General Motors has been experimenting with a lot of different crossovers and SUV variants, oftentimes taking classic marques and giving them a complete makeover in ways you may not have been expecting. The Buick Enclave is one of those brands that you probably didn’t expect to see breaking molds and stepping outside the box as a style-leader in the crossover segment, but that appears to be what General Motors have been using the Enclave for. In particular, the 2021 Buick Enclave Avenir has some exciting new features to match its increasingly sleek design.
Avenir Trim Retained
During the introduction of the second generation of the Buick Enclave, General Motors launched a new trim for the midsize crossover SUV. It was a luxury trim known as the Avenir. The second generation Enclave’s four trim levels are broken down based on specs, packages, and the inclusion of lavish accessories.
At the base is the Preferred trim, followed by the Essence, with the Premium trim in the penultimate position, and the Avenir at the top. Each trim line contains a number of new or standard features above the one below it, and that’s also reflected in the price. The Avenir, for example, has an MSRP that’s approximately $14,000 more than the base Preferred trim, but that’s because of what it includes.
There has been a troubling trend in some cases where a popular marque has several of its trims reduced or removed from the lineup, leaving potential shoppers in the cold when it comes to purchasing options. As some of you know, the Avenir trim has been cut from several of General Motors’ other 2021 model year lineups. Thankfully that’s not the case with the Enclave. For the 2021 Buick Enclave model year outing, the automaker decided to retain the Avenir trim for the crossover SUV, giving car shoppers out there a reason to be excited about a premium luxury option for the visually fetching utility vehicle.
Exclusive Luxury Packages
The Buick Enclave has a number of packages available for each trim variation of the model. However, not every package makes it to each new model year, and not every package is available for every trim iteration. Some trims even include certain package features as standard features, like the Avenir, which makes it look much more enticing for some potential shoppers.
In other cases, there are packages only available for certain trims and for specific model years that come equipped with some quality content. For instance, there are exclusive luxury packages available for the Avenir you won’t be able to get with any other trim for the Buick Enclave. This includes the Avenir Premium Suspension Package and the Avenir Technology Package.
With the Avenir Premium Suspension Package, ride smoothness is increased thanks to a premium suspension kit with hydraulic dampers and steering calibration for real-time damping. This is accomplished by utilizing sensors that make micro-adjustments every two milliseconds. This enables the Enclave Avenir to react less to bumps or changes in road surfaces, providing drivers with a seemingly uninterrupted cruising experience.
The Avenir Technology Package attempts to improve the way the crossover SUV handles even more by including advanced adaptive cruise control, as well as enhanced automatic emergency braking. The advanced cruise control is operated by a number of sensors that automatically slows the vehicle down and maintains a safe distance from other vehicles in the lane, ensuring maximum safety for everyone on the road.
In addition to the exclusive packages, the 2021 Buick Enclave Avenir also comes standard with the 20-inch aluminum brushed wheels, with a premium pearl-nickel finish, which isn’t available for any other trims of the Buick Enclave. To really spruce up the exclusivity of the Avenir’s luxury status, there are six exterior colors to choose from to help set the crossover apart from everything else on the road, including White Frost Tricoat, Satin Steel Metallic, Ebony Twilight Metallic, Champagne Gold Metallic, Rich Garnet Metallic, and Dark Slate Metallic.
Avenir Interior and Infotainment Suite
Some of the changes made to the 2021 lineup of Buick Enclave models include interior and infotainment alterations. While some package rearrangements have occurred regarding what features are available for some trims and how other packages will require prerequisite packaging, the Avenir has plenty of features made standard. For instance, the Premium trim requires the Sun and Sights Package or the Surround and Sites Package in order to access the Buick Infotainment upgrade and 20-inch polished aluminum wheels. However, these features come standard with the 2021 Buick Enclave Avenir.
In particular, sight-seers and drivers who enjoy soaking in the sun-rays can enjoy access to a standard built-in moonroof with a fixed rear skylight. This feature includes powered front panels that can tilt open at the push of a button, as well as an optional manual sunshade that can be closed to reduce sunlight coming in from the panels. Additional exclusive features for the interior of the Avenir include chestnut/ebony interior color schemes with seat stitching and piping, as well as specially embroidered headrests and floor mats with matching film décor accents and real-wood highlights along the steering wheel.
Wireless charging pads and an 8-inch diagonal Buick Infotainment System with built-in navigation and a customizable Driver Information Center module are standard accouterments inside the Avenir, along with a rear camera mirror and HD Surround Vision. All of these standard upgraded features are a major part of why the Avenir has a much higher price than the base Preferred. After all, the Avenir is called the luxury Enclave trim for a reason; it’s packed with luxury features.
Heavy-Duty Cooling and Engine Block Heating
It might seem dichotomous to have heavy-duty cooling and engine heating in the same sentence as exciting features for the Buick Enclave Avenir, but both of these features serve vastly different yet important purposes. The availability of the 5,000 lbs Trailering Package for the Avenir trim means that you have access to a heavy-duty cooling system that allows the Enclave to trailer up to 5,000 lbs worth of cargo with proper hitching equipment attached. That’s 3,500 lbs more than what the standard tow rating is for the 2021 Buick Enclave.
This means that if you had planned on using the Enclave Avenir to tow a camper, you could do so for any lightweight camper that comes in under 5,000 lbs. Alternatively, you could trailer another vehicle, such as off-road bikes, ATVs, or even a small boat, much more so than you could with the standard Enclave.
The engine block heater serves an entirely different purpose. It comes standard with the Enclave Avenir and is designed to use fluids to heat the engine block to help get the Avenir going even during extremely cold weather. So no matter what your weather conditions are, the Avenir is always designed to get you up and moving without any problems whatsoever. That would surely come in handy for anyone planning regular traversal where the temperature dips quite low.
Dash of Luxury Before Refresh
While the changes from 2020 to 2021 aren’t necessarily huge, it’s still a nice gesture to see quality put front and center for the 2021 Buick Enclave Avenir. If you really love what General Motors has done with the Buick Enclave for 2021, then it looks like the Avenir will be a worthwhile model to check as a culmination of their efforts. The Avenir combines all of the loved parts of the Buick lineup and wraps it all up in a luxury package that will have you happy to get behind the wheel.
