The Buick Encore is the brand’s first subcompact crossover, and it has done well in the market. The Encore has a cousin in Germany, the Opel Mokka, and that model has just received its first update along with a new suffix?it’s now called the Mokka X. The revisions provide an early indication of what we can expect in our soon-to-arrive updated Encore.

The cosmetic changes make the Mokka look better than before. Horizontal headlights with available LED technology help to bring down the crossover’s visual height and feature available adaptive front lighting, the grille gets a new contour that reflects recent Buick concepts, and the taillights receive new inner workings that look a bit more angular and less bubbly.

The interior is dominated by a reshaped dashboard that emphasizes horizontal lines. Image some fake wood decor in the Mokka pictured here, and you get an idea what a post-facelift Buick Encore will look like. Connectivity has been improved with an available larger, 8.0-inch touchscreen and the addition of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality.
Under the hood, the Mokka X adds a new 1.6-liter turbodiesel but, unsurprisingly, it won’t be headed to the U.S. The Opel also offers a new, gasoline-powered 153-hp 1.4-liter turbo four with direct injection and auto stop-start. That engine, with 15 more ponies than the standard Encore unit, is already here, in the new-for-2016 Encore Sport Touring.

2016 Buick Encore Sport Touring: The Tiny ...