Does The Encore Have What It Takes To Challenge The Countryman?

The 2013 Buick Encore is unlike anything the GM subsidiary has produced before. It’s tiny. Really tiny. It’s so tiny that you need to see it in person to appreciate the size of its footprint. Since it won’t be on sale for some time, this is the best we can say: its 100.6-inch wheelbase is shorter than a Mini Countryman (102.2 inches).

 

It’s only 168.5 inches long, which so far as we can tell, means the only crossovers with less length are the aforementioned Mini (161.8 inches) and the Nissan Juke (162.4 inches). It’s a mere 69.9-inches wide (not counting the door mirrors). For reference, your author is about three inches taller than the Encore is wide. These numbers might not seem that odd for an entry-level Kia, but they’re positively baffling for an all-wheel-drive crossover, especially one that purports to offer a high degree of luxury.