Buick unveils the ’25 Enclave large CUV, featuring many of the same updates revealed in the refreshed midsize ’24 Envision, including the brand’s new “Pure” design language outside and a widescreen digital display screen inside.
But where the Envision leaves off, the Enclave is just getting started, adding General Motors’ hands-free Super Cruise driver-assistance technology along with a standard 2.5L turbocharged 4-cyl., replacing V-6 power in the 3-row utility vehicle.
Sharing its platform with the ’24 Chevrolet Traverse and ’24 GMC Acadia, the new Enclave is longer, wider and taller than its predecessor.
The new powertrain delivers 328 hp and 326 lb.-ft. (442 Nm) of torque via an 8-speed automatic transmission. Front- or all-wheel-drive is available. Power is up from the previous generation’s 3.6L V-6, which produced 310 hp and 266 lb.-ft. (361 Nm) of torque.
“With the launch of our Buick Enclave flagship SUV, our ICE portfolio is now complete with a full lineup of completely refreshed or all-new vehicles,” says Duncan Aldred, global vice president for Buick and GMC.
Applying the design cues derived from the Wildcat EV, the Enclave gets a new face featuring a taller, wider and downswept grille mouth, prominent LED headlights and winged lighting accents, along with the new Buick tri-shield now flush-mounted on the hood. Rear styling includes cross-car LED taillights.
Inside, the Enclave’s dominant feature is its horizontal, driver-focused 30-in. (76-cm) combination instrument cluster and infotainment screen (pictured, below). While the native infotainment system is Google-based, the vehicle does support wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay functionality. The center console eschews the previous button-based shifter for a column-mounted stalk.
One significant user-experience highlight is the standard proximity-sensing liftgate, which replaces the previous and hard-to-activate foot sensor. When the key fob is within close range of the liftgate, the vehicle notifies via beeps and lighting that it is preparing to open. The operation is canceled if the key fob holder steps back from the rear of the vehicle.
Super Cruise, expanding to hands-free operation on more than 750,000 miles (1.1 million km) of limited-access highways in the U.S. and Canada, including some two-lane roads, is introduced to the brand on the Enclave.
In keeping with the brand strategy for sister models, Enclave comes in three trims: Preferred, Sport Touring (previously a package, now a standalone trim level) and the luxury-level Avenir.
While Buick is on a roll with product and sales momentum, the Enclave’s 39,411 sales in 2023 pale compared to its stablemate Traverse’s 123,555 units, which ranks second to the segment-leading Toyota Grand Highlander, according to Wards Intelligence data.
Built at GM’s Lansing Delta Township (MI) plants, the Enclave goes on sale in late summer.
