2019/20 Buick Encore/Opel Mokka X
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The compact Encore SUV has been quite a hit for Buick.
With over 78 000 sold last year. And numbers increasing every single year.
The Encore is basically the same car as the European Opel Mokka X. While the Opel is built in Spain, our Buick version comes from Korea.
But this next generation is supposed to be built only in Germany.
It to be keeping similar proportions. (Maybe using the same platform?)
The problem is, Opel is not owned by GM anymore. (It is now owned by Peugeot).
And since the next one will not be built in Korea, I just wonder if this will actually ever be sold in the US or not.
Which would really be bad news for Buick. Unless they have some deal with Peugeot to produce the next version for the US market as well (?)
Seems that it would take too long for GM to come up with their own model now.
So while this is the next Opel Mokka for sure, it might or might not be our next Encore.
Head over HERE if you want to see more pictures of the prototype.
From what PSA announced recently, tzehy want to get rid off every GM platform ASAP, mentioning – among otehrs – the Mokka X. Also it seems that the Insignia was the last "GM Opel", so this either is already a PSA based Opel prototype (but I don#t see that much room between their Crossland and Grandland models, let alone there is no current PSA car sized inbetween those two), or, what I suspect, that – although development might still be finished by Opel, this will be a Buick only.
From the photos, it appears they’re testing it alongside the current gen Chevy Trax and a Malibu so I’d say there’s a good chance the next-gen Encore and Trax will remain siblings with the Mokka for the time being. One possible reason is that they were probably too far along in the development cycle to scrap it entirely. Also, the platform they all share is still GM sourced (Gamma 2 or it’s successor: G2SC). PSA is responsible for supplying their own platforms, powertrains and tech for each Opel/Vauxhall vehicle redesign.
No way Buick walks away from this segment. They have to be printing money to be selling so many of these at $30k each when it is an econo CUV in the rest of the world. Hopefully the next generation looks more premium.
PSA is rapidly killing all GM sourced models (which is very ironic, as most Opels were developed by Opel anyway). Insignia was introduced last year, and it's being replaced next year by a PSA based sedan. So my guess is that this is either not an Opel (they do have the Crossland now, which is approximately the same length so why should they need a new Mokka? ) or it's a new model, unrelated to GM. Which again would make no sense, because Crossland.