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2025 Buick Encore GX To Get E85-Compatible Engine

General Motors unveiled the refreshed 2024 Buick Encore GX in February of the 2023 calendar year, with the subsequent 2025 Buick Encore GX debuting a few important updates. One of the most impactful changes for the 2025-model-year Encore GX is the availability of an E85-compatible engine. Similar to the 2025 Buick Encore GX, the Chevy Trax will also gain an E85-compatible engine in conjunction with the 2025 model year. Both the 2025 Encore GX and the 2025 Trax will offer the E85-compatible engine for the U.S. market, but not the Canadian market.

The front end of the Buick Encore GX. The 2025 Buick Encore GX will offer an E85-compatible engine.

According to GM Authority sources, the 2025 Buick Encore GX will offer the turbocharged 1.2L I3 LBP engine, which will replace the turbocharged 1.2L I3 LIH gasoline engine offered previously. The turbocharged 1.2L I3 LBP engine is compatible with E85 fuel, which is a blend of gasoline and ethanol. Output from the 1.2L I3 LBP engine will remain identical to that of 1.2L I3 LIH gasoline engine at 137 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque. The turbocharged 1.3L I3 L3T gasoline engine will once gain be offered for the 2025 model year, although it will not offer E85 compatibility.

The new turbocharged 1.2L I3 LBP engine will only be available on the base-level Preferred FWD variant, while all other variants will equip the turbocharged 1.3L I3 L3T gasoline engine. The L3T is optional for the Preferred FWD.

For those readers who may be unaware, high-ethanol-content fuel typically includes between 51 and 83 percent ethanol, while the exact percentage of ethanol to gasoline varies based on the time of year and location. Notably, “regular” gasoline usually contains roughly 10 percent ethanol.

Vehicles capable of running E85 are known as flex fuel vehicles. High-ethanol-content fuels are becoming more common throughout the U.S., in particular in the Midwest, where corn provides the source of ethanol in E85 fuel production. E85 typically provides a higher resistance to engine knock and reduces dependence on foreign oil, but can decreased fuel economy and could prove troublesome in colder climates.

E85 fuel is not recommended for vehicles that do not have flex fuel capabilities.

As a reminder, Buick Encore GX rides on the GM VSS-F vehicle set, while production takes place at the GM Bupyeong plant in South Korea.

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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. I finally saw one of these in the wild.

    Meh.

    Reply
  2. Can GM put a more powerful more fuel efficient engine in these crossovers? These tiny 3 cylinder engines currently in there are neither. The 1.5 four cylinder turbo would offer much better power and most likely better mpg since it wouldn’t be working so hard.

    Reply
    1. The 1.5L I3 Turbo in my wife’s 2023 Nissan Rogue Platinum AWD is 201 HP/225 ft-lb torque and blew my mind with a 43.2 MPG “around town” trip – according to the Driver Information Center, of course. But it regularly gets upper 20’s/low 30’s MPG around town. And it is like 2 size classes bigger than the Encore GX! Get in the game GM.

      Reply
    2. I’ll bet you have never driven one. I sell cars at a Buick dealership, and I have never had a customer tell me they thought the vehicle was underpowered. I think it’s a good pairing for the vehicle with all the power those buyers are looking for.

      Reply
  3. @Fuzz the Rouge is an Equinox size it’s in a different class then the Encore GX I don’t know what car Nissan makes that’s Encore size but that’s a lot of HP for a turbo 3 cylinder I own a 2020 Equinox 2.0T which I love I get low 20s I can hit 31 on the highway and that’s a 4 cylinder you’d think a 3 cylinder would do better then that and that’s my driving experience not lead foot Motor Trend.

    Reply
  4. Get rid of the trashy overhead cam engines and put good center Cam engine in them and people will buy a lot of them

    Reply
  5. I have an Encore GX 2022 with the 1.3 turbo AWD 9 speed trans .. It surprised me with the power and quickness that it has.
    the only problems are the ride and road noise. But for a small SUV it is very satifying.

    Reply
  6. How about bringing back real cars? Put a super-high-compression ethanol-gas engine in something someone wants to buy. Some smart technology in something that looks keen. Otherwise, you guys are headed for the history books…

    Reply

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