Hot-Selling Buick Envision Receiving Minor Refresh For 2019

The updated Chinese-built crossover will debut late next month in the Big Apple.

It’s only been on sale in the US for a year and a half and already the Buick Envision mid-size crossover is due for a refresh. Automotive News managed to get a sneak peak at the updated Envision prior to its unveiling late next month at the New York Auto Show and the changes, from the outside, appear to be fairly subtle. The front and rear fascias have received a minor nip-tuck, with Buick’s new winged emblem front and center in the grille while the fog lights and bumper have also been slightly reworked. LED headlights will also be optional.

The rear liftgate, however, has a more significant styling change along with redesigned taillights. The exhaust tips, previously oval-shaped, are now rectangular. Despite the exterior updates, the interior remains untouched, except for a new feature that can disable the start-stop system. What will not be changing is where the Envision is built – China. It will continue to be imported to the US from China. The Envision is an important model for Buick in crossover loving USA these days. It sits smack dab in between the Encore and Enclave in the crossover lineup, and all three continue to sell extremely well. For example, of Buick’s current eight-model US lineup, these three crossovers are its top three sellers.

The Envision comes in at number three. The most significant mechanical update appears to be a new nine-speed automatic transmission that’ll preplace the current six-speed slushbox. Buick has not yet released official photos of the ’19 Envision, but the ones featured here come courtesy from GM’s Chinese media site. The US market version likely won’t look much different, if any changes at all.

GM Responds To Tariffs That Could Stall Envision, CT6 Plug-In Imports

GM is caught in the middle of Trump's trade war.

General Motors has to deal with new tariffs on cars it imports into the United States from China after Robert Lighthizer, US trade representative, announced a new batch of trade measures, highlighted by a 25-percent tariff on Chinese-made cars. The move doesn’t affect any of China’s domestic auto companies because none of them actually sell cars in North America. In fact, it’s probably going to end that little experiment before it even begins. General Motors, however, will be affected.

Two models, the Cadillac CT6 Plug-In Hybrid and the Buick Envision crossover, are built in the People’s Republic and shipped to America. Both will now face a new 25-percent tariff, matching China’s penalty on US built vehicles. As a result, both will see their base prices increase by several thousand dollars. The old tariff was 2.5 percent. “We continue to believe both countries value a vibrant auto industry and understand the interdependence between the world’s two largest automotive markets,” the company said in a statement. “We support a positive trade relationship between the US and China, and urge both countries to continue to engage in constructive dialogue and pursue sustainable trade policies.”

In 2017, GM imported 29,878 Envisions into the US from China, accounting for 17 percent of Buick’s total sales. Crosstown rivals Ford also released a statement encouraging the two nations to hold more constructive discussions as the automaker plans to import the 2019 Focus from China—if it doesn’t kill the model altogether.