Last January, Buick previewed the updated 2022 Enclave three-row luxury crossover and we liked what we saw. The outgoing 2021 model is anything but ugly, but the facelifted Enclave is definitely an improvement over the current design. Today, the premium brand has lifted the sheets off the 2022 Buick Enclave Avenir with plenty of new photos highlighting the improved look. The new flagship also comes with a wide assortment of standard safety technology.

But let's start with the styling updates. With inspiration taken directly from the new Envision, the Enclave now has a sleeker look featuring a larger grille, redesigned headlights and taillights, better-sculpted front and rear bumpers, and new wheel designs to choose from.

The updates are not major but they're significant enough to distinguish the vehicle from last year. The interior of the top-of-the-line Avenir model, pictured below, gets several upgrades like quilted leather upholstered seats and real wood trim. Avenir models also get special wheel designs and a unique grille insert. A Sport Touring appearance package is another new option.

The other major update for 2022 is Buick's Driver Confidence Plus package of safety features. This includes automatic emergency braking, forward collision alert, lane-keeping assist and alert, blind spot and lane change alerts, rear cross-traffic alert, automatic high beams, and rear parking assist. Tech toys like wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are now standard.

Under the hood, the 3.6-liter V6 with 310 hp remains, as does the nine-speed automatic transmission that routes power to the front wheels. All-wheel drive remains optional. Details such as pricing and time of availability haven't been announced yet. Buick has done an overall solid job of updating its most expensive and biggest crossover.

The competition is particularly fierce, especially from BMW, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz. Buick also has to be careful to make sure the Enclave doesn't create internal competition against a certain other three-row luxury crossover from GM, the Cadillac XT6. In the past, this has been avoided by making Buick a near-luxury bargain brand, also competing with Acura, Lexus, and Infiniti.