2008 Buick Enclave
Crossover SUV
Will this new SUV replenish Buick's
appeal?
December 12, 2006
The all-new 2008 Enclave crossover SUV was unveiled
at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, as part of its debut
during the Los Angeles Auto Show. It was received with much fanfare
along with an appearance from Tiger Woods. The Enclave marks Buick’s
first entry into the full-size crossover SUV segment. It is built on
an all-new platform capable of carrying eight passengers, the platform
is also shared with the Saturn Outlook and GMC Acadia. Buick's
previous SUV attempt, the Rainer, was a yet another half-hearted
re-badge of the Trailblazer/Envoy/Saab 9-7X/Isuzu
Ascender/Olds Bravada permutations. The Enclave is more refined,
focused and poised to ameliorate the geriatric Buick brand, lest it
suffer the same demise as that of its older sibling, Oldsmobile.
The Enclave is more than just a facelift for an
aging brand; it seeks to carve its own niche in the red-hot crossover
market. A combination of luxurious interior and distinctive exterior
along with confident handling along with room for growing families.
This is not your father's Buick.
The exterior is true to the Enclave concept that Buick debuted
January in Detroit. It features a vertically-bared grill in roughly
the shape of an elongated shield, that will be shared with future
Buick offerings. The grill is flanked by modern high-intensity
discharge headlights. The HID lamps are standard and feature both low
and high beam lamps. Articulating headlights that follow the direction
of the front wheels are available. The sculpted hood features
neo-retro chrome portholes.
A wide track and short front and rear overhangs
give the Enclave a bold exterior appearance. The upswept beltline and
sloping roof accentuate the sport stance. The exterior also receives
power folding mirrors with integrated turn signal lights, chrome door
handles, chrome roof rails and chrome window trim, while prominent
18-inch chrome wheels standard on CX trim, 19-inch are standard on
upscale CXL trim.
Inside, extra attention has been given to fit and
finish, while soft and low-gloss materials are bettern than the
average Buick. A healthy mix of sound reducing materials are spread
throughout the interior to block and absorb excess noise, and work in
conjunction with an acoustic laminated windshield, laminated safety
door glass, and triple door seals.
Even when onfigured for seven or eight passengers,
with the thrid rows of seats up, the Enclave features 18.9 cu. ft. of
cargo space. Interior cargo area can be maximized to 116.2 cubic feet
with all rear seats are folded.
Bucket seats are standard in front, while the
second row can receive either standard captain chairs, or an optional
second-row 60/40-split bench for three passengers. The standard third
row features a 60/40-split bench seat that can accommodate three
passengers.
Driving the Enclave is a breeze thanks to
variable-effort power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering supported by
independent front and rear suspensions. The front suspension is a
MacPherson strut design, with a direct-acting stabilizer bar and
aluminum steering knuckles. Isolated mounting points help reduce noise
and vibration. The rear suspension uses a compact, state-of-the-art
linked H design, which has an isolated mounting system that reduces
noise and vibration transmitted to the passenger compartment, while
maximizing interior room.
The Enclave comes standard in front wheel drive,
and is available with an intelligent all-wheel-drive system for
improved traction on slippery roads and assists handling in difficult
situations. The system can adjust the amount of torque to the rear
wheels automatically, delivering power to the wheels with the best
traction.
Getting around is facilitated with one of the most
powerful V6 engines GM has ever produced: a 275-horsepower V-6 engine
with variable valve timing (VVT). It is mated to a six-speed automatic
transmission. This modern 3.6L engine features 251 lb.-ft. of torque,
and is equipped with dual-overhead cams. The engine was developed
jointly with GM technical centers in Australia, Germany, Sweden and
North America. The engine uses full four-cam phasing, rapid data
processing and torque-based engine management to increase power,
economy and offers improved emissions performance. The engine's
four-cam phasing operation of the variable valve timing system ensures
linear delivery of torque across the rpm band, while features such as
electronic throttle control deliver crisp, immediate response and
feedback. The engine uses electro-hydraulic vane-type phasers,
allowing infinitely variable combinations to optimize performance and
efficiency.
A new Hydra-Matic 6T75 electronically controlled
six-speed automatic transmission put the power to the wheels. The wide
6.04:1 overall ratio helps the transmission deliver both performance
and fuel economy, enabling up to 7 percent improved performance and up
to 4 percent improved fuel economy when compared with current
front-wheel-drive four-speed automatics. The transmission has been
designed so that the Enclave can be flat-towed in FWD and AWD
configurations. Additionally, the Enclave can tow up to 4,500 pounds
when properly equipped.
Convenience features include a power-operated rear
liftgate, rear back-up camera, and ultrasonic rear parking assist.
Also available are a Voice-activated and touch-screen DVD navigation
system, a Tiffany-style analog clock, Bose 5.1 10-speaker surround
sound system, XM Satellite Radio, and a Rear-seat DVD entertainment
system.
Safety features include four-wheel anti-lock
brakes, traction control, StabiliTrak electronic stability control
system with rollover mitigation technology, and a tire pressure
monitoring system. The Enclave features OnStar Generation 7 with
Turn-by-Turn Navigation. This fully integrated GPS navigation system
allows occupants to talk to a live advisor, who in turn sends
step-by-step directions to the vehicles OnStar system, where they are
automatically played through the vehicle’s stereo as needed, triggered
by the GPS system.
Enclave is equipped with six standard air bags: two
dual-stage frontal air bags, two seat-mounted side-impact air bags in
the first row and two roof rail air bags that cover all three seating
rows. Complementing the air bags is GM’s rollover sensing system,
which activates the roof rail air bags if sensors determine an
impending rollover. Because rollovers are typically longer events than
non-rollover crashes, the roof rail air bags stay inflated longer to
provide increased occupant protection and containment. Additionally,
first-row positions feature safety belt pretensioners, which activate
at the moment of a crash to take up any slack in the safety belt and
hold the passengers in place.
The Buick Enclave will be built at GM's new Lansing
Delta Township assembly plant in Lansing, Michigan. The Enclave is
backed by a four-year, 50,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty as well
as five-year, 100,000-mile powertrain coverage. Pricing has not been
announced, but is expected to land just above $30,000. The 2008 Buick
Enclave will arrive in dealer showrooms in Summer 2007.
|