2013 Buick Enclave
Buick brought their A-team to the Buick Enclave ride and drive, Michael Burton, interior designer, talked about which cars they benchmarked for the new Buick Enclave. Phil Zak, design director, exterior crossovers, and Jill Dennis, lead development engineer for Buick.
Each talked to www.drivingthenation.com about the part of the car that their team worked on, and the value it brought to the car.
According to Buick, new for 2013:
Exterior enhancements including body-color front and rear fascias and rocker moldings, new hood, fenders, front grille, LED daytime running lamps, headlamps, chrome bodyside moldings, LED taillamps and 19- and 20-inch wheels
Interior enhancements including the new instrument panel and door trim with real stitching and ambient lighting, new climate controls
Updated six-speed electronically-controlled automatic transmission with overdrive
New suspension technology for a smoother, more controlled driving experience
Industry-first front center side airbag to help protect drivers and front passengers in far-side impact crashes
Standard rear vision camera system and available Side Blind Zone Alert with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert
Available eight-way power front passenger seat adjuster
Front-row four-way adjustable head restraints
Dual-outlet stainless steel exhaust with bright outlets integrated into the fascia
Premium audio system with AM/FM/HD and SiriusXM Radio (with three months of service), Bluetooth, USB port, CD player, auxiliary input jack, steering wheel-mounted controls, Buick IntelliLink seven-inch color touch-screen radio
Available color touch radios with DVD and navigation
Exterior colors: Mocha Bronze Metallic, Champagne Silver Metallic, Atlantis Blue Metallic, Iridium Metallic
Choccochino leather and Cocoa leather color combinations
Revised look to OnStar buttons
Enclave is designed to comfortably accommodate three rows of adults and provides more third-row-seat legroom than the Infiniti JX, Acura MDX, Lincoln MKT, Audi Q7, and Volvo XC90. The key competitors are, Acura MDX, Lexus RX350, and Volvo XC90, Audi Q7
Enclave is offered in both front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive configurations. The trim levels are Convenience (1SD), Leather (1SL) and Premium (1SN). Enclave is powered by an efficient, direct-injected 3.6L V-6 that delivers an EPA-estimated 24 mpg on the highway (FWD models) and an updated six-speed automatic transmission that contributes to a more refined driving experience. Horsepower (hp / kW) @ rpm is 288 / 215 @ 6300, and Torque (lb-ft / Nm) @ rpm is 270 / 366 @ 3400.
The suggested retail price of $39,270 including an $825 destination charge. EPA fuel economy (city / hwy):17 / 24 (FWD)
16 / 22 (AWD)
