TTAC readers asked us, “How small is the Encore?” This six-foot-two talking head should offer some scale. It’s a very small vehicle. For more on-floor photos, and a few tidbits from the press conference, click the jump.
Mary Barra’s opening speech for the Encore — let’s call it a Prelude To The Encore — was heavy on the China. Good news in China! The Chinese people love Buick! China! China! It was like reading TTAC on a day when I’m too hung over to post and Bertel is doing all the stories.
The Encore has 49 cubic feet of space with everything folded except the front passenger seat. That folds flat so you can put your laptop on it. Nifty. The Encore will feature basically the same shit SYNC did four years ago an amazing new suite of features that lets you listen to Pandora through Bluetooth. The interior was promised to be positively Electra-ic but in the plastic it’s more LaCrosse-esque.
The overwhelming impression? The car is simply too small, and too oddly proportioned, to make any headway in this market. If the Verano was a platform share too far, the Encore is worse. In China, it will no doubt be a hit; here in the States, it doesn’t make much sense. The idea of a sensibly sized luxury car always appeals, but in this case the execution is a lot less MINI and a lot more SAIC.
In China, it will no doubt be a hit; here in the States, it doesn’t make much sense.
Better bookmark that sentence, Jack, you’re going to be typing it a lot in reference to GM.
You mean macro it, since he’s writing the stories.
Good grief – it is the Opel Antara/Saturn VUE.
They sunk the money to revise it, so without Saturn here in the US and without much future for Opel, I guess the only place to put it was with Buick.
But as a Buick – this thing isn’t attractive enough to offset it’s size limitations. Expensive small cars don’t look this cheesy and cheap.
GM is just trying to get some money back after investing in it.
The Antara/Vue are/were based on the Theta platform. The Encore is based on the smaller Gamma II platform.
So, this is Kia Soul or Suzuki SX4 Sportback territory?
I agree with the consensus that the exterior styling is funky, especially for a Buick.
They did give it a class leading interior, IMO, which cribs heavily off the Buick Regal (Opel Insignia) dash and interior trim.
Its Achilles heel is that women drive the small and mid-sized CUV market, and this doesn’t have the heft and aggression that women typically associate with safety & security. It would need a wider stance, fatter wheels, small, armored-Humvee styled portals for windows, and aggressive front grille, and a quad exhaust to get women to think they’d be impervious to the world’s dangers while stopped at a red light, to strike that emotion.
So… A Toyota Matrix with more chrome bits?
Even cargo volume is near identical.
Take out the ‘luxury’ items and sell it for what it is – a light utility wagon – and it will sell.
The Benz B Class never sold that well, did they?
Has to be smaller than a Matrix. Back in 2005 when I seriously downsizing and looking for a gas sipping commuter car with some utility I looked at both the Matrix and the Vibe cousin (not twins really as they were built in different factories). At 6’1″ tall I could get into a suitable driving position with room left over behind me for another person to sit and still have cargo room.
I’ll be surprised if the Sonic 5-door is Matrix/Vibe sized in height, width, and length.
Maybe GM felt the need for a sub-compact in the same genre as the Honda Fit or as suggested BMW’s MINI brand.
As a whole, the bulbous front end, narrow chassis width and cheapish window treatment makes this Encore look dated.
Its rather high window belt line, which sweeps upwards and those chunky B-pillars will make for a cave-like interior, if little folk happen to be sitting in the back seat.
I think it looks OK. The bulbous nose mentioned here is a current Buick affectation, its OK to look at. I am not a fan of high belt lines tho, i find they impedes visability.But they are everywhere it seems. The interior looks awesome.
it looks like it’s leering at me.
So it’s an upscale Vibe. Nothing wrong with that. I like my Matrix and wouldn’t mind looking at an Encore in 5 years time when I replace my Matrix.
I still like it…
When everyone said the spy/Facepage photos made it look like a Vibe/Matrix I couldn’t believe it would be *that* small, but now that we have the real deal… they were right! Is this for people that think a CUV is too big? What shall we call this trend? SCUV (Super Compact Utility Vehicle). The ride height/seating position of an SUV but without the fuel mileage penalty? Women might go for such an offering.
I propose “TUV” for tiny utility vehicle.
