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2013 Buick Encore

City, Slicker
We admit it. We have no earthly idea how this whole thing is going to shake out.
Typically, after driving a new car or truck, we come away prepared to hazard a guess as to whether said model has a good chance of being a sales success. We've amassed enough time watching the industry, scrutinizing the competitors, and so on, to make a reasonably educated bet. Yet here we are, days removed from driving the new 2013 Buick Encore, and we still have no bloody idea.

Buick's new logo ditches the ring, levels the shields

Buick's logo is about to receive a relatively major update. The new-look emblem appeared in a trademark filing in March 2022, and a leaked image posted on social media has given us a better look at the design that should appear on production cars in the not-too-distant future. Published on Instagram by an account called Buick_Saudi_Arabia, the photo shows what seems to be Buick's new logo on the middle of a steering wheel. The changes made aren't groundbreaking, but they're certainly noticeable. The ring is gone, and the red, white, and blue shields are separated from each other and positioned on the same level. As of writing, the shields are staggered and surrounded by a ring.           View this post on Instagram                       A post shared by Buick Saudi Arabia (@buick_saudi_arabia) One question that comes to mind is: why now? Buick has used its current logo for decades without significantly updating it, so what prompted the company to give the design a makeover? Several factors undoubtedly influenced this decision, but one that's worth shining light on is that the brand is no longer twinned with Germany-based Opel. For many years, some Opel-designed models made their way to the United States with Buick emblems on both ends. No one in Europe has heard of a Buick Regal; folks there know the sedan as the Opel Insignia. And, since the visual differences between these cars were often minor, using a Buick logo whose basic silhouette was similar to Opel's logo simplified the design process. Neatly integrating, say, Chevrolet's bowtie-shaped emblem into the Insignia's grille would have been harder, though more improbable acts of badge-engineering have been committed (the Ford Maverick was once a Nissan). General Motors sold Opel to PSA Peugeot-Citroen in 2017, and both carmakers are now part of Stellantis, so Buick's trans-Atlantic design ties have been cut. Losing the Opel connection gives Buick's design team more leeway to experiment with new ideas, like a revamped logo. Keep in mind that nothing is official yet. Full details and an explanation of what the new logo means should emerge soon. Why the shields? Buick isn't rooted in sword-fighting, so why have shields appeared on its cars for over 60 years? The answer, according to Buick, is relatively vague. What's certain is that the tri-shield logo didn't appear on Buick's early cars.

2024 Buick Envision reportedly delayed, stripped of Super Cruise

It appears the Chevrolet Traverse isn't the only GM product trying to climb out of production hell. Remember, Chevy had to delay the start of production for the all-new third-generation 2024 Traverse, leading to the second-gen 2023 model carrying over for a brief spell as the Traverse Limited until the all-new SUV comes off the line in real numbers. According to GM Authority, Buick is in similar straits with the 2024 Envision. The automaker showcased a range of subtle cosmetic updates and some tech enhancements for the SUV over the summer, providing enough detail to be a little more than a tease, a little less than a debut. At that time, the 2024 Envision was meant to be on sale before the end of this year. Now GMA says the market launch for the 2024 Envision has been pushed back to late 2024 for as-yet-unknown reasons. This timeline marks the third delay. Just one month after the June reveal online, GMA wrote that the original October date for the start of production had been moved to December 11. Dealers began submitting orders at the end of September in anticipation of October production. Sometime after the October deadline passed, a November update claimed production would commence in the first quarter of 2024. We imagine the late 2024 date could move again, perhaps forward; that's a year out, it's possible GM gets good news before then. What's more, GMA also reports the 2024 Envision won't come with Super Cruise. This was going to be the first Buick with GM's hands-off driving feature, but again, for undisclosed reasons, plans have changed.  What we're pretty sure we can expect whenever the refreshed Envision arrives is a new front end with a bigger grille positioned lower on the front fascia, bright trim, and the new Buick emblem on the hood. The headlights are now integrated into the bumper, LED daytime running lights replace the outgoing Envision's headlights. The revamped look brings the Envision in line with other recent additions to the Buick range, like the Encore. Because Buick released a single photo for the summer reveal, we still have no idea what the Envision's back end and interior look like. The change in plans could mean a reworked trim lineup for the holdover. According to early figures from Autodata, the 2024 Envision will only come in three all-wheel-drive trims, Preferred, Sport Touring, and Avenir. This change would eliminate all the front-wheel-drive trims available in 2023 across the Preferred, Essence, and Avenir trims.