OREANDA-NEWS. January 17, 2013.  The Buick Encore passed a milestone today as shipments began to dealers. Within the next few weeks, test drives will be available at Buick dealers around the country allowing prospective customers to experience the first luxury small crossover from Buick.

“Encore delivers Buick’s signature quiet and well-crafted luxury in a new and unexpected package,” said Tony DiSalle, vice president of Buick Marketing. “Having vehicles on trucks and heading to dealers means we’re one step closer to letting customers experience that for themselves.”

The 2013 Encore is unlike any vehicle in the brand’s 110-year history, offering a unique combination of size, efficiency and value.

Autotrader.com recently named Encore to its list of “Top 10 Must Test Drive Vehicles for 2013,” calling it a “nimble crossover SUV with an exceptionally quiet ride, a high-tech interior and estimated highway fuel economy of 33 mpg.”

Encore has a suggested retail price of USD 24,950 and its EPA estimated fuel economy of 25 city/33 highway earned the vehicle a place on the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy list of “Greener Choices 2013.”

Standard features include IntelliLink connectivity with intuitive voice commands, 10 air bags, and a rear vision camera. Encore offers innovative active safety systems including Forward Collision Alert, which uses a camera-based system to alert the driver of a possible collision, and Lane Departure Warning, which alerts the driver when a lane marker is crossed without the use of a turn signal.