As part of General Motors’ restructuring of its business and operations in China, Buick has notably reduced its compact crossover lineup in the Asian country.
The automaker has just announced an all-new “super architecture” and the new Electra NEV sub-brand to create a new line of next-generation Buick’s New Energy Vehicles, introducing a more aggressive strategy to improve the brand’s competitiveness in the Chinese market. At the same time, Buick has reduced its compact crossover lineup by retiring the most affordable models in the range.
2024 Buick Encore Plus
Specifically, GM Authority has learned that the SAIC-GM joint venture has quietly discontined a total of three Chinese-made Buick compact crossovers – including two internal combustion models and one all-electric model. The list includes the Buick Encore Plus, the Buick Envista, and the Buick Electra E4 – which have all disappeared from the brand’s official Chinese website.
2024 Buick Envista
For those who don’t know, the Buick Encore Plus was first launched in August 2023 as the brand’s entry-level crossover in China, replacing the second-generation Encore. It was essentially the same as the Encore GX, but with a different approach to position itself below the Buick Envista that made its global debut in that country during the same month. Both models fell out of favor due to the price war that broke out in the Chinese market that year.
2024 Buick Electra E4
For its part, the Buick Electra E4 also debuted in mid-2023 as a compact-to-midsize, all-electric crossover coupe to complement the segment-settled Buick Electra E5 with a more traditional body style. Despite getting off to a promising start, the Electra E4 failed to gain popularity and actually ended up hampering the sales performance of the best-selling Electra E5.
Buick’s slimmed-down compact crossover lineup in China has left the Buick Envision as the most affordable model in the streamlined lineup, which now includes the three-row Envision Plus, the Electra E5, and the country-exclusive midsize Enclave. Buick’s crossover portfolio will continue to evolve in China and will soon include only electrified models under the Electra NEV sub-brand.
Comments
GM is lousy at globalizing many of it’s vehicles. Chinese Enclave, Envista and Envision w/ adjustments, could have been sold in markets without Buick such as Europe, NZ and Australia.
By every metric, Buick is better than Chevrolet, and rebadging can be profitable. The updated Regal would be a perfect new Malibu, for example.
For China, Buick should be pure EV. Envision should be put on the new skateboard architecture as well as a new Excelle.
I really liked the Electra E4. Would have been a perfect Bolt 2.0 in US. More sleek design with engineering already complete
I agree.
Surprised that the Buick Electra E4, a very stylish CUV will be no more in China. Better looking than most EVs.
Buick needs an EV like the Electra E4 in the lineup.
Maybe it’s time GM build it here soon. It may be a big hit in North America, like the Envista.
Because of tariffs, GM will likely drop 460,000 sub compacts including Trax, Trailblazer, Encore GX, Envista and Envision.
There isn’t enough time to relocate plus margins are low.
Expect GM US to focus on Nox, Traverese, Arcadia, the Tahoe/Yucon/Escalande family and trucks alongside EVs.
It will be a tiny but high margin line up. GM keeps melting like an ice cube. Thanks to tariffs, foreign non union OEMs will lead in sales.
I said it before and I will say it again:
Honda Civic – Greensburg, Indiana
Toyota Corolla – Blue Springs, Mississippi
Toyota Corolla Cross – Huntsville, Alabama
Hyundai Elantra – Montgomery, Alabama
Subaru Crosstrek – Lafayette, Indiana
All made in the US and still sell at a competitive prices. The excuses, are getting less and less viable.
If GM chooses to drop models like the Trax then its because they willingly chose to give up that market share. NOT because they can’t. A very stupid move because the Trax has been a sales success for them but then again, GM isn’t exactly known for making common sense decisions.
And I said it before. Those savings aren’t getting passed onto the consumers. Mary and Jim can buy a smaller yacht or a mansion with one less bathroom. Or one less stock buyback and actually allow the stock price to rise based on the company’s success.
Are all the vehicles on the list still built with non-union labour?
Also, they are all foreign car companies. Profits go out of the country!
Unfair competition if they are still non-union!
Buy GM vehicles wherever they are made, and NO Tariffs on North American companies like GM and Ford!
Profits stay in North America!
It doesn’t matter if the profits go out of the country or not. The point is, they can make economy cars in the US. And as for the argument of it being union or non-union, GM made economy cars in the US with union labor like the Chevy Cruze. So don’t tell me it can’t be done.
Going back to the profits argument and where they go, they go to the shareholders regardless of where they are from. You could make the argument that some of BYDs profits go to Americans through Berkshire Hathaway, Vanguard, and Blackrock since they own significant shares in the company. Doesn’t matter, as an American I still wouldn’t buy one on account the founder is a member of the CCP and sees me as an enemy. Like a Jew buying a VW during the 30s.
The workers are spending their earnings in the United States, so money is going back in to our economy. It all works out.
I am kind of surprised on the Envista but it seems like they like PHEV vehicles when it comes to ICE in that market.
I follow everything automotive related (have been since I was a young kid) and I do not think most people realize just how competitive the Chinese BEV market really is.
These Buicks (Apart from design) were Dead On Arrival pretty much.
The old school tech that was (And is still in the NA Market) Ultium is just not good enough.
Hopefully the new Gen Tech that GM is working on (Most work done in China from all reports) will hopefully jump start the sales again. Also, I am very hopeful that Tech makes it stateside at the same time.
Just as an example….150kW Charging like on the Optiq and Nox is just NOT good enough anymore. Not when some Chinese automakers have cars on sale right now charging at 600kW and soon will have cars on sale charging at 1000kW
what is the difference among Enclave, Envista and Envision ? opened the web site and seems 1 car repeated 30 times
For as much as you post on this site with your design comments and handful of years at GMb, really surprising you don’t know this…
You didn’t have much credibility to begin with, and this just crushed any remaining.
Keep up the good work, Mary . ….. to the bitter end .
How many times will the loses in China exceed the loses on Robo Taxi ?
10 times ? …. 30 ?
Good work, Mary .
Just read the 9 other comments (thus far) and my takeaway from this article was much different.
My thought? Just imagine if GM quietly killed off 3 models in the US. Buick would be just like Chrysler!! Only 1 model then.
This is just a really sad part of life when the mighty Buick has just 4 models (all SUV/CUV) and Chrysler has only 1 model (van).
Buick in China has quite a number of models, so cutting three there isn’t a big deal. Plus, they’ve already shown the NEV “precursors” for forthcoming vehicles to join the China lineup.
“Despite getting off to a promising start, the Electra E4 failed to gain popularity and actually ended up hampering the sales performance of the best-selling Electra E5.”
If it didn’t gain popularity, how did it hurt E5 sales?