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2015 Buick Verano gets styling tweak, loses 6-speed manual

Well, all good things must come to an end. For 2015, the Buick Verano's experiment with a manual transmission will cease, as the American manufacturer has announced it will discontinue the 6MT in the turbocharged version of its compact sedan. According to Buick, the take rate on the Verano Turbo 6MT was (unsurprisingly) low, leading to its discontinuation.
That's not the only bit of news for the Verano, though. After a few years on the market, Buick has seen fit to refresh the popular sedan. The visual changes aren't huge, really, with subtle tweaks to the headlights and taillights. We'd bargain that the average passer-by wouldn't notice a difference between the two.
The main aesthetic change is a new appearance package, available on the mid-range Convenience and Leather option groups. Unimaginatively called just that - Appearance Package - it offers up a new paint color, Desert Dusk Metallic, as well as a grille treatment and a rear spoiler. The new package is, however, limited to naturally aspirated models.

2013 Buick Encore nets strong IIHS, NHTSA safety scores

After being crushed from every which way and rolled over like a labrador, the 2013 Buick Encore has been named a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. To earn the accolade, a vehicle must achieve the highest rating of "Good" in each of the institute's four main crash tests: Front Moderate Overlap, Side, Rollover and Rear. The Encore aced those four tests with "Good" ratings, but missed out on the coveted Top Safety Pick+ designation by receiving a Poor rating in the institute's new Front Small Overlap test. To be named a Top Safety Pick+, the Encore would need to score at least an "Acceptable" rating in the new test, as well as "Good" in all four original crash tests.
Despite the miss, the Encore joins the Enclave, LaCrosse, Verano and Regal as Top Safety Picks all. If you count only the Encore with all-wheel drive, then all five Buicks have also earned five-star overall ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Adminstration, making Buick one of the few manufacturers to offer a full lineup with high scores from both safety rating organizations.
The front-wheel-drive Encore, despite performing equally as well as the all-wheel-drive version in NHTSA's crash tests, only earned four stars overall. As far as we can tell, the discrepancy between the two is because some safety equipment, like Forward Collision Warning and Lane Departure Assist, are optional features on the FWD Encore and standard on the AWD model.

Buick Envision cabin detailed ahead of reveal later this month

Buick teased the arrival of the China-market Envision last month and gave us a few specs, now it's teasing the midsize crossover's interior and features. Having said it will "set a new benchmark in terms of space, safety, performance and specifications," we're told that equipment like the heated leather steering wheel and Bose-sourced active noise cancellation are market firsts in the segment.
Elsewhere, light will shine on occupants through the panoramic roof during the day and via ice blue ambient lighting at night, and seating surfaces are being shown off with dual-stitched leather. Lane departure warning and parking assist help keep the bodywork in order, stop/start ignition fitted to the 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder with 256 horsepower and 260 pound-feet will help keep fuel economy up. One more convenience for the model's core buyers: a tailgate that can be partially opened.
The Normal, Tour, Sport and Off-Road driving modes come courtesy of FlexRide, that last one - meant for extra-light-duty dirt work, naturally - appearing on a Buick for the first time.