LOS ANGELES — Buick revealed details on engines and features for the brand’s upcoming 2020 Encore GX compact SUV ahead of the auto show here.
Sized between the little Encore and not-quite-so-little Envision, the Encore GX will feature a pair of turbocharged three-cylinder engines.
Three-cylinder engines are rare because they tend to vibrate in a way that translates to the feel of a rough, shaky ride … a challenge for a brand like Buick that prides itself on calm, quiet interiors.
Another unusual feature will be adaptive cruise control based on digital cameras instead of the usual radar.
The GX will offer plenty of driver assistance features:
- Forward collision alert and emergency braking
- Pedestrian detection and braking
- Lane departure alert and assist
- Automatic headlights
- Blind spot alert
- Rear camera mirror
- Power tailgate
- Surround vision cameras
The interior will offer 94.3 cubic feet of passenger space, and 25.3 cubic feet of cargo room, nestling it between the Encore and Envision.
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Power will come from a 1.2L engine that produces 137 horsepower and 163 pound-feet of torque, or a 1.3L generating 155 hp and 174 pound-feet. Both engines are linked to a continuously variable transmission.
Buick expects combined city/highway fuel economy of 31 mpg with the smaller engine.
The Los Angeles auto show is open to the public Nov. 22-Dec. 1 at the convention center in downtown Los Angeles.
Contact Mark Phelan at 222-6731 or mmphelan@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mark_phelan. Read more on autos and sign up for our autos newsletter.
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