In
2016, Buick gave us the Envision. The Envision is the third Buick SUV that fits
nicely in between the Encore and the Enclave. The 2016 Envision is first
vehicle that General Motors has built in China, and soon Cadillac will be
producing the CT6 Plug-In Hybrid in China as well. 2016 was the test year to
see how receptive the market was to a Chinese-made vehicle, and it went over
well, so 2017 they plan on knocking it out of the park.
The first
major change in the 2017 Buick Envision is the price, the base price for 2016
was $42,995, but Buick is slashing that price to a much more manageable base
starting price of $34,990. Buick is giving customers wider selection when it
comes to trim levels as well, five trim levels are now available: base,
Preferred, Essence, Premium I, and Premium II. The lower three trims are new
for 2017.
The
Envision also has the option for two different engines, a 2.5-liter
four-cylinder engine that provides 197 horsepower and a 2.0-liter turbo 4 with
252 horsepower. Both engines come with a six-speed automatic transmission. The 2.0-liter
exclusively ships with all-wheel drive.
2017 also brings Apple CarPlay and Android
Auto compatibility, plus a teen driver feature that's already offered on a
handful of Chevrolet models. The function lets parents keep track of the
distance driven, the maximum speed traveled, how often the driver went above
the speed limit, and the number of times the various driving aids (such as
forward collision alert) turned on. Parents can also set a maximum speed.
Standard
safety includes 10 airbags, safety-belt pretensioners and load-limiters, a
rearview camera and rear park assist. Electronic driver aids are available
including collision warning, rear cross traffic alert, and blind spot and lane
departure warning systems.
