Buick’s 2021 model-year move to become an SUV-only brand followed the roadmap laid out by other major automakers: Cut out cars to focus on high-demand and high-profit utility vehicles. Buick was already moving in that direction before the official shift, however, and had expanded its crossover line with the Encore GX for the 2020 model year.

The GX sits above the minuscule Encore and beneath the slightly larger Envision in Buick’s catalog. Now three years deep into its first generation, the Encore GX hasn’t gotten much in the way of updates for 2022. Buick cut five colors and added four new ones. It also added a new turbocharged three-cylinder engine to replace the previously available turbo-four.

Buick will offer the 2022 Encore GX in Preferred, Select, and Essence trims. A Sport Touring Edition and a Black Roof appearance package will also be available. Interior features include an 8-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 4G LTE WiFi hotspot, and Bluetooth. Options packages can be selected that add features such as navigation, a panoramic moonroof, and larger wheels.

The larger-but-still-small Encore GX is powered by a turbocharged inline-three-cylinder engine that produces 155 horsepower and 174 pound-feet of torque. It sends that meager power to the front or all four wheels through a continuously variable transmission (CVT). Buick says the combo is good enough to deliver up to 32 mpg on the highway with front-wheel drive (FWD) and up to 29 mpg on the highway with all-wheel drive (AWD).

Every Encore GX gets a host of standard driver-assistance features that include lane-keep assist, lane-departure warning, automatic emergency braking, front pedestrian braking, forward-collision warning, a following-distance indicator, and automatic headlights. A high-definition rearview camera system is also standard.

The 2022 Encore GX has been announced but is not yet available to be configured on Buick’s website. Pricing details have not yet been released, but we expect to learn more as we approach the Encore GX’s predicted on-sale date later in 2021.