one percentage point while the HR-V saw its segment share nearly double year-over-year to 19 percent, up nine percentage points. The Compass held an 11 percent segment share, up four percentage points, while the Kicks held a nine percent share, flat year-over-year. The Trailblazer held a four percent share, down five percentage points, while the Trax held a three percent segment share, down three percentage points. The Encore GX held a two percent segment share, down five percentage points like the Trailblazer.

It’s worth noting that Buick fields two entries in this segment, the Encore and Encore GX. The two crossovers are mechanically not related despite carrying the same base name. In fact, the Buick Encore GX slots between the “regular” Encore and the Buick Envision in the brand’s vehicle lineup. The two Encore models accounted for a cumulative 10,873 deliveries as sales slipped 53 percent for a 5 percent segment share. In other words, the Encore did not add much to Buick’s total.

The four GM vehicles in the mainstream subcompact crossover segment – the Buick Encore and Chevrolet Trax, as well as their corporate cousins, the Buick Encore GX and Chevrolet Trailblazer – accounted for a cumulative 22,409 deliveries, good for 10 percent segment share. This puts The General in third place in the segment from an overall volume standpoint.

Sales Numbers - GM Mainstream Subcompact Crossovers - Q1 2022 - USA

MODEL Q1 22 / Q1 21 Q1 22 Q1 21
CHEVROLET TRAX -65.79% 5,801 16,955
CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER -65.61% 8,606 25,024
BUICK ENCORE -57.94% 2,620 6,229
BUICK ENCORE GX -70.81% 5,382 18,435
TOTAL -66.37% 22,409 66,643

By comparison, the three Stellantis rivals – the Jeep Compass, Jeep Renegade, and Fiat 500X – accounted for a cumulative 34,738 deliveries for a combined 15 percent segment share, placing second place overall.

Sales Numbers - Stellantis Mainstream Subcompact Crossovers - Q1 2022 - USA

MODEL Q1 22 / Q1 21 Q1 22 Q1 21
JEEP COMPASS +22.29% 24,408 19,959
JEEP RENEGADE -37.55% 9,990 15,997
FIAT 500X +28.30% 340 265
TOTAL -4.09% 34,738 36,221

Toyota recently launched a new model, the Corolla Cross, to compete in the mainstream B-crossovers segment. The new model will likely end up replacing the C-HR, which has performed poorly from a sales volume standpoint. During the first quarter, Toyota saw a combined 14,412 sales of the Corolla Cross and C-HR.

Sales Numbers - Toyota Mainstream Subcompact Crossovers - Q1 2022 - USA

MODEL Q1 22 / Q1 21 Q1 22 Q1 21
TOYOTA COROLLA CROSS * 10,157 *
TOYOTA C-HR -59.09% 4,255 10,401
TOTAL +38.56% 14,412 10,401

Meanwhile, Hyundai-Kia duo saw 56,554 cumulative deliveries, accounting for a combined 21 percent segment share, placing first.

Sales Numbers - Hyundai - Kia Mainstream Subcompact Crossovers (With Soul) - Q1 2022 - USA

MODEL Q1 22 / Q1 21 Q1 22 Q1 21
KIA SOUL -17.84% 14,124 17,191
KIA SELTOS -33.76% 11,119 16,786
KIA NIRO +114.01% 9,226 4,311
HYUNDAI KONA -31.29% 15,536 22,610
HYUNDAI VENUE +13.23% 6,549 5,784
TOTAL -15.19% 56,554 66,682

However, a strong argument can be made that the Kia Soul is not part of the segment in question, but rather competes one segment below based on its size and price point. Removing the Soul from the Hyundai-Kia total nets 42,430 deliveries for a combined 14 percent segment share, placing the Hyundai-Kia chaebol in second place.

