General Motors unveiled the all-new 2024 Buick Envista last April, pulling the sheets on the Tri-Shield brand’s latest small crossover set for sale stateside. Among the 2024 Buick Envista’s various exterior features is the lack of any kind of wiper for the rear glass in the hatch. Now, GM Authority has uncovered the reason why.
In an interview with GM Authority Executive Editor Alex Luft, the Director of Global Buick Design, Bob Boniface, explained why the 2024 Buick Envista does not have a rear wiper, saying that the airflow over the crossover is sufficient to actively clean the back window.
“In our aero testing, the back [windshield] was staying clean,” Boniface said.
Essentially, the streamlined exterior design of the 2024 Buick Envista makes a rear wiper more or less redundant. In that sense, the design is somewhat similar to that of a sedan.
“Generally, when you have a square profile, you get water buildup and other things will collect on the back window,” Boniface added. In this context, the “square profile” mentioned would be for more SUV-like designs, such as that of the Buick Encore GX.
Notably, the 2024 Buick Envista takes inspiration from the Buick Wildcat EV concept that debuted in 2022. To that end, the Envista incorporates a long wheelbase, a sleek profile, and, as already mentioned, a crossover coupe roofline. The front end also integrates new styling language from the Wildcat EV concept, with LED check mark lamps high on the fascia, and angular styling lines around the grille.
As for the mechanical specs, the all-new 2024 Buick Envista cradles the turbocharged 1.2L I3 LIH gasoline engine, which doles out a maximum of 136 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque. Output is routed through the GM six-speed automatic transmission, driving the front wheels exclusively. The GM VSS-F vehicle set provides the underpinnings. Production for the U.S. market takes place at the GM Bupyeong plant in South Korea.
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Comments
Total baloney. I’ve had hatchbacks that accumulated all kinds of dirt and if you’re sitting in a rainstorm or snowstorm in a line of traffic, it’s dangerous. Total cost-cutting move and that’s that. I’m all for lower-priced vehicles, up to a point.
Do I smell the bean counters and attorneys at the top telling the engineers what they can invent and make. I still think of the days when GM came up with a 4 cylinder engine and the engineers had balancer shafts and the high priced help at the silo nixed it. The people at Toyota and Honda had fits of laughter.
We thought we bought the perfect car, then this morning I went to back out the driveway and there was RAIN on the back windshield and I couldn’t see…..THERE IS NO REAR WIPER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Apparently the GM gurus did NOT TEST very welll!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You can only fire so many bean counters.
I’d like to see an article on why it doesn’t have rear HVAC vents like the China version. At least in the Avenir trim. Also, why doesn’t it have dual zone climate control at least in the Avenir trim. This car is longer and has more leg room than the Encore GX and should have been positioned as a step up from the Encore GX like it is in China.
I’d like to see an article on why it doesn’t have the 1.5T like the China version… that gets 20% better MPG than the pathetic 3 cylinder US version. Disappointing.
“In our aero testing, the back [windshield] was staying clean,” Boniface said.
I’ll bet they didn’t have any heavy snow in their aero testing chamber.
Bean counters equals less vehicle and higher price for customers, Iam really surprised GM is still in business.
Not surprised at all since their profits have been in the millions / billions for several years now.
If no rear wiper Is the rear window at least heated..and defrosted? GM you’re coming off as a real cheapskate here..
It’s basically a mini BMW X6 knockoff and the X6 does just fine without a rear wiper.
Not in areas with heavy snow.
I don’t see many X6’s but maybe once a month I’ll see one on the road, and in Buffalo, NY winters, that back window get dried up road salt on it and there is no way to clean it.
It’s actually because of vortex shedding. In a traditional SUV, the air behind the vehicle is moving slow and has high pressure. While the air moving over the vehicle is fast moving and low pressure. As it comes off the vehicle it’s starts to mix which make the mud and salt to get kicked onto the back windshield. It’s not needed in the envista design because the rear windshield is in this area of high speed, low pressure. You can also feel this phenomenon filling too close behind a semi truck!
Oh. Is that a Buick in the picture? Sure doesn’t look like one.
So like a sedan, it doesn’t need one. Did GM/Buick just admit that this is an exaggerated sedan with a hatch? But instead, they are calling it a “crossover” so that it appeases the more than 50% of the people out there who just have to have a vehicle that is some type of SUV/CUV. How pathetic.
From the first time I saw this car, I thought it looks much better than the Encore GX. The fact that it has the 6 speed and 1.2 engine is a plus IMO. What would have made it look better would to have made it look slightly more sedan like and tone down the front end some. Then call it a car.
So will the aerodynamic design clean off snow and ice? How about when the rear window gets dirty?
Knock it off, GM. This was also the reason they said the Cadillac Lyriq didn’t have one. Total BS for those of us that live in places like Chicago.