What Does the Word ‘Envista’ Stand for in the Buick Envista?
The Buick brand is undergoing a substantial modernization with its design language, and alongside this redesign is a brand new Buick model. The Envista, Buick’s latest entry in North America, is the brand’s first new vehicle for the American market since 2019, when the Encore GX was initially released. The Envista aims to bring the Buick brand into the spotlight for the younger American demographic, which has been largely ignored in recent years.
However, what exactly does the Buick Envista bring to the table for the American market? Does the Envista offer anything we have yet to see from Buick, or is it more of the same? Here is everything you need to know about the Buick Envista, what the name means, and what this brand-new vehicle means for the future of Buick.
How is Buick changing its brand identity?
The Buick logo and brand identity have been essentially unchanged for decades. However, in 2022, CarBuzz reported that the Buick brand was finally getting a much-needed makeover. The old logo, a tri-shield design with a circular outer ring, was out, and a new, simple futuristic tri-shield logo took its place. This new logo was a stark change for the company, which for years was associated with vehicles built for older customers.
Along with this new logo, Buick seems to be looking to reinvent itself for the North American market. Over the past few decades, the Buick brand was largely a shell of its former self. The Buick of the past, a trailblazing historic company that even had roots in motorsports, was gone, and in its place was a company that was only relevant in the Chinese market. With this new logo and forward-thinking design language, Buick is looking to reclaim its spot in the American marketplace.
What is the Buick Envista?
The Buick Envista is the first vehicle to be introduced for Buick under the company’s new logo. According to Car and Driver, the Envista is the lowest-priced Buick, seated below the Buick Encore GX and the Envision. The Buick Envista is a compact crossover SUV that starts at $22,400 MSRP, according to Buick. It stands out from the competition by punching well above its price point with a dynamic angular design, making it an extremely attractive option for every driver looking for a new crossover.
The Envista features a tiny 1.2-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine, which produces around 136 horsepower. This engine is paired with a six-speed automatic transmission on all trim levels. Thanks to the tiny displacement of this engine, fuel economy is solid at 28 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the highway. Even on the base model, the Envista is a winner regarding technology and features. An 8-inch digital gauge cluster, automatic high beam headlights, lane keep assist, and an 11-inch touchscreen with integrated wireless Apple CarPlay and Andriod Auto are all standard features for this crossover.
By keeping this vehicle basic with only front-wheel drive and only one engine and transmission option, Buick has been able to keep the price of the Envista low.
What does ‘Envista’ mean?
So the Buick Envista is an impressive entry-level luxury subcompact crossover, but what exactly does ‘Envista” mean? According to MotorTrend, the Envista got its name from the Buick Avista, a concept car from 2016 that never made it to production. The Avista nameplate, which means ‘sight’ in Italian, was reworked to Envista for their newest crossover. Buick has been using the ‘En-‘ naming strategy in all its new vehicles, including the Encore GX, Envision, Enclave, and now the Envista.
For the near future, Buick plans on putting all of its attention into the EV marketplace, and the Envista will be the final new vehicle from Buick that is offered only with an internal combustion engine. Five new EVs are on the horizon for Buick, which will all carry the Electra name, much like the Audi e-tron family. As we wait for these EVs, we can’t help but applaud Buick for its efforts to make an affordable crossover to get more people interested in the brand before Buick makes its EV debut.
