2026 Buick Encore GX
small SUV / 4-door SUV
Small overlap front
The small overlap front evaluation consists of a driver-side and a passenger-side component. If the results of the two evaluations differ, then the combined small overlap rating is equal to the lower rating.
Driver-side
Tested vehicle: 2021 Buick Encore GX Select 4-door 4wd
Rating applies to 2020-26 models
The Buick Encore GX was introduced in the 2020 model year as a replacement for the Buick Encore, while the 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer returned 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 |
|---|---|
| Overall driver-side evaluation | |
| Structure and safety cage | |
| Driver injury measures | |
| Head/neck | |
| Chest | |
| Hip/thigh | |
| Lower leg/foot | |
| Driver restraints and dummy kinematics | |
Technical measurements for this test
Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side
| 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 |
Driver injury measures
| 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 |
Passenger-side
Tested vehicle: 2021 Buick Encore GX Essence 4-door 4wd
Rating applies to 2020-26 models
The Buick Encore GX was introduced in the 2020 model year as a replacement for the Buick Encore, while the 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer returned 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 passenger-side 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
Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on passenger side
| 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 |
Passenger injury measures
| 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 |
Driver injury measures
| 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 |
Side: updated test
Tested vehicle: 2026 Chevrolet Trailblazer RS 4-door 4wd
Rating applies to 2026 models built after February 2026
The Buick Encore GX was introduced in the 2020 model year as a replacement for the Buick Encore, while the 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer returned after an 11-year absence from the market as a replacement for the Chevrolet Trax. Beginning with 2026 models built after February 2026, changes were made to the side structure and thorax side airbag to improve occupant safety in side impact crashes (Information about when a specific vehicle was manufactured is on the certification label typically affixed to the car on the driver door or adjacent B-pillar.) Side impact ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test of a 2026 Trailblazer conducted by General Motors.
| Evaluation criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall evaluation | |
| Structure and safety cage | |
| Driver injury measures | |
| Head/neck | |
| Torso | |
| Pelvis | |
| Driver head protection | |
| Rear passenger injury measures | |
| Head/neck | |
| Torso | |
| Pelvis | |
| Rear passenger head protection | |
Technical measurements for this test
Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side
| Evaluation criteria | Measurement |
|---|---|
| Test ID | VTS2604 |
| B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm) | -17.0 |
| Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline. | |
Driver injury measures
| Evaluation criteria | Measurement |
|---|---|
| Test ID | VTS2604 |
| Head | |
| HIC-15 | 201 |
| Peak gs at hard contact | no contact |
| Neck | |
| Tension (kN) | 1.9 |
| Compression (kN) | 0.3 |
| Shoulder | |
| Lateral deflection (mm) | 21 |
| Lateral force (kN) | 0.9 |
| Torso | |
| Maximum deflection (mm) | 32 |
| Average deflection (mm) | 27 |
| Maximum deflection rate (m/s) | 2.91 |
| Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) | 0.39 |
| Pelvis | |
| Combined force (kN) | 4.1 |
Passenger injury measures
| Evaluation criteria | Measurement |
|---|---|
| Test ID | VTS2604 |
| Head | |
| HIC-15 | 216 |
| Peak gs at hard contact | no contact |
| Neck | |
| Tension (kN) | 0.5 |
| Compression (kN) | 0.4 |
| Shoulder | |
| Lateral deflection (mm) | 26 |
| Lateral force (kN) | 1.2 |
| Torso | |
| Maximum deflection (mm) | 40 |
| Average deflection (mm) | 36 |
| Maximum deflection rate (m/s) | 2.19 |
| Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) | 0.46 |
| Pelvis | |
