2020 Buick Encore GX

small SUV / 4-door SUV

Crashworthiness

Rating overview
Evaluation criteria	Rating
Small overlap front: driver-side
Small overlap front: passenger-side
Moderate overlap front: original test
Side: original test

Other available safety features

Optional blind spot detection
Standard lane departure warning & prevention

Key

G
Good
A
Acceptable
M
Marginal
P
Poor

Superior
Advanced
Basic

Some ratings use a scale of Poor to Good. Others range from Basic to Superior.

Small overlap front: driver-side

Rating applies to 2020-25 models

Tested vehicle: 2021 Buick Encore GX Select 4-door 4wd

The Buick Encore GX was introduced in the 2020 model year as a replacement for the Buick Encore, while the 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer returns after an 11-year absence from the market as a replacement for the Chevrolet Trax. Two small overlap frontal tests of the Encore GX were conducted, one by the Institute and the other by General Motors . Ratings are based on both tests, but the vehicle specifications shown below are based on the Institute’s test.

Evaluation criteria	Rating

Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Hip/thigh
Lower leg/foot
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics

Action shot taken during the small overlap frontal crash test.

The dummy's position in relation to the door frame, steering wheel, and instrument panel after the crash test indicates that the driver's survival space was maintained very well.

The frontal and side curtain airbags worked well together to keep the head from coming close to any stiff structure or outside objects that could cause injury.

The driver's space was maintained well, and risk of injuries to the dummy's legs and feet was low.

Technical measurements for this test

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTN2105	CEN2104
Lower occupant compartment
Lower hinge pillar max (cm)	6	5
Footrest (cm)	5	2
Left toepan (cm)	2	1
Brake pedal (cm)	3	2
Parking brake (cm)
Rocker panel lateral average (cm)	1	1
Upper occupant compartment
Steering column	0	0
Upper hinge pillar max (cm)	6	4
Upper dash (cm)	6	2
Lower instrument panel (cm)	5	2

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTN2105	CEN2104
Head
HIC-15	154	122
Peak gs at hard contact	no contact	no contact
Neck
Tension (kN)	1.1	1.1
Extension bending moment (Nm)	19	12
Maximum Nij	0.21	0.20
Chest maximum compression (mm)	20	24
Femur (kN)
Left	1.1	0.1
Right	1.0	0.2
Knee displacement (mm)
Left	1	0
Right	1	0
Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%)
Left	0	0
Right	0	0
Maximum tibia index
Left	0.44	0.66
Right	0.42	0.50
Tibia axial force (kN)
Left	1.8	1.6
Right	1.3	1.8
Foot acceleration (g)
Left	54	50
Right	112	40

About the small overlap front test

Small overlap front: passenger-side

Rating applies to 2020-25 models

Tested vehicle: 2021 Buick Encore GX Essence 4-door 4wd

The Buick Encore GX was introduced in the 2020 model year as a replacement for the Buick Encore, while the 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer returns after an 11-year absence from the market as a replacement for the Chevrolet Trax. Passenger-side small overlap frontal ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test of a 2021 Encore GX conducted by General Motors.

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Passenger injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Hip/thigh
Lower leg/foot
Passenger restraints and dummy kinematics
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Hip/thigh
Lower leg/foot
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics

Technical measurements for this test

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTP2109
Lower occupant compartment
Lower hinge pillar max (cm)	8
Footrest (cm)	4
Right toepan (cm)	0
Center toepan (cm)	2
Rocker panel lateral average (cm)	0
Upper occupant compartment
Center dash (cm)	5
Upper hinge pillar max (cm)	7
Upper dash (cm)	7
Right lower dash (cm)	6

