Features
The Enclave has seating for seven passengers, with an optional second row bench seat instead of the standard two captain chairs which increases the seating to eight. It comes standard with front-wheel drive with an option of all-wheel drive.
The Enclave shares powertrains with its Lambda siblings. For its first year of production, the Enclave was powered by a 275 hp 3.6 L High Feature V6 engine mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.[4] For the 2009 model, an upgraded power boost for the 3.6 L V6 Spark Ignition Direct Injection VVT produces 288 hp and 270 lb·ft of torque standard (also standard on other 2009 Lambdas). The latter direct-injection engine offers a broader torque curve, and brings fuel economy to 17 mpgus/24 mpgus for FWD models and 16 mpgus/22 mpgus for AWD models, according to the new United States Environmental Protection Agency estimates. The Lambda vehicles are built at GM's new Delta Township Assembly plant near Lansing, Michigan, and production of the Enclave commenced on April 11, 2007,[5] with the first vehicles reaching certain dealers by the end of the month. The Enclave debuted with a starting price of $32,790.[4]
In its first year of production, the Enclave was often criticized for its 6-speed transmission, which was "hesitant to downshift."[6] The powertrain was improved for 2009. For its entire production, it has been regarded as overly heavy, weighing nearly 5000 lb with all-wheel-drive. Buick's VentiPorts have reappeared at the Enclave's introduction, a styling feature unique to Buick dating back to 1949.
Initial sales of the Enclave far exceeded production capacity, forcing GM to add a third shift to the Delta Township plant.
With the arrival of the Buick Envision (which is slotted between the Enclave and Buick Encore) to North America in 2016 (for the 2017 model year), the Enclave became larger after Envision's debut, and the 2017 model year Enclave was the last under the first generation platform.
2013 refresh
GM unveiled the 2013 Buick Enclave on April 3, 2012, one day before its official debut at the New York Auto Show.[7] The 2013 model features revised exterior styling including a new chrome waterfall grille, xenon headlights with LED running lights, LED Foglights, and LED taillights.[8] Interior updates include a redesigned dashboard with more soft-touch materials, wood and chrome accents, blue ambient lighting, and touchscreen IntelliLink infotainment display. Among safety features are seven standard airbags, including an industry-first front center airbag, and available blind spot monitoring.[9]