| Combined force (kN) | 3.4 |
Whiplash prevention
Tested seat type: Power cloth seat
Rating applies to 2025-26 models
| Evaluation criteria | Rating | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall evaluation |
Technical measurements for this test
16 km/h load case (simulated 32 km/h impact)
| Injury metric | Demerits | |
|---|---|---|
| Group 1: Head and spine support | ||
| Head-pelvis relative velocity | 3.1 | 1 |
| Head contact time | 67 | |
| Group 2: Upper neck load and moment management | ||
| Max Nkm | 0.24 | 0 |
| Upper neck tension | 470 | |
| Group 3: Management of energy transferred to the occupant | ||
| T1 X maximum acceleration | 10.2 | 1 |
| Pelvis displacement (min) | -146 | |
| Total | 2 | |
24 km/h load case (simulated 48 km/h impact)
| Injury metric | Demerits | |
|---|---|---|
| Group 1: Head and spine support | ||
| Head-pelvis relative velocity | 3.7 | 1 |
| Head contact time | 68 | |
| Group 2: Upper neck load and moment management | ||
| Max Nkm | 0.55 | 1 |
| Upper neck tension | 419 | |
| Group 3: Management of energy transferred to the occupant | ||
| T1 X maximum acceleration | 15.9 | 1 |
| Pelvis displacement (min) | -204 | |
| Total | 3 | |
| Total demerits | 5 | |
|---|---|---|
Front crash prevention: vehicle-to-vehicle 2.0
Front crash prevention: pedestrian
Child seat anchors
Rating applies to 2021-26 models
| Evaluation criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall evaluation | |
| Vehicle trim | Preferred |
| Seat type | cloth |
This vehicle has 2 rear seating positions with complete child seat attachment (LATCH) hardware. It has 1 additional seating position with a tether anchor only.
| Rating icon | Rating |
|---|---|
| G | Good |
| A | Acceptable |
| M | Marginal |
| P | Poor |
| Seating positions that rely on borrowed lower anchors or have only a tether anchor available are not rated. | |
thether anchor symbol | Tether anchor |
lower anchor symbol | Lower anchors |
| Lower anchor(s) can be borrowed from adjacent positions(s) | |
| No hardware available |
Details by seating position
| Position | Rating |
|---|---|
| 1 | |
| Tether anchor | |
| easy-to-find location | |
| no other hardware could be confused for anchor | |
| Lower anchors | |
| too deep in seat | |
| not too much force needed to attach | |
| easy to maneuver around anchors | |
| 2 | |
| Tether anchor | |
| easy-to-find location | |
| no other hardware could be confused for anchor | |
| Lower anchors | |
| none available | |
| 3 | |
| Tether anchor | |
| easy-to-find location | |
| no other hardware could be confused for anchor | |
| Lower anchors | |
| too deep in seat | |
| not too much force needed to attach | |
| easy to maneuver around anchors |
Technical measurements for this test
Seat position 21
| Lower anchor A | |
|---|---|
| Open access rated | No |
| Depth (cm) | 2-4 |
| Force (lbs) | 6 |
| Clearance angle (degrees) | 77 |
| Lower anchor B | |
| Open access rated | No |
| Depth (cm) | 2-4 |
| Force (lbs) | 22 |
| Clearance angle (degrees) | 77 |
| Tether anchor | |
| Location | Middle seatback |
| Confusing hardware present | Yes |
| Has contrasting label within 3 inches of tether anchor |
Yes |
| Tether anchors can be accessed while seatback is properly positioned for use of LATCH |
Not measured |
Seat position 22
| Lower anchor A | |
|---|---|
| No lower latch for this seat position | |
| Lower anchor B | |
| No lower latch for this seat position | |
| Tether anchor | |
| Location | Middle seatback |
| Confusing hardware present | Yes |
| Has contrasting label within 3 inches of tether anchor |
Yes |
| Tether anchors can be accessed while seatback is properly positioned for use of LATCH |
Not measured |
Seat position 23
| Lower anchor A | |
|---|---|
| Open access rated | No |
| Depth (cm) | 2-4 |
| Force (lbs) | 18 |
| Clearance angle (degrees) | 81 |
| Lower anchor B | |
| Open access rated | No |
| Depth (cm) | 2-4 |
| Force (lbs) | 15 |
| Clearance angle (degrees) | 79 |
| Tether anchor | |
| Location | Middle seatback |
| Confusing hardware present | Yes |
| Has contrasting label within 3 inches of tether anchor |
Yes |
| Tether anchors can be accessed while seatback is properly positioned for use of LATCH |
Not measured |