Envision

Make
Buick
Segment
SUV

We had high hopes for Buick back in 2016 when it unveiled the rear-wheel-drive Avista coupe concept. Since then, GM's premium brand has not only abandoned coupes and convertibles but also sedans. It's now a crossover-only carmaker. That's not necessarily a bad thing. Buick's latest design language is beautiful, evidenced by the latest Envision. The design team has done a good job of bringing to production life styling elements from cool concepts, specifically last year's Electra.

And now GM Design has released yet another sketch that probably will never make production. This high-riding Buick is trying to bridge the gap between coupe and SUV/crossover. It does the job very well.

Its bold lines represent exactly what future Buicks need. You know, like a coupe. The short front and rear overhangs indicate this could be an electric vehicle with a floor-mounted battery pack. Combined with the extra-large wheels it makes for quite a dramatic package. Will Buick ever build it? Highly doubtful. It's simply too niche without rear doors. Then again, that's what halo models are for, right?

Even built in limited numbers and sold at a high price, something such as this could be profitable for Buick. Above all, it grabs attention and that's what draws customers into showrooms. Something else we noticed here that's kind of interesting is that there are no Buick badges on the body itself.

They're instead limited to the wheel's center caps. The rest of the design - again, if produced - would have to be toned down. The narrow greenhouse and relatively high hood wouldn't allow for ideal visibility. Even the rear tailgate seems to lack a sufficient amount of glass.

Still, it's nice to know GM Design continues to evolve the Buick brand. This will be especially important as GM transitions to an all-electric vehicle lineup by the middle of the next decade. Designers are especially excited by this because it allows them to push styling boundaries like never before. This sketch could be the start of some amazing new things for Buick.