There’s a bit of mystery surrounding the extensive exterior refresh coming to the Buick Encore GX. Thanks to a series of new spy photos, we also get a good look at the updated SUV’s interior fully exposed.
The GX will get a substantial refresh for front seat passengers. The completely new dashboard features a large, single-piece display, mounted in a floating fashion with two digital displays behind it. The driver’s display seen on the test vehicle is straightforward, featuring a tachometer themed dial with a simple numeric readout for speed. From the perspective of these photos, there doesn’t appear to be any color or animation that is often seen in similar displays.
The same goes for the center infotainment system, where we see a simplified layout that looks like the home screen. One dial is installed between the drivers and the center display, presumably to control the stereo volume level. Touch-sensitive functions are barely visible to the left of the center screen. The ventilation for climate control is now mounted lower on the dash, below the display. Beneath that, a bunch of manual controls for the climate system look identical to those used in the current Encore GX. The center console layout with shift stalk and cupholders also seems to be a stock item.
The revamped interior design looks a lot like the Buick Envista, which recently debuted for the China market and was later confirmed for the US market. The refreshed exterior is also very similar to the Envista, highlighting Buick’s new design language with narrow daytime running lights at the top and lower-mounted headlights in faux corner vents. Front and center is the new Buick badge which features the brand’s iconic shield, but is no longer encased in a halo.
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So far we haven’t heard anything about a powertrain update for the facelifted SUV. Currently, the Encore GX is available with a pair of turbocharged three-cylinder engines, driving either the front or all four wheels with up to 155 horsepower.
The Encore GX is already making its debut in China, and Buick seems to have no interest in hiding a test vehicle in the US. As such, an official debut is likely imminent, possibly in the first quarter of 2023 as a 2024 model.