Sales Numbers - Hyundai - Kia Mainstream Subcompact Crossovers (Without Soul) - Q1 2022 - USA

MODEL Q1 22 / Q1 21 Q1 22 Q1 21
KIA SELTOS -33.76% 11,119 16,786
KIA NIRO +114.01% 9,226 4,311
HYUNDAI KONA -31.29% 15,536 22,610
HYUNDAI VENUE +13.23% 6,549 5,784
TOTAL -14.27% 42,430 49,491

The mainstream subcompact crossover segment contracted 17 percent to 226,159 units during Q1 2022, meaning Encore sales significantly underperformed the segment average.

The GM Authority Take

Buick Encore sales placed it near dead last in the segment, but as GM Authority first reported, the Buick Encore will soon be discontinued, along with its mechanical relative, the Chevy Trax. Though GM will release an all-new Chevy Trax later this year as a crossover-coupe, the same will not be the case for the Encore. In fact, GM has been scaling back production of Buick’s smallest and once highly-popular subcompact crossover to make room for more units of the Encore GX. That is on top of plans to build more all-electric models at the Spring Hill Production plant in Spring Hill, Tennessee, including one or more new electric Buick models.

GM Design Buick crossover sketch

GM is working on future Buick EV models that will ride on the GM BEV3 platform and will utilize Ultium batteries and Ultium Drive electric motors. On that note, GM teased a Buick EV in its Ultifi video back in October 2021 and hinted at a future Buick EV crossover in February of this year. The automaker filed to trademark the Buick Electra name in the U.S. along with applying for a trademark for Velite, potentially for an upcoming Buick EV model. The General has also filed to trademark a new Buick logo that could be easily backlit on future electric vehicles.

Buick EV crossover teaser image

It’s also worth noting that GM has been planning a new crossover in the form of the three-row Envision. The model has been revealed in China as the Buick Envision Plus, though the vehicle will likely come to market in North America as the Buick Envision GX, which GM has also filed to trademark.

The three-row version of the Buick Envision, known in China as the Envision Plus. The model is expected to be sold in North America as the Envision GX.

Beyond that, the GM Design team recently shared a sketch for a future Buick crossover model that’s reminiscent of a more dramatically styled version of the current Buick Envision. The vehicle in the sketch also shares some characteristics with the Encore GX and Buick Enclave. This follows another sketch released back in December of a swoopy Buick crossover concept.

All told, GM’s premium marque is busy preparing for an all-electric future, with at least one more ICE-powered crossover to come in the meantime.

About The Numbers

Vince grew up in a GM family, likes manuals, and thinks this is the golden age of the automobile.

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Comments

  1. Self inflected wound GM … knew this was coming when the Encore GX became available. I wanted a Encore GX until I learned that the only engine was a 3-cys turbo. A three cylinder engine for US driving styles won’t last, GM can’t even build a 4 cylinder (1.5 litre) that will make it 100K miles without burning oil at a bad level.. And now you’re doing away with what’s been a very reliable vehicle … so GM when will the Buick line go the way of Oldsmobile, Pontiac, etc ?

    Reply
  2. Vince,

    I appreciate your report. But can you sort things out a little more?

    1. When you write “at least one more Ice-powered crossover,” is that the Buick Envision GX? Will it have the same front end and tri-shield logo in a circle, or will it have the new Buick grille style and logo?
    2. Which vehicle is depicted in the recent EV concept teaser showing the left headlight? Might that be the “groovy” Wildcat?
    3. What were the two Buick EVs shown in the photo from the 2021 Consumer Electronics Show? A small Buick in the very left, with a Buick SUV to its left. Might the car be the Velite and the SUV the 2024 Enclave redesign?
    4. How close to the design of the 2020 Electra Concept will the production Electra be? It reportedly was shown at a Buick dealers meeting a few months ago. Or is it expected to be close to the GM Design sketch of a gray crossover shared recently?
    5. Hearing that in China that the very top trim of the Buick GL8 MPV will be “Century,” was that because GM / Buick China didn’t want to use the French word “Avenir”? It’s exciting if Buick is reverting to familiar names, such as Electra, Wildcat, and, now, Century.

    What details can you shed on the above questions?

    Thank you again.

    Reply

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