Buick would apparently be selling more Opel Mokka-based Encores in the US, if the model had a gutsier engine available under the bonnet, as the 1.4-liter 138 hp unit that it’s now available with isn’t to all buyers’ liking.
An Edmunds report, quoting unnamed inside sources, says that they just might do something about that, in an effort to further align the brand with Europe’s Opel, and that something may be a diesel engine – it's range is pretty much aligned, with only the Enclave SUV not sharing its underpinnings with a Euro model, and the Verano and Regal sedans clearly showing their origins.
That means fitting a diesel shouldn’t be a problem, as the basic frames have been thought up with the oil-burning units in mind too. However, while all the sedan models in the range would have no trouble taking a 2.0-liter engine (diesel or otherwise), the Encore, with its very short hood, can only go as high 1.6L. Luckily, Opel does have a new turbocharged 1.6-liter petrol unit too, and if the source is right, it might be the one to boost the Encore’s popularity.
Sticking to the theme of this article, it’s worth mentioning that Buick adopting diesel power plants in the US would be a natural move, as their premium European rivals are doing so too. It would also help create more demand at GM’s Euro engine plants too, making the management less inclined to fire people for the greater good of the company, as Ford is doing in Belgium.
It is not known when Buick will officially go diesel, and while the Encore is the model most in need of a new, more powerful engine, that extra power will probably come by simply burning more gasoline. The Verano is apparently the most suitable to currently get one, but so are their other sedan models, if that’s the case.
By Andrei Nedelea
