After a series of price increases and a significant dip in sales, one Buick SUV is preparing to leave China behind, with its next generation slated for production in Kansas.
GM has confirmed that the third-generation Buick Envision will be built in the United States. Assembly will take place at the Fairfax Assembly plant in Kansas City, where it will share production lines with the Chevrolet Equinox. Manufacturing is scheduled to begin in 2028, following the discontinuation of the Chevrolet Bolt.
The Envision, which is currently produced in China, has been heavily impacted by tariffs introduced under the Trump administration. In response, Buick recently raised prices by $3,000, coming on the heels of an earlier increase. Altogether, the model’s base price has jumped by $4,500 in less than a year.
As a result, the 2026 Buick Envision now carries a starting price of $41,000, not including the $1,995 destination charge. That pricing places it firmly in premium territory, and the increases appear to be taking a toll on demand.
While overall Envision sales declined a modest 11.4 percent last year to 41,924 units, the situation worsened dramatically toward the end of the year.
Fourth-quarter sales plunged by 60.9 percent. Despite that sharp drop, the Envision still ended the year as Buick’s third best-selling model, accounting for just over 20 percent of the brand’s total annual sales of 198,155 vehicles.
Even so, General Motors has effectively acknowledged that the current setup could not continue. In a short statement, the automaker confirmed it will “onshore production of the next-generation Buick compact SUV to Fairfax Assembly in Kansas City, beginning in 2028.”
GM offered few additional details but emphasized that the move “further strengthens GM’s domestic manufacturing footprint and supports U.S. jobs, building on $5.5 billion in new investments announced across our U.S. manufacturing sites in the last year.”
When asked whether the current Envision will remain on sale until the next-generation model arrives, GM stopped short of a clear answer. A spokesperson said, “We are working through the model transition plan,” suggesting decisions have yet to be finalized.
The announcement also quietly confirmed the upcoming end of the Chevrolet Bolt. Although the EV was recently relaunched, GM had previously described it as a “limited run model.”
That characterization now appears accurate, as Fairfax Assembly is set to be retooled to build the Chevrolet Equinox starting in 2027. This timeline implies the Bolt may only remain in production for roughly another year.
The third-generation Buick Envision will follow the Equinox into the plant a year later, potentially pointing to shared components or engineering.
For reference, the current Equinox is powered by a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine producing 175 hp (131 kW / 177 PS) and up to 203 lb-ft (275 Nm) of torque, paired with either a continuously variable transmission or an eight-speed automatic.
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