Are the seats comfortable? That’s all you really need to know, for that will either attract or repel Buick customers.
I have a feeling the naysayers just might be wrong about this vehicle. If I’m wrong…well, I’m used to it.
For my money, I’d buy an Enclave in a heartbeat if I could afford to feed it and if I had a short commute. In brown, please. Does the Encore come in that brown color? Hmmm…
Sad, but few if any of these new/concept vehicles will show up next month at our auto show. I’d like a closer look at many of them.
“It was like reading TTAC on a day when I’m too hung over to post and Bertel is doing all the stories.”
I laughed… there are definitely days I check the RSS feed for TTAC and wonder if I haven’t stumbled upon a Chinese news site
Fugly, and irrelevant to the U.S. market.
Profitable world-wide, but an epic fail in the good ‘ol U.S. of A.
Interesting prediction. Here’s mine:
It will sell, both here and in China (though better in China).
As for fugly, it doesn’t hold a candle to the Juke, in my opinion.
And I like the Juke because it’s fugly.
The automotive equivalent of a Pug.
Hey, isn’t that James Riswick from Edmund’s IL?
Looks like.
A BUICK FOR EVERY PURPOSE AND PURSE! (Remind me why we killed Pontiac again?)
I was going to say this makes more sense as a Chevy, but between the Spark, Sonic 5-door, upcoming Cruze hatch, and Equinox, perhaps Chevy has enough hatchbacks for now.
Cruze Hatch? I didn’t think that was going to be sold in North America – Which is sad as it’s excluded from my shopping list because of this!
Haven’t tachometers numbered in the 10s of 100s of RPM gone the way of the doto bird? If not, shouldn’t they have?
The Buicklet.
The Buick Roadwhippet.
The folding front passenger seat is a la my Vibe, too. I always thought they should have continued it in some fashion, but this is guaranteed to be over-priced in comparison. It’s aimed at a different market than Matrix, too. It might sell, but I think in limited numbers in the US.
I think that GM should be applauded for making a sensible size AWD vehicle. Not too many in the (US) market. Now, produce it in Chevy clothing and stick a bowtie and a sensible price to it and it could be a success, at least in the north 1/3 of the US and in Canada.
“If the Verano was a platform share too far, the Encore is worse.”
–It’s kind of bizarre to think that BUICK, of all domestic brands, is the one dipping its historically pudgy toes into the “premium” small vehicle segment. As other readers have commented, is the Encore (& Verano) the answer to a question nobody asked?
Oh–ANd thanks for providing the photos with a person for scale. Although I did ask for a fat American, heh.
I’ve been to europe… there are plenty of fat people there. Not so many in the middle east or Asia.
The crampt & low riding Infiniti EX35/7 is not moving product. The Maxi-Mini seems to find homes as of now. Audi Q3 is not here yet & BMW X1 has not crossed over from Canada. At the lower end of the SUV market Suzuki SX-4 does not move much and Jeep sales are on/off with the non-twins. Nissan Juke & Mitsubishi Outlander Sport sales are great and they are all over. VW seems to move Tiguans in NJ/NY.
So are there going to be takers on this Buick? We will see. It is in the same showroom with the GMC Terrain with a size that fits between the Buick SUV’s.
OK, I’m no GM hater, I continue to hope they do well, but I, for going on years and years now still have NO idea what the heck Buick is about.
Chevy, mainstream. Fine.
GMC, yeah, OK, little confusing as well, but I get the professional truck thing and the image and it sells well.
Cadillac, in your face, top tech, big power, pure American.
But Buick? I thought they had a chance in that Cadillac could be BMW or Mercedes like while Buick could go more for Lexus or Infiniti maybe. Something like this. Premium, but instead of focus on brash and sport, go round/soft, classy, and comfy. A balance to Cadillac.
But I don’t get it. For every car like the LaCrosse or even possibly the Regal or the Enclave, that seem to make at least a bit of sense, they throw something like this or the Verano. Cars that start at a hair over $20,000 with boring engines for Chevys, or ridiculous hot-rod engines for the Regal. Sure they look good, but I can’t figure this out? Its premium but not. It is entry to mid level but not. Frugal but not. Basic but not.
And if they just want to be stylish cars covering a range from basic to low/mid/entry luxury, why on earth do they not just make Chevy’s like this?
