2018 Buick Enclave Price, Design, Pictures, Engine, Interior

2018 Buick Enclave Introduction – The Enclave is a large seven-seat crossover which is currently one of the largest in its class. Even though it is not the most efficient, the car sold quite well, and it allowed GM to keep it afloat for a few more years than it was planned.

However, it is time for an update and not that long ago the first prototype has been spied testing wearing enough camouflage, so all the major design traits remained hidden. However, even though GM hasn’t said a word about it, the new 2018 Buick Enclave is going to use the same C1XX platform as the Acadia or the Traverse.

2018 Buick Enclave Price and Chassis

The car will be built on the stretched chassis of the Acadia which will also underpin the Traverse. With the new platform, it is expected to lose more than 300 pounds which should allow it to become quite a bit better to drive than before. On top of that weight loss, the Buick Enclave 2018 is expected to be moved upmarket to compete with cars like the XC90. This rather interesting move means that it will also become more expensive than before. A starting price of around $45,000 should not take anyone by surprise. This move would allow the car to be a better competitor on the Chinese market where the rivalry is a lot more fierce than in the US.

Exterior

The design of the 2018 Buick Enclave is going to change completely over what is currently available. Even though most of these are not official just yet, taking into consideration its rivals and siblings, it is safe to assume that the new Enclave will be around 200 inches in length. This will allow it to retain its seven-seat configuration as standard. On top of that, it means it will offer a more imposing look than the smaller Acadia. In the front, the prototype seems to feature Buick’s current corporate grille but different headlights with LED DRLs included in them. The back is unfortunately completely hidden but it seems that it may offer a sportier take on the crossover look than some of its rivals. It is also a real possibility that the car will be sold in Europe under the Opel/Vauxhall brand. Here it should offer a slightly different front end, but that should be it.

Interior of Buick Enclave 2018

We expect to see here the latest IntelliLink infotainment system as well as an improved set of safety features. Standard equipment will likely include triple-zone automatic climate control, lane-keep assist, forward collision warning and automatic braking and also an automatic braking system.

Engine

The Acadia has been released with two different engine options and this might be the case with the 2018 Buick Enclave as well. However, the base engine for this will very likely be the updated 3.6 liters naturally aspirated LGX V6. This is known to offer 310 horsepower and more than 280 lb-ft of torque in the XT5, and it might be offered in the same configuration here as well. A 3 liter twin-turbocharged V6 is also a real possibility now, especially when the Enclave will be a higher end vehicle. This engine will make 400 horsepower, and 400 lb-ft of torque in the CT6 and it should be quite close in the Enclave. At this point, it still is unclear what transmission the car will use. If GM’s new nine-speed automatic for front wheel drive applications won’t be ready, we suspect their eight-speed unit will be installed. While front wheel drive will be standard on the base model, the more powerful version should only be available in all wheel drive guise due to the massive amount of torque the 3-liter engine will provide.