Buick expands its Sport Touring lineup with a more stylish version of the Enclave

By Ronan Glon Published March 23, 2016

The Enclave crossover is set to join Buick’s growing Sport Touring lineup at next week’s New York Auto Show.

The design-focused Sport Touring treatment includes a specific grille, HID headlights, and 20-inch alloy wheels with satin black ice accents. It’s offered in white frost tricoat, crimson red metallic, and ebony twilight metallic.

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Buick has gone to considerable lengths to make the Enclave Sport Touring’s cabin a pleasant place to travel in. The list of standard features includes a heated wood-rimmed steering wheel, eight-way power-adjustable heated front seats, ice blue LED ambient lighting around the instrument panel, a rear-view camera, and tri-zone automatic A/C. For techies, Buick has added its Intellilink infotainment system, which is displayed on a large touch screen, and 4G LTE connectivity with a built-in Wi-Fi hotspot.

2017 Buick Enclave Sport Touring

2017 Buick Enclave Sport Touring

Though the Sport Touring name might suggest otherwise, Buick hasn’t made any changes under the Enclave’s hood. The sole engine available is a direct-injected 3.6-liter V6 that produces 288 horsepower and a solid 270 pound-feet of torque. The six-cylinder is bolted to a six-speed automatic transmission that spins the front wheels, and the Enclave is capable of towing up to 4,500 pounds when it’s properly equipped. All-wheel drive is offered at an extra cost.

The 2017 Buick Enclave Sport Touring Edition will be offered in two trim levels called Leather and Premium, respectively, when it goes on sale this summer. We’ll have to wait until closer to the crossover’s on-sale date to find out how much of a premium the Sport Touring package carries. Customers who like the equipment bundled into the Sport Touring edition but who find the three-row Enclave too big can look at other similarly equipped Buick models including the LaCrosse, the Regal, the Verano, and the Encore.

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

Ronan Glon is an American automotive and tech journalist based in southern France. As a long-time contributor to Digital…

Cars

Buy Now, Upgrade Later: Slate’s $25K Truck Flips the Script on EVs

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A new electric vehicle startup—quietly backed by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos—is building something bold in Michigan. Not just a car, but a whole new idea of what an EV company can be. Slate Auto is a stealthy new automaker with one mission: ditch the luxury-first EV playbook and start from the affordable —which most drivers actually seek.
The start-up has been operating out of public sight since 2022, until TechCrunch found out about its existence. Of course, creating a little mystery about a potentially game-changing concept is a well-tested marketing approach.
But Slate truly seems to approach EVs in a very different way than most: It isn’t debuting with a six-figure spaceship-on-wheels. Instead, it's targeting the holy grail of EV dreams: a two-seat electric pickup truck for just $25,000. Yep, twenty-five grand. That’s less than a tricked-out golf cart in some neighborhoods. Slate is flipping the Tesla model on its head. Tesla, but also the likes of Lucid, BMW, and to a certain degree, Rivian, all started with high-end vehicles to build brand and bankroll future affordable car. But Slate wants to start with the people’s pickup—and letting it grow with you.
This isn’t just a cheap car. It’s a modular, upgradeable EV that’s meant to be personalized over time. Buy the basic model now, then add performance, tech, or lifestyle upgrades later—kind of like building your own dream ride one paycheck at a time. It’s a DIY car for a generation raised on customization and subscriptions. The company even trademarked the phrase: “We built it. You make it.”
Backing up this idea is an equally bold strategy: selling accessories, apparel, and utility add-ons à la Harley-Davidson and Jeep’s MoPar division. You’re not just buying a vehicle; you’re buying into a lifestyle. Think affordable EV meets open-source car culture.
Slate's approach isn't just novel—it's almost rebellious. At a time when other startups risk folding under the weight of their own lofty ambitions, Slate is keeping things lean, scalable, and customer focused. The company reportedly plans to source major components like battery packs and motors from outside suppliers, keeping manufacturing costs low while focusing energy on design, experience, and upgrade paths.
Sure, it’s all been kept under wraps—until now. With plans to begin production near Indianapolis by next year, the wraps are about to come off this EV underdog.
While, at least in spirit, the U.S. market has been dominated by high-end EVs, Slate’s “start small, scale with you” philosophy might be just the jolt the industry needs.

Cars

Kia EV9 and EV6 now fully qualify for the $7,500 tax credit – except for one trim

Kia EV 9

As Kia reported record first-quarter sales, Eric Watson, Kia America VP of sales, made a point of painting a rosy picture for the future: Now that the latest versions of its two best-selling electric vehicles, the EV9 and the EV6, are in full-scale production at Kia’s plant in Georgia, the road is paved for further sales growth.
After all, when Kia announced it was switching production of the EV9 to the U.S. from South Korea in 2023, it largely based its decision on its EVs being eligible for the $7,500 tax credit on new EV purchases offered under President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
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As for the EV6, 2025 marks the first time its production takes place stateside, and most of its trims have also become eligible for the full tax credit.
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The full credit should still be available for those who lease the vehicles, as leasing does not have the same sourcing requirements under the IRA.
Another big unknown for the GT trims is whether the U.S.’ 25% tariffs on all imported vehicles will again be applied. On Wednesday, President Donald Trump paused most tariffs announced in early April for 90 days.
While prices for the new EV6 and EV9 have yet to be revealed, the combination of the tariffs and the inegibility for the tax credit could seriously dent the appeal of the GT trims.

Android

AR driving at last – this Android Auto feature could mean navigation on smart glass

AR driving

A heads-up display while driving has always been the dream use of AR glasses and now it looks like that could soon become a reality.

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