Filed under: Sedans/Saloons, China, Buick, Misc. Auto Shows
Shanghai Motor Show: Buick Park Ave makes its entrance
Click image for 41 press kit photos of the Buick Park Avenue and here for live shots
We've pretty much told you all there is to tell about Buick's new Chinese-market Park Avenue. To review the particulars, it's derived from Holden's long-wheelbase WM platform, making essentially a rebadged Holden Statesman. The car will be assembled and sold in China, with engines built and shipped from Holden's Australian engine plant.
The car's interior gets the deluxe executive treatment, with special attention paid to the back seat passengers. Seat massagers, wood-trimmed snack trays and other amenities are all part of the package. You can read our original posts on the Park Avenue here and here, and we have the new release from GM pasted after the jump. Autoblog Chinese's live shots from Shanghai, as well as the original press kit photography, can be accessed via the galleries below. [Sources: GM, Autoblog Chinese]
Gallery: 2007 Buick Park Avenue - Live Shots
PRESS RELEASE
Park Avenue Comes to Auto Shanghai 2007
Shanghai, China - Shanghai General Motors is showing the newest member of its Buick lineup, the Park Avenue luxury sedan, on the GM stand at Auto Shanghai 2007. The Park Avenue made its global debut in Shanghai on April 10.
Like the affluent New York City boulevard of the same name, Buick's Park Avenue is trendy and luxurious. With its range of advanced technologies and high-grade amenities, not to mention a stylish design that conveys a sense of power and passion, it is representative of traditional American luxury sedans.
"The Park Avenue is the perfect blend of tranquility and power," said Shanghai GM President Ding Lei. "It shows Buick's ability to move with the times while continuing to leverage our global resources and local knowledge. Designed especially for business leaders and other elites, it is a component of our effort to maintain our leadership position in China by addressing the needs of all of our customers."
The Park Avenue is the first vehicle available in Asia that takes advantage of GM's new global rear-wheel-drive architecture. The precise and stable vehicle structure ensures a premium driving experience. At 5,175 mm in length, 1,899 mm in width and 1,480 mm in height, and with an impressive 3,009-mm wheelbase, the Park Avenue also offers a very spacious ride.
The Park Avenue's genuine leather seats, with eight-way power adjustment for the front seats, are designed to accommodate people of varying sizes. All seats incorporate a massage function. A high-quality entertainment system with LCD panels and an advanced heating, ventilation and air conditioning system offer the relaxation and comfort that one would expect of a luxury sedan. The Park Avenue's GPS navigation system contains road information for more than 300 cities in China. The Bluetooth mobile phone system is also available.
Like all Buick products, the Park Avenue offers a high level of safety and peace of mind. It is equipped with the GM Local Area Network (GM-LAN) high-speed communication system, which is based on the top-of-the-line 32-bit 500 kb/second engine control system. With a signal transmission speed approaching real time, information flow from various sensors is instantaneous, enhancing efficiency and safety. Further enhancing safety are six intelligent air bags for the driver and passengers.
The Park Avenue is powered by GM's smooth yet powerful AlloyTec V-6 engine, which accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.8 seconds. The engine control unit features the latest Bosch E77 32-bit ECM processor. With the Remote Engine Start (RES) function, the driver can start the engine up to 20 minutes in advance and within 60 meters of the vehicle. The RES function also can adjust the temperature inside the car.
Customers have a choice of two engine displacements. The Park Avenue's 3.6-liter engine generates maximum output of 187 kW (250 hp) @ 6,500 rpm and maximum torque of 340 Nm @ 3,200 rpm. Its 2.8-liter engine offers maximum output of 150 kW (201 hp) @ 6,000 rpm and maximum torque of 265 Nm @ 3,000 rpm.
Shanghai GM is offering five Park Avenue variants: the 3.6-liter Flagship, which is priced at RMB 498,800; the 3.6-liter Elite, which is priced at RMB 388,800; the 2.8-liter Luxury, which is priced at RMB 458,800; the 2.8-liter Elite, which is priced at RMB 368,800; and the 2.8-liter Comfort, which is priced at RMB 328,800.
General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world's largest automaker, has been the global industry sales leader for 76 years. Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 280,000 people around the world. With global headquarters in Detroit, GM manufactures its cars and trucks in 33 countries. In 2006, nearly 9.1 million GM cars and trucks were sold globally under the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, HUMMER, Opel, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn and Vauxhall. GM's OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services. More information on GM can be found at www.gm.com.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
In2uition 7:11PM (4/20/2007)
Too bad we can see this stateside (for now)...I think its a nice addition to Buick.
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Bryan 7:22PM (4/20/2007)
Thats a nice Buick. And I am only 28! Why isnt this here? Why wasn't this the old PA replacement? GM has been getting a lot right lately but Buick has been crapped on and kicked to the curb here.
