The new Buick Encore will hit the market in early 2013, using a four-cylinder turbo engine that the EPA has rated at 28 mpg combined.
The 1.4-liter turbo makes 140 hp and 148 lb-ft of torque in the Encore, and is mated to a front-wheel drive six-speed automatic transmission. Weight savings thanks to high-strength steel help the Encore to stay light, letting it achieve 25 mpg city, 33 mpg highway and a combined 28 mpg EPA rating.
When equipped with the 1.6-liter four-cylinder EcoBoost, the Ford Escape is rated at 33 mpg highway and 23 mpg city. The fuel economy edge may go to the Encore by 2 mpg in the city, but the Escape makes 178 hp and 184 ft-lb, a significant boost in power. Other competitors that get beat by the Encore in the fuel efficiency department are the Jeep Compass, and Mini Countryman S.
What GM doesn’t mention in its press release is the Nissan Juke, which nets 27 mpg in the city and 32 on the highway, all while making 188 hp and 177 lb-ft of torque.
GALLERY: 2013 Buick Encore
