2013 Buick Enclave debuts with new look over same drivetrain

Galery:
http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2013-...photo-4932234/

The Enclave has been a boon for Buick since it arrived in 2007, with impressive sales complemented by profitable transaction prices. And even though the big Buick has gone without a refresh since its debut, the Enclave managed its best year ever in 2011, with a segment-leading 58,000 units sold.

Buick is hoping to stretch that streak with the Enclave's first refresh for 2013. The tweaked three-row crossover will receive several updates, starting with a new front fascia that includes a black chrome waterfall grille and redesigned hood. The front also includes a new headlight design with standard Xenon headlamps and LED daytime running lights. Out back, the 2013 Enclave features new LED taillights and a fresh design with integrated exhaust outlets.

Overall, the exterior redesign is evolutionary, but more dramatic changes await inside. The Enclave's cabin was fast becoming outdated, but Buick upped its game with a fresh dash that includes more modern-looking materials and contemporary center stack. There are also tasteful wood treatments, a smattering of chrome accents and attractive stitching throughout. The cabin also features blue LED ambient lighting that accentuates the size of this voluminous crossover.

The 2013 Enclave will also inherit Buick's IntelliLink infotainment system, which offers a brilliant LCD and interactivity with smart phones via Bluetooth and USB connections. The Enclave also features tri-zone climate control and an industry-first front center airbag for additional crash protection.

Buick engineers hasn't made any changes to the tried-and-true 3.6-liter V6 or the six-speed automatic, but the ride and handling setup has been given a bit of love. The front and rear dampers were revised for a smoother ride, with adjustments that also ensure big bumps don't loosen your fillings. The ride has also received more "Quiet Tuning," (read: insulation) which keeps even more unwanted road noise out of the re-imagined cabin than before.

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/04/03/2...me-drivetrain/

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Huge improvement with the front end. Getting rid of the silly chrome bar running the entire width was a no-brainer.

 

^^ its those ventiports i'm glad they got rid of

 

now THAT's a hideous front grill.

 

nice interior! lexus seriously needs to upgrade the rx!



rx for comparison:

 

IMO, not enough bling in the new interior.....needs more wood-tone. The last one was REALLY impressive, at least on the surface. But, except for the real-wood steering wheel, much of that (chrome, wood-tone, etc...)was actually a coat of bling on top of typical GM cheap-plastic.

Here's the last interior....IMO, at least on the surface, far nicer-looking than the new one:

 

The refresh does keep the ventiports. Theyre just on top of the hood now. Interior is still run of the mill imo and does not look better than the RX.

 

No. IMO, that statement is compete B.S. (see my last post above). The last interior, though admittedly mostly bling-coated plastic, is what a Buick SHOULD look like.

 

FIXED FOR ACCURACY

The RX interior is still the most stylish in class, has remote touch, a lovely screen, fit and finish and real wood. Plus the Enclave is much larger. The RX is class leading and fine.

This is a nice update, its one of my favorite SUVs. Good looking inside and out. Looks like they dropped the portholes too

 

Wow .. SLICK1 really don't like Acura huh?

Anyway, if one were to through RDX into the mix I would rank
1. Lexus RX interior
2. Acura RDX/MDX interior
3 Buick interior

Not a huge fan of RX interior at first but it's start to grow on me. I am always a fan of Acura interior. Not a fan of the Buick interior at all

 

And you love below average. Hey someone has to root for the NJ Nets