Only three years after its introduction, Buick is giving the Envision crossover a mid-cycle refresh for the 2019 model year. According to Buick, the changes come as a direct response to customer feedback. These include heated seats that work more quickly, a defeat button for the auto stop/start system and updated wireless charging for devices like the iPhone 8 and iPhone X. Other changes, however, are typical of a refresh, like the reworked exterior styling and upgraded powertrain.

Best of all, Buick is dropping the price on all five trim levels by roughly $1,000.

“The Envision brings a tremendous growth opportunity for the Buick brand,” said Sam Russell, Buick marketing director. “The new pricing strategy not only puts the Envision in the heart of the industry’s largest segment but also better positions it in relation to Encore, our top-selling nameplate.”

Buick has already seen impressive sales from the Envision. It sold over 55,000 examples for the 2017 model year in the U.S. alone. Canada adds another 4,000. Those figures pale in comparison to China’s sales figures, where the Envision sold more than 236,000 examples in 2017 and 275,000 in 2016. That makes sense considering Buick designed the Envision for the Chinese market and assembles the crossover in GM’s Shandong assembly plant. Yes, even U.S.-spec Envisions are built in China.

Continue reading for more information.

2019 Buick Envision

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2019 Buick Envision
  • Engine/Motor: inline-4
  • Horsepower: 197
  • Torque: 192
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Pros
Cons

2019 Buick Envision Exterior

- Updated front fascia - LED lighting now standard on all trims - Bi-functional LED headlights standard on 2.0 Turbo models - Heavily refreshed rear fascia - New 19-inch wheel option

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Buick has given the 2019 Envision crossover a respectable mid-cycle refresh. The exterior boasts a handful of meaningful changes that should help it stand out in a crowded segment.

Up front, the grille now has Buick’s winged emblem seen across the automaker's lineup. The bumper is modified with a sharpened shape, creating more of an indented lower grille. The fog light surrounds are now more compact, foregoing the chrome trim that previously extended to the lower grille. The lower apron is smoothed out, as well, but with a faux slid plate colored in a satin chrome.

LED headlights are made standard across the trim lineup for 2019. LED daytime running lights give it a distinctive look, too. The two upper trim levels, the Premium and Premium II, come standard with upgraded bi-functional LED headlights.

The biggest changes happen around back. The taillights, liftgate, quarter panels, and bumper are all more aggressive than before. Strong character lines cut into the quarter panels, giving the Envision a more athletic appearance. The thinned-out taillights have LED strips that give it an identifiable signature at night. Down low, the bumper has a new faux diffuser in satin chrome that’s flanked by integrated dual exhaust tips in chrome.

Lastly, the optional 19-inch wheels have a new design that helps separate the 2019 model from its predecessors.

2019 Buick Envision Interior

- Updated wireless phone charging pad - Upgraded heated seats warm more quickly - Backup camera offers better resolution - Improved hands-free microphone fidelity - New air ionizer purifies HVAC airflow

A quick glance into the 2019 Buick Envision’s five-passenger interior won’t result in a big surprise. Buick didn’t change drastic things like the dashboard’s design or the infotainment system’s screen size. Rather, the changes are in the details.

Users will find the heated seats warm up more quickly and their phone charges more quickly than before. The wireless charging pad uses next-generation technology to charge devices like the iPhone 8 and iPhone X more quickly.

On a phone call, users will have better voice quality thanks to an upgraded microphone for the hands-free calling system. The resolution of the backup camera is also improved. Upper trim levels can still get the handy 360-degree camera system, too.

Last but not least, the Envision now has an air ionizer that purifies outside air before it comes into the cabin. Perhaps considered a novelty in North America, customers in China see it more as a need due to the air pollution most metropolitan areas.

The 2019 Envision continues to come standard with an 8.0-inch infotainment screen running software based on GM’s MyLink, IntelliLink, and CUE systems. It offers 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. Unlimited data plans cost only $20 per month through AT&T for the Wi-Fi hotspot.

Buick also made switching between the Adaptive Cruise Control and conventional cruise control simpler.

2019 Buick Envision Drivetrain

- 2.5-liter four-cylinder carries over - Updated 2.0-liter turbo with more torque - New nine-speed auto with 2.0-Liter - Available AWD, standard FWD - New auto stop/star defeat button

Buick’s updates for the 2019 Envision continue under the hood. The optional 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder now comes with a nine-speed automatic transmission that replaces the six-speed auto. Accompanying the new gearbox is 35 pound-feet more torque, bringing the total to 295 pound-feet. Horsepower remains at 252.

