The redesigned 2021 Buick Envision, imported from China, is lower and wider than the first-generation crossover and features a revamped interior, more safety features, added infotainment options and a premium trim package. The Envision is powered by a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder turbo engine with 228 hp and 258 pound-feet of torque along with a nine-speed automatic transmission. Here’s a roundup of Envision reviews from the automotive media.

“Reworked like the exterior, the quiet cabin is a pleasing place to be. Comfy front thrones. Roomy rear bench. Sculpted dash. Familiar GM steering wheel volume and cruise controls. Taking a page from Corvette — Corvette! — the center console is driver-centric, its big 10.2-inch infotainment screen rotated toward the driver.

Not that you’ll confuse the Envision’s handling with a ‘Vette. The Buick is a Goldilocks ute: not too stiff, not too soft. Just right. Its suspension, 9-speed tranny and 228-horse turbo-4 are plenty peppy without tempting you into stoplight drag races.”

— Henry Payne,The Detroit News

“The new Envision doesn’t handle with much verve. Steering feel is largely absent and the body leans in corners more than we like, but its smooth ride quality is one area where the Buick feels legitimately luxurious.”

“Some of that extra noise comes from the Envision’s new turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder, which is slightly louder at idle and wide-open throttle than the outgoing turbo-four. The new 228-hp four-cylinder is the only engine available in the Envision, replacing the 252-hp turbo 2.0-liter and the 197-hp 2.5-liter four. The sprint to 60 mph now takes 7.3 seconds, a noticeable 0.8 second slower than a 2019 Envision. Respectably responsive around town, the new engine’s lower torque peak gives it an advantage at highway speeds. In the 50-to-70-mph passing test, the new Envision does the deed in 4.8 seconds, 0.4 quicker than before. The new engine also boosts fuel economy: all-wheel drive Envisions go from an EPA combined estimate of 22 mpg to 25.

Oddly enough, the nine-speed has a dedicated manual mode that holds gears to redline unless the driver initiates a change via the steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters. Apart from that and the firm brake pedal, which helped the Envision stop from 70 mph in 162 feet, there’s not much sporting DNA to be found. Even with the addition of selectable drive modes, including a risqué Sport setting, it’s tough to get excited behind the wheel of the Envision. Well, it’s difficult to get excited about the Envision at all.”

— Eric Stafford,Car and Driver

“The engine note, uh, exists, but its mediocre muted growl fades into the background once anything starts playing on the speakers. Acceleration is adequate, losing a lot of the perkiness that the outgoing model’s optional turbo four packed, but it’s more than enough for on-ramps and such, and its nine-speed automatic swaps cogs so smoothly you’ll barely even notice. The steering is a little overboosted, but it’s nothing most buyers will notice or care about, and the pedals are dead simple to modulate smoothly. My tester wears Buick’s adaptive dampers, which can change damping strength while driving to soak up nasty bits in the road. While the ride is definitely on the smoother side for compact crossovers, it’s almost too much so, leading to a bit of a floaty feeling. Wind and road noise are pretty well muted, too.”

— Andrew Krok, Roadshow by CNET

“Fire it up and pull the D button, and you’ll find the Envision’s ride, handling, and overall demeanor on par with other offerings in its competitive set. Underpinned by the same platform as the Cadillac XT4, the Envision tends toward a sportier, stiffer ride (some 30 percent stiffer than the previous model) over road imperfections — especially so the Sport Touring model we tested with its 20-inch wheel/tire package. At freeway speeds its steering feel doesn’t wander, and you won’t fight with the wheel in tight spaces, either. This is not the type of SUV you’re going to wildly hustle along a twisted-up canyon road, but it doesn’t roll over and play dead, either, thanks in part to a five-link independent rear suspension setup. The Envision does what you expect it to do: It’s not going to wow you in any one area, but it accelerates, stops, and handles respectably for its class and mission.”

— Mike Floyd, Automobile

“The longer wheelbase and shorter length combine with new steering gear to make the Envision maneuverable and easy to park.”

The Envision is quiet and comfortable on surface roads and at highway speed. I found myself using the Sport setting most of the time, particularly on the highway, when it improved on-center feel in fast cruising.

The transmission is smooth and quick, delivering unobtrusive shifts even in hard acceleration.”

— Mark Phelan,Detroit Free Press

“Since we got to sample the Envision in late February, it was in our care for some of the worst weather Michigan has seen so far this winter. The traction and stability control systems are quick to intervene when the surface gets sloppy and they can be somewhat heavy-handed about it. We tried powering through a couple of snowy corners, only to find our precious throttle control taken from us. With the nannies dialed back, we had much finer control in the slop, but that wasn’t really the Envision’s happy place.

That would be on the highway, at a steady cruise, with the radio going at a reasonable volume, but even there, our experience wasn’t flawless. Buick makes a big deal about its ‘QuietTuning’ approach to interior noise control, but either because it can only do so much (or maybe because the cabin is just that quiet), we noted a surprising amount of wind noise intrusion from the driver’s side A-pillar. We couldn’t pinpoint the source or identify any complicating factors (ice build-up, etc.) that might explain it. It’s just there.

That exhausts our list of quibbles, and its brevity is refreshing. The last-generation Envision was a bit of a mess, made only slightly better by a hasty refresh that solved most of its drivability problems but did nothing to improve its frumpy exterior. The 2021 model is the real deal, earning its place alongside the Enclave, which your author would name as GM’s most appealing three-row crossover.”

— Byron Hurd, Autoblog