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTP2109
Head
HIC-15	243
Peak gs at hard contact	no contact
Neck
Tension (kN)	0.7
Extension bending moment (Nm)	14
Maximum Nij	0.18
Chest maximum compression (mm)	16
Femur (kN)
Left	1.9
Right	3.0
Knee displacement (mm)
Left	4
Right	10
Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%)
Left	0
Right	0
Maximum tibia index
Left	0.75
Right	0.86
Tibia axial force (kN)
Left	2.7
Right	2.8
Foot acceleration (g)
Left	50
Right	38

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTP2109
Head
HIC-15	168
Peak gs at hard contact	no contact
Neck
Tension (kN)	1.1
Extension bending moment (Nm)	11
Maximum Nij	0.20
Chest maximum compression (mm)	22
Femur (kN)
Left	0.0
Right	0.1
Knee displacement (mm)
Left	0
Right	0
Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%)
Left	0
Right	0
Maximum tibia index
Left	0.26
Right	0.25
Tibia axial force (kN)
Left	0.5
Right	0.8
Foot acceleration (g)
Left	40
Right	55

About the small overlap front test

Moderate overlap front: original test

Rating applies to 2020-25 models

Tested vehicle: 2021 Buick Encore GX Select 4-door 4wd

The Buick Encore GX was introduced in the 2020 model year as a replacement for the Buick Encore, while the 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer returns after an 11-year absence from the market as a replacement for the Chevrolet Trax. Moderate overlap frontal ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test of a 2021 Encore GX conducted by General Motors.

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Leg/foot, left
Leg/foot, right
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics

Technical measurements for this test

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTF2104
Footwell intrusion
Footrest (cm)	3
Left (cm)	3
Center (cm)	4
Right (cm)	9
Brake pedal (cm)	10
Instrument panel rearward movement
Left (cm)	0
Right (cm)	0
Steering column movement
Upward (cm)	-2
Rearward (cm)	9
A-pillar rearward movement (cm)	0

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTF2104
Head
HIC-15	180
Peak gs at hard contact	no contact
Neck
Tension (kN)	1.2
Extension bending moment (Nm)	9
Maximum Nij	0.22
Chest maximum compression (mm)	23
Legs
Femur force - left (kN)	0.2
Femur force - right (kN)	1.9
Knee displacement - left (mm)	0
Knee displacement - right (mm)	0
Maximum tibia index - left	0.36
Maximum tibia index - right	0.46
Tibia axial force - left (kN)	1.7
Tibia axial force - right (kN)	5.6
Foot acceleration (g)
Left	64
Right	129

About the original moderate overlap front test

Side: original test

Rating applies to 2020-25 models

Tested vehicle: 2020 Buick Encore GX Essence 4-door 4wd

The Buick Encore GX was introduced in the 2020 model year as a replacement for the Buick Encore, while the 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer returns after an 11-year absence from the market as a replacement for the Chevrolet Trax. Side ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test of a 2021 Encore GX conducted by General Motors.

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Driver head protection
Rear passenger injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Rear passenger head protection

Technical measurements for this test

Test ID	VTS2104
B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm)	-18.0
Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline.

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTS2104
Head HIC-15	268
Neck
Tension (kN)	1.1
Compression (kN)	0.2
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm)	35
Lateral force (kN)	1.7
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm)	36
Average deflection (mm)	32
Maximum deflection rate (m/s)	4.59
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s)	0.68
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN)	1.2
Acetabulum force (kN)	1.7
Combined force (kN)	2.8
Left femur
L-M force (kN)	0.9
L-M moment (Nm)	171
A-P moment (Nm)	16

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTS2104
Head HIC-15	173
Neck
Tension (kN)	0.6
Compression (kN)	0.1
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm)	23
Lateral force (kN)	1.1
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm)	28
Average deflection (mm)	26
Maximum deflection rate (m/s)	2.28
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s)	0.28
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN)	0.5
Acetabulum force (kN)	1.6
Combined force (kN)	2.0
Left femur
L-M force (kN)	0.8
L-M moment (Nm)	70
A-P moment (Nm)	20

About the original side crash test