I don’t get it. And I’m a car nut. I imagine everyone else is even more confused (or they don’t care, see a “ooo that is a nice looking car” and go to the Buick dealer where they are shocked they can get a nice looking buick for $22,000).
I just have a feeling that people who choose their cars want their brands to mean SOMETHING, even remotely consistent. For those that don’t give 2 beans about what they drive, they go to the Chevy/Honda/Ford/Toyota dealership anyway.
I just don’t understand it. I can never figure it out. I don’t even think GM knows. Even after all this brand mess from pre 2008 they still can’t make sense of anything.
And don’t get me started on the logic of GM engine choices either (see SRX or Cruze or Equinox or or or…)
I completely agree with everything you said. Buick should be essentially a first gen Lexus LS. Smooth, Refined, Quiet, Powerful and Comfortable. It should not be floaty and it shouldn’t be a 4 or 6 Cylinder.
The problem with being a car guy is, it’s impossible to imagine life without a head full of car knowledge. Psychologists have known for years that once you know something, it’s impossible to not know it.
People care about car brands, but in a totally different way than we do. “Hyundai” is still a bad word among anybody with decent money to spend. Chevy is still crap. BMW is undeservedly aspirational, just like Bose.
So yeah, your thoughts on car brands mean something to car guys, but that doesn’t explain the Skylark which did pretty well or even the GNX. It’s time for us to admit that we’re armchair analysts and most of our conclusions are overinformed. Time will have to tell about the Encore, and whether it achieves whatever goal is set for it.
“Sure they look good, but I can’t figure this out? Its premium but not. It is entry to mid level but not. Frugal but not. Basic but not. ”
That sounds like, to my untrained ears, what the Chinese market is about, heh.
Basically Buick is now for cars that don’t fit into Chevy, Cadillac or GMC. Sort of catch all brand. To hell with whatever Buick used to stand for. I think this thing should be called the Un-Buick.
I still think the ute’s greenhouse looks like it’s been installed too far forward. Bizzare proportion.
This just doesn’t fit as a Buick. Too dinky. Would have made a better Chevy. Much as I hate to say it, they should have given Buick an “Enclavized” version of the Terrain/Equinox, instead. What ever happened to the Riveria concept that they did a couple of years ago? Now THAT was a Buick.
From the looks of things, this isn’t really aimed at american consumers, just like the mercedes A or B class cars. It’s going to compete with those vehicles and for that, I think it looks pretty good and I’m guessing the interior materials will be fine.
This is more of a global platform where small is valued more. This will be a success in China, and quite possibly Europe and other places with small roads.
In the USA, it will probably sell to accountants who want something “small and safe” for their kids. Hopefully in small numbers too, the american market just isn’t ready to accept these small cars on a large scale. IE why buy this when you can buy a fusion, or sonata, or optima, or nissan, toyota, honda, subaru for about the same money and get a larger car?
Size matters in the American market and unless this thing turns in insane MPG, it will be overlooked.
I like that we are getting these choices, but very few Americans have compelling reasons to get a smaller vehicle.
The Buick glitter sure looks odd in such a small, narrow interior. It’s like a Lexus did a Yaris. And the 1.4T Four and the upshift-zealous 6AT seem unlikely to give the traditional Buick “waft” in traffic.
It’ll be interesting to see what consumers make of this one.
That should be “like Lexus did a Yaris.” Crossbreeding remark unintended.
It’s official then. I’m “that guy” that doesn’t obey the TTAC talking heads, ’cause I like this little Buick.
It kind of reminds me of a Juke with a nice interior. That said, I probably won’t buy one.
How many GM homers on this site would be scoffing at the Encore if it were a Lexus?
This vehicle would have made sense as a Chevy, but as a Buick its unfathomably stupid. GM wants Buick to be more premium and more youthful, but this just looks cheap and stodgy.
Further proof that GM hasn’t learned its lesson. Badge-engineering aside, there’s so much wrong with this that I don’t know where to start. Yes, the interior “looks nice,” but it’s just so much lipstick on this too-short, too-tall, bulbous monstrosity. What are you guys smoking in the RenCen anyway? Get the guys who green-lighted this pig into rehab as soon as possible before they sin again!