The Buick Enclave has been a key player in Buick’s ongoing quest towards reinventing itself as an all SUV and CUV brand. But while its large size and luxury focused features are still potent selling points for the model, it’s no secret that the current generation is due for an update. Buick has delivered with a preview of the 2022 Buick Enclave which brings new styling and Envision infused elegance into its repertoire.
New Styling Promises To Be Much More Dynamic
When we last reviewed the Buick Enclave, we commented on how it needed to upgrade its exterior styling in order for it to stand out better against rivals. It appears that Buick designers were listening and have added an infusion of excitement into the Enclave for 2022. The look itself is very handsome with the front end being much more assertive than before. The front grille is larger and in the case of Avenir models like this one, has an all new mesh like surface to it. A new chrome bar also runs along the upper half with the Buick tri-shield logo being positioned firmly in the center.
Other welcome touches include reworked headlights which are now LED units and actually snake their way under the hood. The lower bumper gets in on the act as well and is now adorned with some new swoops and creases as well as reworked lighting just below the sleek LED units. The side profile does not change much, but that’s a good thing since it still retains many of the curves and creases that we liked on the old one.
Move to the rear of the 2022 Enclave and you are greeted with new taillights which are sharper and more expressive than before. The units are still connected by a defined center trim piece but it has been tweaked and darkened to help it be a better unifying styling touch. The rest of the rear end largely retains alot of the old model’s DNA which is fine since Buick reps revealed that this Enclave is being treated more as a mid-cycle refresh versus an all out reboot.
Tweaked Interior Is Also Part Of The Package
Along with the exterior, Buick is also promising some changes to the interior though we have to wait a bit before we hear more about them with Buick choosing to not reveal too many details about that particular aspect. However, some clues can be gleaned from its smaller corporate stablemate the Envision. The Envision will be bringing a fresh interpretation of interior design and themes to Buick and look for some of that magic to make its way to the Enclave too.
That includes a reworked infotainment system as well as some new trim pieces with the latter being especially noticeable on range topping Avenir models. But as mentioned, this is a mid-cycle update versus being an outright reboot, so look for things in the cabin to be lightly changed with the current model’s core pieces still remaining firmly intact.
When Will We Learn More?
As mentioned Buick chose to only release two photos of the 2022 Enclave, but did promise that more updates will be coming at a later date. We look forward to getting answers to some of our lingering questions when that time comes including whether Buick engineers managed to massage some more horsepower from the 3.6 liter V6 final fuel economy numbers, as well as what lower trims can bring to the table? In the meantime, look for the tweaked styling to be a very potent preview of what’s to come.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.