Envision Plus is now available, supporting power module OTA under VIP architecture.

The Encore series has been on the market for 7 years, with cumulative sales reaching 1 million units.

On June 19th, the Encore Plus was launched at a price of RMB 229,900-309,900.

Hardware introduction

The new car is sized between Encore S and Encore Flagship, with dimensions of 4,845mm in length, 1,883mm in width, and 1,695mm in height, and a wheelbase of 2,833mm. It has both 5-seater and 7-seater (2+3+2) layouts.

In terms of powertrain, the Encore Plus is equipped with the eighth-generation Ecotec 2.0T variable-cylinder turbocharged engine, supporting cylinder deactivation technology. It is paired with a 9-speed HYDRA-MATIC transmission and a 48V light hybrid system. The system has a maximum power of 174 kW and a peak torque of 350 N·m.

The Aviar version also comes with an AWD four-wheel drive system, and the driver can manually choose between front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive modes.

Performance of VIP on Encore Plus

Of course, we are more concerned about what new features the Encore Plus, which is equipped with VIP architecture, has:

  • The entire vehicle supports OTA (including more than 30 modules such as engine control module, transmission control module, and electrification control module, which can be upgraded and updated throughout their lifecycle), and within a year, 100,000 Buick users will experience OTA upgrade services.

  • Has 4.5TB/H data processing capacity (equivalent to 1.28 GB/s) and 10 Gbps high-speed in-vehicle Ethernet communication.

  • It uses Baidu’s voice assistant and is also connected to the Baidu ecosystem. Supports voice search for restaurants, movie tickets, and navigation.

  • In-car mapping supports both Baidu CARLIFE and wireless Apple CARPLAY.

  • The car’s UI interface is editable.

  • OnStar Angelstar is available online 24/7.- The Buick Envision Plus also mentioned network security issues. The official claimed that aviation system standards were used for network security design, and combined with third-party security penetration testing, to avoid the risk of vehicle and user information privacy leakage.

  • It provides 100G of “OnStar AngelStar Car Link Application Lifetime Free Traffic” service every year.

In terms of assisted driving capability, it supports mainstream L2 level assisted driving (lane keeping, adaptive cruise, etc.), as well as APA automatic parking and PD pedestrian recognition technology.

Previously, I experienced the eConnect car system on the Buick Envision Plus in person. The content ecology was very rich, not limited to Baidu ecology, and mainstream audio content such as QQ Music and Himalayas were also provided. Moreover, the customization of the entire car system is very high. It was only not the official version at the time, so I was looking forward to experiencing the official version of this car system and how different it will be from the previous one after the subsequent OTA power module.

Source: Buick Envision Plus Launch Event

This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.