Buick planned on launching the refreshed Enclave in 2020, but the pandemic situation forced the American carmaker to delay that to the summer of 2021 as a 2022 model year.
The carmaker kept its promise to offer a premium vehicle at a bargain price compared to the European competitors. That didn’t mean that it lowered the quality of its features. Buick built it smarter. It shared its platform with the Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Acadia. It’s like getting to KFC, ask for two buckets, and then split it in three. But the Enclave was more of a Red Lobster meal than a chicken and threatened its main competitors with a seven-seat interior packed with more technologies.

On the outside, the design team worked harder at the SUV’s front fascia. It reshaped the grille and improved the headlights. Buick’s engineers helped with the automatic high-beam feature. The Enclave kept the same wave-shaped sculptured doors and fenders and revealed new light-alloy wheels on its sides. At the back, the biggest SUV from Buick’s lineup sported redesigned taillights, with a straight chromed slat connecting them over the tailgate.

Inside, the carmaker offered an infotainment unit with standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A new trim level, named Avenir, pampered its seven occupants with a leather-clad interior, two sunroofs, and massage for the front heated and ventilated front seats.

Under the hood, the carmaker installed an enhanced 3.6-liter V-6 powerplant that produced 210 hp and was paired with a nine-speed automatic gearbox. The all-wheel-drive system was available but not standard.

After about 5 years, the Buick Enclave got restyled and updated.
The new model comes with more third-row space, improved towing capability and a thoughtful combination of safety tech, useful interior features and premium materials. New proportions give it a sleeker look with aerodynamic benefits for efficiency. The roofline is lower, the windshield is sharper and the wheelbase is extended, giving the vehicle a more dramatic stance. Its sculpted body creates a windswept appearance. It also showcases Buick’s front end design language, inspired by the Avista and Avenir concept cars and enhanced by advanced Buick-first lighting technology. Standard safety equipment on all 2018 Enclaves includes a rear vision camera, rear park assist and seven air bags, including a front center side airbag. Among the available crash-avoidance technologies are forward collision alert, rear cross traffic alert, lane keep assist with lane departure warning, safety alert seat, following distance indicator and front park assist. There’s also a new Avenir version which acts as a luxury variant with more standard equipment and a more upscale interior.

The Enclave was well known for its ability to perfectly meld the attributes of a minivan and a truck-based SUV.
The crossover SUV was a good choice for larger families, offering a comfortable ride and a massive cargo capacity.

The luxurious crossover rode on a unibody platform, also shared with the Chevrolet Traverse and the GMC Acadia.

For 2012, the Enclave was offered in four trim levels.

The base model was well equipped with 19-inch alloys, a power liftgate, tri-zone automatic control, bi-xenon headlights and heated outside mirrors. The standard configuration could accommodate up to 7 people, while the optional second-row bench seat was available at no additional costs, increasing the capacity to 8 people.

The upper trim levels added a remote starting, a rear-view camera with rear parking assist, leather upholstery with heated power front seats - the latter included with the Leather Group trim level.

The top of the range, the Premium Group featured 19-inch chrome wheels, adaptive xenon headlights, heated and ventilated front seats and a premium 10-speaker Bose sound system.

Standalone options available included 20-inch chrome alloys, a sunroof, a rear-seat entertainment system and a navigation system.

The Enclave was available with a front-wheel-drive or an all-wheel-drive system. The luxurious crossover ran on a 3.6-liter V6 engine that cranked out 288 hp. The powerplant was mated with a 6-speed automatic transmission.

Safety wise, the Enclave was equipped with fron-seat side airbags and full-legth side curtain airbags that were standard.

Someone from GM mixed a station wagon, a minivan, and an SUV and the result was a seven-seat vehicle that was good for a larger family, able to tackle some snow, and still drives like a regular sedan.
The customers were not satisfied with the MPVs anymore. Apart from those who had a nostalgia for the minivans and soccer-moms, there were not too many other buyers. GM noticed that for a while and prepared a crossover vehicle. Unfortunately for the big carmaker, the year was 2007, and the world financial crisis was around the corner.

Sanks to its styling, the Enclave was able to survive on the market. Its horizontal slat at the front with the golden bow-tie was very esteemed. Thanks to a long roofline and a raised beltline over the rear wheel-fenders, it didn’t look bulky.

Inside, it offered a 7-seat option in a 2+2+3 configuration, like in a regular MPV. Thanks to its flat-folding second and third rows, it was able to load a whole student room on its way to the college. The dashboard car-like design featured a five-dial instrument cluster. On the center stack, Buick installed a new infotainment system. Unlike its siblings, the Saturn Outlook or Chevrolet Traverse, the Enclave featured more luxurious items inside.

Buick offered the Enclave with either a front- or all-wheel-drive system and a highly fuel-efficient V-6 engine with direct fuel injection. It was paired as standard to a 6-speed automatic gearbox.