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SherbornSean 7:26PM (4/20/2007)
Due to the US regulatory environment, it used to be that Americans felt unfairly treated because European carmakers savedir all the best cars for Europe.
Now, we pine for Chinese Buicks, which shows what a sad state the American car industry is in.
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dave 7:50PM (4/20/2007)
If I have my figures correct, this car is the same length and an inch wider than a Lucerne.
Being RWD, it would probably have less interior space and be more expensive than Lucerne.
I like it, but I'm not completely convinced that it would serve Buick's buyers any better than the Lucerne.
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Derek 8:14PM (4/20/2007)
The really funny thing is that the model seems to have gone through a name change... on the license plate in Chinese, is the model name, being "Lincoln Blvd" Guess that this more upsacale than a "Park Avenue"? :)
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Bryan 8:21PM (4/20/2007)
Sherborn, it is just Buick. Saturn, Cadi, GMC, Chevy, all the rest have nice desirable automobiles we want. It is just poor Buick that has been forgotten. I still think Olds should have been kept, if anything, dump Buick. However, I would like to have seen them all stay. Unfortuantely, many people with no taste live here in America. They buy Camrys and Accords.
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david 9:25PM (4/20/2007)
Why does this car remind me of a Ford 500/Chevy Impala?
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david 9:25PM (4/20/2007)
Why does this car remind me of a Ford 500/Chevy Impala?
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Aaron 9:30PM (4/20/2007)
Finally a Buick that is attractive and doesn't offend the senses!
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Victor 9:33PM (4/20/2007)
Yeah, right, bring the car to China. American losers wouldn't have money to buy such cars anyway. And those real Americans who have money from shifting real jobs to China prefer Japanese and German cars. Probably it helps them to feel better for what they are doing. Or, most likely, they despise all American.
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Martin 9:40PM (4/20/2007)
This would be a great Buick here in the US, but like #4 pointed out, it would probably overlap with the Lucerne. So maybe after the Lucerne runs its course, we'll see something like the Park Avenue here. And to everyone who says that Buick is completely forgotten and crapped on by GM, did you already forget about the Enclave? It's the best looking of the Lambdas and hopefully will be a runaway success for Buick. Have a little faith, people.
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Derek Kreindler 10:02PM (4/20/2007)
Well, I know Buick has a very strong brand in China and they have a long history with the brand, but why can't we get in on this too? Wny must GM shift the Lacrosse on us while they get this gorgeous RWD car?
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HotRodzNKustoms 1:00AM (4/21/2007)
The Buick dealers were offered this car by Bob Lutz, they declined for whatever reason. I think the dealers' fear is that they would lose their current customers and would not gain enough new ones to justify it. Yet with GM's amazing ability to make that demographic leap, and GM shuffling Saab's top gun which was Cadillac's top gun for their demographic leap. I think Buick is in a position to do so with the Enclave, or possibly a halo car based on one of Buick's concepts leading the way in modern Buick design. All the ingrediants are in place, time will tell if the cooks over at GM will bother to whip up a new Buick.
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Mark 2:45AM (4/21/2007)
I think it is a replica of the Australian Holden Statesman - see http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/9532/wmstatesman082pu1.jpg
Mark
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Matthew King 3:04AM (4/21/2007)
Buick dealers only want one of these vehicles on sale at the same time because the Lucerne would be made to look like a superceded/inferior model. And if they priced the Park Avenue significantly higher the image of the Lucerne would be downgraded even further.
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Patrick 3:19AM (4/21/2007)
Nicest Buick I think I've ever seen. Headlights look like they came right off the current Sonata; the grille is somewhat similar too. Nice steals.
The triangular tail lights look like a Crown Vic's.
Why do they continue with that cheapo chrome band thing on the rear of GM products? It clashes with the rest this car's rear and it's shiny and bright so there's no way to overlook it. And it's on every bleeding model.
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chris 4:43AM (4/21/2007)
Patrick, that chrome bar across the rear of the car is something that comes from Holden with the Statesman and Caprice. I guess they do it to differentiate the LWB luxury cars from the standard wheelbase Commodores, but yeah it is quite gaudy. That's why most people buy the Calais (sports-luxury version of the Commodore) instead of the Statesman/Caprice here in Australia, it's still a very big car without the extended wheelbase while it's also faster, handles better and it looks better. It's also around $15k cheaper too I think.
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SherbornSean 6:31AM (4/21/2007)
Bryan,
I drive an Accord! But I'm with you. The days are over when carmakers can bring mediocre product to the American marketplace. Even GM.
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roar 7:33AM (4/21/2007)
GM is building vehicles in markets that will buy them. Last time I checked Toyota was not leading the market in Japan, they are becoming the leader in the U.S. and are building in the U.S. Seems like a smart move by GM to make some money.
roar
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mavkato 9:07AM (4/21/2007)
um, mark, if you RTFA, you would see that "it's derived from Holden's long-wheelbase WM platform, making essentially a rebadged Holden Statesman."
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