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2018 Buick Enclave First Drive Review | Fortress of quietude

ATLANTA, Ga. — The 2018 Enclave is part of Buick's effort to reinvigorate its brand, positioning itself as a maker of "attainable luxury" vehicles. That means a total redesign, a number of safety and technology upgrades, and the introduction of the Avenir sub-brand (think of that last one as sort of the Denali of Buick). It also means more space and more luxury. With this in mind, we traveled to Atlanta to get to know the new Enclave, both in the city and on a long drive through the Blue Ridge Mountains into North Carolina. Our first impressions of the new Enclave came not from the driver's seat, but from a captain's chair in the second row (which is the traditional seating arrangement for a true captain, of course). We were riding from the Atlanta airport to a studio to learn more about the vehicle. That very first impression was, "Wow, this interior is really nice." The leather upon which we sat was soft, smooth to the touch, and interesting in its shapeliness. Looking around the cabin, we saw a lot of gentle curves and thoughtful accents that made the inside of the Enclave feel downright premium. It was a fresh and airy sense of taste though, and definitely not the seasoned wood-and-whiskey stodginess one might expect from the Buick name. Our second impression: "Boy, it's quiet in here." Heading toward downtown Atlanta on the freeway, we were unable to pick up wind noise, and only just a smidge of road noise as the Enclave trundled over the occasional rough patch of pavement. This is, of course, completely intentional on the part of Buick. The windshield and front windows use acoustic glass. The doors are triple sealed for a tighter, quieter fit when closed. Buick has insulated the Enclave with more sound deadening and included active noise cancellation. "Our goal is to make it as social as possible," said Dean Perelli, chief engineer for the Enclave. And social it is. It is easy to carry on conversation across the Enclave's three roomy rows. When we got out of the Enclave, we had a chance to take it in from the outside. It features attractive, wing-like lighting front and rear. The front signature lighting uses technology called "Evonik Acrylite," (a mouthful, even for the engineers) which is a polycarbonate material arranged in a dazzling, faceted and delicate array. The paint finishes we saw were attractive, with depth.

2018 Buick Enclave launches luxury Avenir trim

Remember the shapely Buick Avenir Concept from the 2015 Detroit Auto Show? Well, this isn't that, even if they both share the same name. Meet the Buick Enclave Avenir, a new trim built atop Buick's redesigned 2018 Enclave seven-passenger crossover. Think of it as Buick's version of GMC's Denali trim and you'll be on the right track. As the brand's new top trim level, everything that's normally optional in the Enclave comes standard in the Avenir, along with a bunch of exclusive content. And this is just the first application of the Avenir package for Buick – expect the rest of the TriShield brand's products to get a similar makeover in due time. All Avenir models from Buick will get what the brand is calling a three-dimensional mesh grille with a new set of chrome wings. From there, the Enclave edition bundles unique pearl nickel 20-inch wheels, a Rear Camera Mirror like the one seen from Cadillac, and a new kind of LED headlamps that use something called Evonik Acrylite lighting technology. An in-car air ionizer promises to keep the cabin smelling fresh. The rest of the Enclave package sounds pretty good, too. It's got a standard 3.6-liter V6 engine with 302 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque, mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission. Front-wheel drive is standard, and all-wheel drive is optional. A tow rating of 5,000 pounds is standard fare for this class, as are seven seats inside. A frameless eight-inch LCD screen and integrated 4G wireless connectivity are other family-friendly highlights. We expect more Avenir-branded models to make their appearance in the Buick showroom soon. In the meantime, check out the Enclave Avenir in the image gallery above, and stay tuned for more from New York. Related Video:

Buick to add more GS models?

Buick may not be the first name that comes to mind when you think of performance automobiles, but fans of the brand know what letters to look for. If you believe the reports, there's a new GNX and Grand National on the way, but in the meantime, Buick may offer more GS models to fill the void.
Currently, the Regal is the only model available as a GS (pictured above), packing the same 259-horsepower turbo four as the Regal Turbo but enhanced with key suspension, brakes and rolling-stock upgrades. As Car and Driver notes, similar upgrades could easily be applied to the Verano and LaCrosse, although maybe not the Encore or Enclave crossovers. Of course, Buick would still have to steer clear of Cadillac's Vsport line, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have a little room to play.