Autoblog

Buick to take its products to the people in search of more sales

Aaron Richardson — Tue, 03 May 2011 08:59:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Sedan, Marketing/Advertising, Crossover, Buick

Buick sales are leading the pack in General Motors' push to gain customers from other brands, pulling in an impressive 40 percent of its sales from other manufacturers' customer bases. To keep the trend going, Buick brass say they need to continue to convince people that Buick doesn't just make retiree barges anymore.

Despite its lineup of the LaCrosse, Lucerne, Enclave and redesigned Regal, all non-barges in their own right, Buick is still hoping to dig more sales out of skeptical Americans. To help make that goal a reality, Buick is sending its dealers to the streets to show off its new wares and convince people that this ain't your daddy's LeSabre. The company is also working with Amazon.com, buying full-screen advertisements on the Kindle in hopes of reaching the younger crowd.

According to the brand's marketing chief Tony DiSalle, the measures are starting to work, with Buick seeing more sales in the Northeast and Southeast. Traditionally, the company has moved the most units in the Midwest. The next geographic hurdle, Buick says, is to break in to markets in areas like Texas and, of course, Southern California.

Buick to take its products to the people in search of more sales originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 May 2011 08:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: 10,000 Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac SRX models face faulty defroster recall

Zach Bowman — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Recalls, Safety, Crossover, Buick, Cadillac, GM

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and General Motors have announced the recall of 10,000 vehicles. According to The Detroit News, certain 2011 Cadillac SRX and 2011 Buick Lacrosse models may have been built with a defect that can prevent the vehicle's defroster from effectively clearing the windshield. NHTSA is concerned that the reduced visibility could lead to an accident.

The problem was discovered to during a production trial, in which one in 50 vehicles exhibited the defect.

At the moment, no crashes or incidents have been reported as a result of the programming error, though it's worth noting that only a third of the 10,179 vehicles covered by the recall actually belong to customers. The rest are either unsold or are awaiting delivery.

GM dealers will reprogram the HVAC software to fix the bug free of charge.

Gallery: 2011 Cadillac SRX

Gallery: 2011 Buick LaCrosse

[Source: The Detroit News]

Report: 10,000 Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac SRX models face faulty defroster recall originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 09 Mar 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog Podcast #213: With Dave Sullivan of AutoPacific

Dan Roth — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 16:45:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Detroit Auto Show, Podcasts, Buick, Chevrolet, Ford, Hyundai, Kia, UAW/Unions

Click above for the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes, RSS or listen now!

Episode #213 of the Autoblog Podcast is our first show in a while with a guest. Dave Sullivan, auto analyst for AutoPacific, joins us as we discuss the supposedly impending arrival of the Toyobaru coupe at the Geneva Motor Show, the apparent officialness of a Camaro Z28 for 2012, whispers of a new Ford GT, and UAW attempts to convince automakers in the southern U.S. to organize. Your feedback and questions fuel some more discussion until we wrap up at an hour and thirty eight minutes. Thanks for listening!

Autoblog Podcast #213: With Dave Sullivan of AutoPacific

In the Autoblog Garage:

2011 Hyundai Elantra
2011 Buick Lacrosse
2011 Kia Optima EX

News Topics:

Autoblog's complete coverage of the 2011 North American International Auto Show

Hosts: Dan Roth, Chris Shunk, Zach Bowman
Runtime: 01:37:39

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Email: Podcast at Autoblog dot com
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Autoblog Podcast #213: With Dave Sullivan of AutoPacific originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 18 Jan 2011 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Drive: 2011 Buick LaCrosse CX gets four cylinders for fuel economy

Sam Abuelsamid — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 11:58:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Buick, First Drives

2011 Buick LaCrosse four-cylinder - Click above for high-res image gallery

For the foreseeable future, the LaCrosse will remain the flagship of the Buick lineup, so at first glance, it might seem peculiar that General Motors is adding a seemingly modest inline-four cylinder engine to the sedan's powertrain list. However, at the time the LaCrosse was being developed in 2007-2008, gasoline prices in the United States had spiked to their highest levels ever, topping $4 per gallon. General Motors product planners were understandably working on the assumption that fuel prices would remain high and continue an upward trend in the coming years.

Although Buick officials won't say so explicitly, another factor that likely played into the decision to offer the 2.4-liter EcoTec four-cylinder engine was the underwhelming response to the new 3.0-liter direct injected V6. While the new smaller V6 is a smooth runner and produces similar power to the company's earlier 3.6-liter port injected V6, it was lacking in torque compared to its larger counterpart and actually got slightly inferior fuel economy. We recently had the chance to sample the new four-cylinder-powered LaCrosse CX in rural Virginia. Read on to find out if less is indeed more when it comes to Buick's handsome sedan.

Gallery: First Drive: 2011 Buick LaCrosse I4

Continue reading First Drive: 2011 Buick LaCrosse CX gets four cylinders for fuel economy

First Drive: 2011 Buick LaCrosse CX gets four cylinders for fuel economy originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 02 Apr 2010 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2011 Buick LaCrosse drops 3.0L V6, adds four-cylinder

Steven J. Ewing — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 15:32:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Sedan, Buick, Luxury

2010 Buick LaCrosse - Click above for high-res image gallery

The all-new Buick LaCrosse hasn't even been on the market for a year, but we're already seeing slight changes to the sedan's lineup. First and foremost, the 3.0-liter V6 (originally offered on CX and CXL models) has been discontinued, meaning customers who want six-pot power will have to make due with the well-received 3.6-liter direct-injected mill. However, all-wheel drive, which was initially only offered with the 3.0, can now be had on 3.6 CXL models.

The big update for 2011, though, is the addition of General Motors' 2.4-liter direct-injected inline-four to the LaCrosse. Available only on the base CX, the 2.4-liter mill is good for 182 horsepower and 172 pound-feet of torque, and achieves up to 30 miles per gallon on the highway. While that might sound relatively impressive, keep in mind that GM managed to squeeze 30 mpg out of the larger V6 in the Camaro, and that the Equinox CUV also trumpets a 30 mpg rating out of its four-banger, too.

Will 182 ponies and 172 pound-feet of twist be enough for the relatively large LaCrosse? We'll be driving the car in the very near future, so stay tuned. In the meantime, hit the jump to read Buick's press release.

Gallery: Review: 2010 Buick LaCrosse

[Source: Buick]

Continue reading 2011 Buick LaCrosse drops 3.0L V6, adds four-cylinder

2011 Buick LaCrosse drops 3.0L V6, adds four-cylinder originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Mar 2010 15:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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