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China's Buick LaCrosse is cooler than ours
The North American-market Buick LaCrosse is pretty lame. Sporting Jaguar and/or last-gen Lexus GS styling cues in front and Ford Taurus-esque taillamps in back, the car just doesn't get one's heart racing. It's trying much too hard to be something it's not -- or in this case, up to three things it's not. GM can send fleets of Buicks to SEMA and rattle on about how they're trying to get the brand to appeal to a younger demo, but come on. The LaCrosse, like the Regal and Century it replaced, is still pretty much a retiree's car.
What to do? For starters, GM can facelift it to look like the Chinese version (TV spot above), which is a lot better-looking than its American counterpart. The Chinese car gets a Lucerne-style front fascia (a good thing) and clear taillamp assemblies that look like the ones you find on the Altima. So, while the rear is still a pretty clear ripoff of something else, at least it's lifting cues from a car that's currently on the market -- better still, one that non-AARP members are actually interested in.
The delicious irony here is that the US-market LaCrosse looks like a Chinese car, while the Chinese one looks more American. Go figure. Follow the jump to see some side-by-side photos of both sedans and let us know which one you think is the better of the two.
LaCrosse vs. LaCrosse
Chinese Buick LaCrosse - Detail
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
web design 2:42PM (5/23/2009)
what is the dead line for GM for declaring bankruptcy.
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ron 1:01PM (11/26/2006)
The grill is a dead ringer for the one on my Sable! What I don't understand why does a company like GM go thru the added expense of having multiple variations of the same car for different markets when one would do just fine.
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Michael 11:26AM (3/29/2008)
Lmao! When this car first came out, that is the first word that came out of my mouth. "It's a damn Sable with Lexus lights."
I'd take the front end of the U.S. version and add the back end of the Chinese version. But even the back end reminds me an Nissan Altima. The back end of the U.S. version looks like a Mercury Sable. GM needs to get rid of those old guys in there and bring in some young designers.
John 1:04PM (11/26/2006)
Ford Five hundred + Nissan Altima anyone?
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robb 1:05PM (11/26/2006)
Not only is the Buick better looking in China, as a percentage of GM sales, it has been a better seller over the last five years. The problem with your suggestion: the Chinese have no 5 mph bumper requirements. This and other regulatory drivers often makes just bringing over a vehicle to another market impossible, something the OEMs bitch about on a constant basis.
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Misaniovent 1:04PM (11/26/2006)
Am I the only person who thinks that the American LaCrosse is more attractive?
With that in mind, although I think the Chinese LaCrosse looks more than a little bit like an old LS400 or a S-Class, the interior is much superior to the American version.
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KC 1:16PM (11/26/2006)
how long has that version of the lacrosse been on the market in China? just wondering if Nissan stole those tail lamps on the new Altima from the Chinese GM or vice versa.
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starlightmica 1:24PM (11/26/2006)
Chinese LaCrosse came out this spring, I think. And the upcoming Chinese SLS looks a lot nicer than the US STS.
Cost cutting move for GM: fire everyone at the Tubes. Outsource management, design, and engineering, to China, GMDAT, Holden, GM EU.
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Dan 1:27PM (11/26/2006)
Sorry but I prefer the U.S. model! The Chinese version is too bulky and derivative for my taste...
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Ryan 1:30PM (11/26/2006)
The USA LaCrosse, even at introduction, looks like something (esp the front) that EVEN GM could have come out with 10 years ago.
I mean really,
Does the car ***look*** any more modern than a 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue?
-And that back quarter panel of the US version is a total ripoff if the Hyundai Azera, it might be the other way around, I'm not sure.
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Ryan 1:33PM (11/26/2006)
It's funny how the Buick logo is red,white and blue, in China. And it's all silver on all the new US Buicks.
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Chris 1:41PM (11/26/2006)
The Chinese LaCrosse is much bigger than the one sold here in the U.S. It's about the same size as a Town Car or DTS and very nicely trimmed on the inside with a massive rear seat.
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riverhead 1:47PM (11/26/2006)
The Chinese version seems to use newer GM styling cues, such as those from the Saturn Aura. Check out the side view - the wheel wells and tail lights are all Aura. I think the Chinese model is much more attractive. Are you listenign GM? We want a better LaCrosse.
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ROB B 1:50PM (11/26/2006)
Haha yeah #2, I thought that too. The front reminds me of a 500 and the rear an Altima. I like the U.S version much more.
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Ralph 1:51PM (11/26/2006)
It's comforting to realize that GM now considers the United States their secondary market, after China. First it's tne new SLS Cadillac, a far nicer car than the domestic STS on which it's based, and now it's the China LaX -- the car Buick should have been selling here. I guess GM just doesn't want to sell cars here.
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jamie 2:34PM (11/26/2006)
It's really simple.
Chevrolet should build the mainstream cars and trucks.
Pontiac should take on a more sporty luxury stance to compete with BMW. No need to have Chevy duplicate this line.
And Buick should concentrate more on a touring luxury venue to compete with Mercedes. This would draw younger buyers to the marque.
Cadillac would therefore have to move further upscale.
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MikeW 2:50PM (11/26/2006)
no red turn signals, even in 'red' china, kind of makes you think, GM?
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Los 2:55PM (11/26/2006)
Am I the only one who thinks American automakers aren't even trying in the US anymore and have just given up on the market as a whole?
I've lost faith in the fact that any of the big 2.5-3 will bring anything to spark my interest to the table anymore.
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Mark 3:11PM (11/26/2006)
Even the Chinese market Buick GL8 minivan looks better than the Terraza, and it's based on the 1997 Chevrolet Venture!
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Andy 3:58PM (11/26/2006)
The Chinese Buick doesn't excite me. It reminds me of a blockier Hyundai or Nissan. It's not unattractive, but it doesn't evoke grand feelings. It's not hard to produce something that looks better than the American LaCrosse--it's a joke. A decent sedan, but a styling failure.
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