Buick was the fastest-growing mainstream automotive brand in the first quarter as the company is in the midst of a product blitz, which will see them introduce five new or updated models within 18 months.
Speaking at an event in Michigan, officials told us we’ve already seen the fruits of their labor as the facelifted Encore GX was introduced in February and followed by the all-new Envista in April. More recently, Buick teased the facelifted Envision which will be available with the Super Cruise semi-autonomous driving system.
That leaves two models unaccounted for, but the automaker dropped a pretty significant hint last summer. At the time, Buick announced plans to offer its first electric vehicle in North America in 2024 and noted it would wear the Electra moniker.
More: 2024 Envision Facelift Will Be Buick’s First North American Model With Super Cruise
China-spec Electra E5 Avenir
Buick has been tight-lipped on specifics, but the brand has already introduced the Electra E4 and Electra E5 in China. The former is a sleek crossover that is available with two different powertrains.
The entry-level E4 has a front-mounted electric motor with 241 hp (180 kW / 245 PS), while the E4 GS can be equipped with a dual-motor all-wheel-drive system developing 283 hp (211 kW / 287 PS). The all-wheel drive variant also has a larger 79.7 kWh battery pack, which enables it to travel 385 miles (620 km) on a single charge in the CLTC cycle.
It remains unclear if the US-spec Electra will mirror one of the Chinese models, but reports have suggested the Electra E5 could be offered here. If that’s the case, it would echo the Envista which was originally introduced in China before heading stateside, via South Korea, roughly a year later.
The fifth model remains more mysterious, but it’s likely the redesigned Enclave. That remains to be seen, but we’ve already seen the next-gen Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Acadia, so it’s only a matter of time until their Buick counterpart makes an appearance.
