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2024 Buick Envista Cupholder Mega Test: Will the Nalgene bottle fit?

Buick has launched its newest, most-affordable vehicle. The 2024 Buick Envista slots below the Encore GX, starts below $25,000 and is a comfortable and quiet thing. It looks pretty good, too, I think. You can read all about it in my first drive review, and if you have, you've probably been wondering, "Well, what about the cupholders? Will my goofily large water bottle fit?" Despite water being provided on the drive, as you can see from the disposable bottles in the background of these photos, I went through a liter of diet cola from my Nalgene water bottle on the cross-town trek to the event, so it came along for the drive with me. Up front, we've got a pair of cupholders in a fore/aft orientation. They look fairly typical in every way, including size, which doesn't bode well for the 'gene. I could feel the dull disappointment as I lowered the bottle toward the cupholder. Indeed, it doesn't fit.  At first glance, the front door pocket looks like it could work. That little divider is worrisome, though. Adsheartlikins! So close. As you can see in the video further below, after staunchly rejecting the Nalgene, a second attempt shows it'll slip in just a little bit, but not enough to properly hold the thing. The front occupants, it appears, are out of options. But what about the people in the back? There are no cupholders on the back of the center console, nor is there a center armrest to fold down from the seat. Straight to the door pocket it is. The rear door pocket looks like a shortened version of the ones up front. Inauspicious, but we still have to cross our fingers and check it. No surprises here. Just more disappointment. So while the rear passengers can enjoy a healthy amount of legroom, they can't enjoy a more-than-healthy amount of water from their Nalgene unless they hold it or let it roll around on the floor. I still liked the Envista, though. It's worth a look if you want a budget car that doesn't feel cheap. Disclaimer: Autoblog accepts vehicle loans from auto manufacturers with a tank of gas and sometimes insurance for the purpose of evaluation and editorial content. Like most of the auto news industry, we also sometimes accept travel, lodging and event access for vehicle drive and news coverage opportunities. Our opinions and criticism remain our own — we do not accept sponsored editorial.

Buick shows off Wildcat EV in gold, debuts new brand tagline

Buick keeps putting the gorgeous Wildcat EV concept back in front of our faces, and it’s just not fair. GMÂ’s premium brand released a new tagline today, “Exceptional by design,” and the Wildcat EV is the face of the companyÂ’s new motto. Check out the video above to see what all the fuss is about. There are a lot of glamor shots showing beautiful Buicks of the past before it cuts to the also-glamorous Wildcat EV concept. ThereÂ’s even a shot of a slight variation of the Wildcat EV dipped in a flashy orange-gold paint color. GM showed off this version of the Wildcat EV in an Instagram post last year, but now weÂ’re seeing the electric two-door coupe in yet another promotional piece. It differs from the final show car in its grille design, headlights, wheels, badging, color and more. Take a look at the side-by-side comparison below. Of course, Buick doesnÂ’t actually make products nearly as exciting as the Wildcat EV, but it does like to show its Encore GX and Envista sharing some design elements with the Wildcat EVÂ’s front end. A jump cut to those crossovers quickly follows our glimpse of the colorful Wildcat EV, though we canÂ’t help but be a little sad that this is all that will come of the stunning concept. Per usual (at least when we get the chance), we asked Buick if it had any updates or things to share about the Wildcat EV now that itÂ’s trotting this concept out to us in a brand campaign. HereÂ’s what the company had to say in response: "The Wildcat EV concept is still our blueprint for Buick design and youÂ’ll see Wildcat inspiration throughout our lineup, starting with the current Encore GX and Envista, and it will eventually extend to the 24MY Envision and 25MY Enclave. We still donÂ’t have any plans to bring that vehicle into production, itÂ’s strictly a concept." Basically, nothing's changed, and there are still no plans to turn the Wildcat EV into a production car. There wasnÂ’t much in the way of news today from Buick, but we can at least say this latest ad campaign is a clear step up over the “ThatÂ’s not a Buick” commercials seen years ago. Related video:

The Chevrolet Bolt is headed to China as a Buick SUV

When spy photos of what appeared to be Chevrolet Bolt EV with some minor front- and rear-end updates circulated last week, Autoblog surmised that GM was working on some sort of Bolt-based vehicle — potentially a crossover — to be sold in China as a Buick. We may just have corroboration for that theory. On Thursday, Motor1.com spotted a story published earlier this week on the Chinese site Auto Home which claims that GM has applied to sell an all-electric SUV under the Velite 7 nameplate in China.  There's little differentiating the Velite 7's exterior from the Bolt EV's, apart from bumpers, badges, and a little extra ground clearance. Up front, the bowtie is replaced by a round Buick badge, and the bumper picks up an almost Prius-like appearance thanks to contrasting vertical elements and a thin grille bleeding into the head lights to give it a full-width appearance. Chevy Bolt-based prototype View 16 Photos If the Chinese report is accurate, there is one significant difference under the skin. Per the application, the Buick crossover variant is to be powered by a 174-horsepower electric powertrain. That's down 26 horsepower from the Bolt EV's powertrain, and we can't help but think that a lifted Buick variant might just need every pony it can get.  The needs of the Chinese market are unique, and we're certain GM knows what it's doing if these figures are accurate. We have no reason to believe Buick plans to sell the Velite 7 EV here in the States, though we expect an updated Chevy Bolt eventually, and we wouldn't be surprised if Buick brings something along shortly to fill the void left by the departure of the Regal sedan and its variants.  Related Video: