Rumorpile: Buick's Powertrain Plans

Welcome news on both fronts.

1.6 would be perfect.

With AWD the Encore should have at least 250HP and 275lbs.

How does the weight of the Encore compare to the Cascada? Without looking it up, I'd assume it's lighter, but Autoblog said the Cascada was still doggy with the 1.6... But a diesel would be fantastic...for any of the lineup

3,300 vs 3,900.

3,300 vs 3,900.

3300 seems about 500 lbs too heavy for a subcompact CUV..the Encore is very tiny, 138hp would be enough if it wasn't so heavy.

138hp is enough for Buick to not be able to build them fast enough at launch. Most buyers in this segment don't care about raw horsepower. The Encore is smooth, and efficient even in Awd trim. The 1.6 will be an improvement, but I was told we would not see that motor in the States in any vehicle for 3 to 4 years. Perhaps that project has been accelerated.

Hyundai and Ford have a 1.6 liter turbo, Chevy/Buick could benefit from one I think.

See, what bothers me is why didn't they think about this from the start? When they first talked about the Encore and mentioned the 1.4L Turbo, my brain instantly said, "And?" I feel in most cases a more powerful powertrain should always be an option. There's always a group of people out there who do want a bit more punch. Think about it--you're marketing a small CUV... something you can load up with cargo... that adds on weight... throw in more passengers and you have something that'll probably be a bit sluggish.

See, what bothers me is why didn't they think about this from the start?

Because they are GM and the company motto is "that's good enough."

And I agree with you about needing more punch from the start because loaded up you have some weight to move.

I'm sure they did think of it, but the next engine wasn't even close to being ready. The larger Ecotecs don't fit. I think Buick is guilty of mis-reading the market in a different way. I don't think they ever expected the Encore to take off like it has in the U.S. Apparently they are selling every Mokka they can build in the EU also to the point that there are waiting lists.

The problem is they are all built in Korea, and the supply chain is just too long to be able to make quick changes.

the car was engineered for different markets initially, I bet, such that the 1.4 was deemed adequate. I am assuming they orginally did not envision the encore being sold as a 30k piece in the US.

the big sin is not the powertrain in the Encore, it's that the Trax is not available in the US

It's not that the 1.4T was deemed adequate, it's that the only alternatives had less power. The 1.4T is the most powerful engine that fits.

Buick geared it right with very deep 1st and 2nd gears, so it feels plenty perky around town. Also, with all the sound insulation and noise canceling technology, Buick is able to run it at a higher RPM than would be comfortable in regular driving in other vehicles.

More power is better, but I'm not sure if I would opt for it at the expense of fuel economy. We're averaging 25mpg around town so far which is really good for an AWD fairly heavy small crossover.

While it is a rule of thumb, a weight to peak power ratio of 15 - 20:1 is good balance for optimal fuel economy and fun performance - granted it depends on a lot of factors.

That is one of the reasons why Encore, Cruze, are not getting the best out of their offered power trains and have to utilize sluggish transmissions to keep up with that fuel mileage while sacrificing the overall performance. A 160 - 200 hp engine with smooth linear power delivery would be ideal for these vehicles.

It's not that the 1.4T was deemed adequate, it's that the only alternatives had less power. The 1.4T is the most powerful engine that fits.

Buick geared it right with very deep 1st and 2nd gears, so it feels plenty perky around town. Also, with all the sound insulation and noise canceling technology, Buick is able to run it at a higher RPM than would be comfortable in regular driving in other vehicles.

More power is better, but I'm not sure if I would opt for it at the expense of fuel economy. We're averaging 25mpg around town so far which is really good for an AWD fairly heavy small crossover.

Actually, the Encore is a Gamma, meaning that the 1.8, 2.0T or 2.5NA will fit if they had chosen to use them. The 2.0 Turbo-diesel will fit too. That GM chose the 1.4 for the Gammas is entirely voluntary not something compelled by the platform.

Well, the 1.8 is covered under the "less power" I mentioned and it is a Family 1, but I was specifically told that they just cannot get the 2.0T and 2.5 to fit. I'm not sure why you think a Family II would fit when none of the Gamma cars use anything larger than a 1.8 Family 1 engine. The diesel they are using in the EU is a 1.7 liter.

Are you thinking Delta platform?