Photo: GM Design / Instagram
The Buick Enclave is a curious thing. Its spacious and reasonably well equipped, but people still prefer alternatives such as the Chevy Traverse, GMC Acadia or the Toyota Highlander, which are now considerably cheaper to purchase.
This is because Buick attempted to move the second-generation Enclave upmarket and reposition it as an Infiniti QX60 or Acura MDX rival back when it came out. On paper, it sort of worked, as the Enclave surpassed the QX60 in sales last year, although not the MDX.
The second-generation Enclave went on sale in 2017 as a 2018MY car, utilizing GM’s C1XX platform, just like the Acadia, Traverse, Blazer and of course, the Chinese market Enclave. Earlier this year, Buick introduced an updated version, featuring a more upscale design with a larger front grille, new light units front and rear, new bumpers and an updated center console for the interior.
The carmaker reiterated that it’s targeting premium SUV buyers with the updated Enclave, but in order to be successful in this segment, you need shorter life cycles so as to keep up with the competition. The first-generation Enclave was in production for nearly a decade, while this newer model has been with us since 2017 and there’s no sign of a third-gen model.
This brings us to these renderings by Geoffrey Richmond, Buick’s Senior Exterior Designer. He’s been with the company since February 2017 according to his Linkedin profile, but since the second-gen Enclave went into production that very same year, it means its design had to have been approved years in advance.
Now, if Richmond could have had a say in the design back when Enclave development was still in its infancy, then we may have ended up with a final product that looked a great deal like these sketches – dynamic and modern.
Everything you see pertaining to the front fascia looks much sharper than the current design, and the profile a lot less dull. Sure, these types of sketches will often feature exaggerated proportions, but it’s the design language that we find most appealing, and not necessarily its application. The rear meanwhile is a bit Jaguar F-Pacey, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
You can also see a cool interior sketch for the Enclave below, or if you rummage through the gallery. This one was penned by Taylor Manilow, another designer.
The second-generation Enclave went on sale in 2017 as a 2018MY car, utilizing GM’s C1XX platform, just like the Acadia, Traverse, Blazer and of course, the Chinese market Enclave. Earlier this year, Buick introduced an updated version, featuring a more upscale design with a larger front grille, new light units front and rear, new bumpers and an updated center console for the interior.
The carmaker reiterated that it’s targeting premium SUV buyers with the updated Enclave, but in order to be successful in this segment, you need shorter life cycles so as to keep up with the competition. The first-generation Enclave was in production for nearly a decade, while this newer model has been with us since 2017 and there’s no sign of a third-gen model.
This brings us to these renderings by Geoffrey Richmond, Buick’s Senior Exterior Designer. He’s been with the company since February 2017 according to his Linkedin profile, but since the second-gen Enclave went into production that very same year, it means its design had to have been approved years in advance.
Now, if Richmond could have had a say in the design back when Enclave development was still in its infancy, then we may have ended up with a final product that looked a great deal like these sketches – dynamic and modern.
Everything you see pertaining to the front fascia looks much sharper than the current design, and the profile a lot less dull. Sure, these types of sketches will often feature exaggerated proportions, but it’s the design language that we find most appealing, and not necessarily its application. The rear meanwhile is a bit Jaguar F-Pacey, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
You can also see a cool interior sketch for the Enclave below, or if you rummage through the gallery. This one was penned by Taylor Manilow, another designer.
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