Do you remember the stunning two-door Buick Wildcat EV concept from last year? Well Buick took the Wildcat’s styling and applied it to…a compact crossover. The new 2024 Buick Envista isn’t exactly what GM fans dreamed of when they saw the Wildcat EV. However, the Envista is an admittedly stylish crossover with hints of the Wildcat’s design, according to Buick, and a starting price of just $23,495.
The Envista is Buick’s take on sporty-looking crossovers like the Audi Q3 Sportback or Genesis GV60, with a sleek roofline and a floating C-pillar. Up front, the Envista has Buick’s new badge, which ditches the outer ring of the tri-shield logo, and it’s also now mounted on the body instead of in the grille. It’s a more modern look that separates the Envista from some of the older, stodgier SUVs in Buick’s lineup.
Its sharp, sleek-looking headlights feature LEDs that look like upside Nike Swooshes, and its rectangular grille sits under a low-slung front nose. The combination of its sharp headlights and its beak-like front end give it a budget Lamborghini Urus vibe.
Three trim levels are available: Preferred, Sport Touring (ST), and Avenir. The entry-level Preferred model gets 18-inch wheels as standard, while the ST gets 19-inch black wheels, and the Avenir gets 19-inch Bespoke Pearl Nickel wheels.
Inside the Envista, front passengers get a 19-inch dual-screen setup for the driver’s digital gauges and an 11-inch touchscreen infotainment system. The Envista also gets Buick’s QuietTuning, which uses a variety of techniques like acoustic laminated glass and even a liquid-applied sound deadener to keep cabin noise at a minimum. Avenir and ST trims get their logos embroidered in the headrests.
With the rear seats up, the Envista has 20.7 cubic feet of cargo space. Fold the rear seats down and the turns into 42 cubic feet. A power-operated tailgate is also optional.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given its price tag, the new Buick Envista is powered by GM’s turbocharged 1.2-liter three-cylinder engine making 136 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque. It’s the same three-pot that powers the Chevy Trailblazer. There’s no official EPA fuel economy rating just yet but GM estimates 30 mpg combined. If you step up to the ST trim, a Watts Link rear suspension setup is available to improve handling but it’s standard on the top-spec Avenir trim.
All Envistas come with the Buick Driver Confidence safety package, which includes Automatic Emergency Braking, Lane Keep Assist, Lane Departure Warning, IntelliBeam automatic high beams, and GM’s Rear Vision Camera. Additionally, Lane Change Alert with Side Blind Zone Alert, Adaptive Cruise Control, and Rear Cross Traffic Alert are available.
The 2024 Buick Envista begins production next month and will be available to order this summer. The Envista Preferred starts at $23,495, while the ST trim jumps to $25,195, and the Avenir costs $29,695 to start.
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