CarBuzz has discovered a new trademark that General Motors has filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for the name Envision. Interestingly, GM had previously filed the name with the USPTO in 2019, but it seems that this trademark either lapsed or was deregistered.

This fits with a rumor we heard a couple of months ago that said the Buick Encore might be replaced by the Envista. And just last month, Buick president Mark Reuss said that the crossover was "getting ready for the US."

Now, the trademark has been filed again (on December 5), so we asked Buick what was up.

The official statement reads as follows:

"In China, we recently debuted the all-new Buick Envista, a compact SUV tailored for China's young generation and modern families. During GM's 2022 Investor Conference, Mark Reuss stated that the Envista will eventually come to the United States. While we are always looking at ways to optimize our current product portfolio, we have nothing to announce or confirm at this time."

Basically, it's too early for Buick to announce when it will launch the crossover, but it's practically guaranteed that it will arrive soon. And that's good news for those who are looking for something affordable.

The model sold in China has a base price of just $21,000, although we suspect this will be inflated slightly for our market.

The Chinese Envista is powered by a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-pot that produces 181 horsepower and is mated to a CVT. Power goes exclusively to the front wheels, with the 0-60 mph sprint completed in a sedate 7.9 seconds. It's not quick, but then again, neither is the Encore that we have to make do with.

That car is powered by a 1.4-liter turbo mill that produces just 155 hp and gets to 60 in around nine seconds. And it starts at over $26,000. The Envista can't come soon enough.