Until now, you'd have been hard-pressed to find the words "Buick" and "compact five-door crossover" in the same sentence.

But as of this month's Detroit Auto Show, the 2013 Buick Encore--available at dealers roughly a year from now--takes GM's entry luxury brand into new territory.

It's a five-door hatchback crossover that's actually built on a platform adapted from the 2012 Chevy Sonic subcompact.

The 2013 Encore crossover carries traditional Buick styling cues on the outside, in compressed form.

Inside, the Encore offers a luxurious interior with standard or optional features that include remote vehicle start, automatic wipers, dual zone climate control, heated steering wheel, and a premium sound system with active noise canceling.

The engine may be the smallest one ever offered in a Buick.

It's a 140-horsepower, 1.4-liter turbocharged four, paired with a six-speed automatic transmission driving the front wheels. Buick confirmed that hasn't said whether there will be an all-wheel drive version.

Check out our video walkaround of the Encore above, and our Detroit Auto Show page for more information on all the new cars and concepts at the country's largest and most influential auto show.

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