The standard 2.5-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder carries over unchanged with 197 horsepower and 192 pound-feet of torque. It mates to a six-speed automatic transmission and powers the front wheels. AWD is available.

Along with the updates, Buick now includes a defeat button for the auto stop/start system, allowing the driver to turn the system off. When active, the system automatically turns the engine off when the vehicle is stationary. Releasing the brake pedal instantly restarts the engine. While designed to save fuel, some (us included) feel auto stop/start systems are annoying.

As for fuel economy, don’t expect any changes to the standard 2.5-liter’s performance. It is EPA-estimated to get 22 mpg city and 29 mpg highway in FWD form. The updated 2.0-liter turbo and nine-speed automatic should return better fuel economy than before, which was rated at 20 mpg city and 26 mpg combined in AWD form.

2019 Buick Envision Safety

Not many changes in the safety department. The Envision is already brimming with active and passive safety equipment including available adaptive cruise control, Forward Automatic Braking, Lane Change Alert, Blind Spot Monitoring, GM’s Safety Alert Seat, Rear Seat Reminder, a 360-degree camera system, and Rear Park Assist.

Passive safety features include dual front airbags, side curtain airbags, and knee airbags for a total of 10. And new for 2019 and new to Buick is Tire Fill Alert, which lets the driver know when a tire is at the proper pressure when during filling.

2019 Buick Envision Prices

The 2019 Envision is offered in five trim levels – the base Envision, Preferred, Essence, Premium, and Premium II. Prices start at $32,990, which is roughly $1,000 less than the 2018 model. The Preferred trim starts at $34,495, the Essence starts at $36,795, the Premium starts at $41,695, and the Premium II starts at $44,595. Of course, optional equipment and features, taxes, fees, and other costs aren’t factored into those prices.

2019 Buick Envision Competition

2019 Acura RDX

Acura is giving its compact RDX a major generational update for 2019. The new two-row crossover wears Acura’s updates corporate design language, which is far sportier than anything in the automaker’s past. Finally gone is the ugly “beak” grille, replaced with a six-sided grille with a massive Acura logo. Sharp creases and strong character lines continue from bumper to bumper.

Inside, the 2019 RDX has a high-tech cabin with seating for five. The center console rises high off the floor and houses Acura’s push-button transmission controls and a large center knob for the Dynamic Mode system with its several drive modes.

Under the hood, the RDX comes with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. Official specs haven’t been released as of this writing, but we’re expecting the same 252 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque ponied up by the Honda Accord. Acura’s SH-AWD all-wheel drive will make the new RDX handle any weather condition.

Pricing should start around $36,000.

Read our full review on the 2019 Acura RDX.

2019 Lincoln Nautilus

Lincoln is slowly revamping its lineup with high-end models like the Continental and Navigator. However, the latest change is the Nautilus. It’s basically a rebadged MKX with a heavy refresh. Don’t think about it that way, though, as the Nautilus is directly targeted at the compact luxury crossover segment with a laser focus. Its classy design extends from the outside to the inside, with a beautifully done cabin fitted with rich materials.

Power comes from two available engines – a 2.0-liter EcoBoost good for 245 horsepower and a 2.7-liter EcoBoost V-6 kicking out an impressive 335 horsepower. Both engines are backed by an eight-speed automatic transmission that turns the front wheels. AWD is optional.

Pricing for the 2019 Nautilus will likely start around $40,000 seeing as the outgoing MKX started at $39,035 for 2018.

Read our full review on the 2019 Lincoln Nautilus.

Conclusion

The Envision might upset Buick loyalists who view the brand as an all-American ode to style and comfort and whose glory days ended with the Space Race. The modern Buick is becoming respectable thanks to its growing model lineup and its renewed customer-focused attention. While Buick might not be the young family’s choice, the Baby Boomer generation and even older Gen Xers make up a huge portion of the population. Younger folks might scoff at Buick for catering to those groups, but seniors and mid-lifers are the ones with buying power.

Buick’s mild but strategic updates for the 2019 Envision are a perfect example of an automaker conforming to what its customers want. For that, Buick certainly deserved respect.

References

Buick Envision

Read our full review on the 2018 Buick Envision.

Read more Buick news.