Autoblog

Click above for high-res gallery of the Buick Invicta Concept

GM Vice Chairman Bob "Maximum" Lutz published a new post today on the corporate GM Fastlane Blog that addresses the automaker's newest concept that debuted recently at Auto China 2008 in Beijing: the Invicta. The concept heavily hints at what the next-generation Buick LaCrosse will look like, but Bob points out that the global architecture underpinning the vehicle will be the basis of new cars for Chevy, Saab, Opel/Vauxhall and more. In the past, we would've expected those accompanying models to be rebadged versions with different grilles, headlights and taillights, but Bob explains how GM's new global platform sharing process is different than the rebadging of old. In a nutshell, he says that the money saved from sharing common platforms see will be put into making everything that customer's will see - exterior and interior design, specifically - completely different. While it's great to hear Bob talk about how GM finally "gets it" when it comes to producing common products across an empire of brands, it's something that other automakers like VW/Audi have been doing for years while the General kept feeding us "triplets" of every model it made. So kudos to GM for finally getting it, but it took 'em long enough.


[Source: GM FastLane blog]

The Buick LaCrosse may not be a real player in the midsize car market, but GM is looking to make big-time improvements for the 2010 model year. The next-gen LaCrosse shares its Epsilon II (the Malibu is an extended Epsilon, not Epsilon II) underpinnings with the critically acclaimed Chevy Malibu, and judging from spy shots from Brenda Priddy & So., the interior will be very similar as well. Close inspection of the pics shows some similar dash characteristics between the two models, though the 'Bu is all about the curves while the Buick is more strait-laced. The two models also appear to share gauge clusters and housing. Seats in the preproduction LaCrosse are two-toned much like that of the up-level Malibu, but the two appear to have a different basic shape.

If GM manages to take the well-received Malibu and injects it with a healthy dose of up-level materials and cool technology, Buick could very well have a nice compliment to the hot-selling Enclave. Click on the link below to view a larger pic of the LaCrosse interior.


[Source: The Car Connection]

Click the image above to view the high resolution gallery

There was a time when Buick was at the top of the automotive food chain, just below Cadillac. Harley Earl was creating cutting-edge designs, the cars were packed with power and luxury, and affluent Americans were snatching up Buicks by the thousands. There was even a top of the line Buick that carried the "Super" moniker, representing the best of the storied nameplate.

By the '90s, the average age of a Buick customer reached into Senior Citizen territory, and its products were considered by many to be closer to Chevy than Cadillac. With the launch of the LaCrosse in late 2004, however, Maximum Bob and his crew declared that the drought was over, and that Buick would receive much-needed attention. While the subsequent launches of the Lucerne and Enclave were bigger strides towards giving GM the Lexus-fighters it so desires, the LaCrosse tangled more with other domestics than it did any luxury brand.

Enter the 2008 model year, and GM has given the LaCrosse a needed freshening. Buick also unveiled the LaCrosse Super, with four port holes on each side demarcating a 300-hp V8 under the hood. The General thinks it has a sleeper on its hands, and we get to see if it's right with a week-long stay in the Autoblog Garage. Hit the jump to read the full review and view more high-resolution pics.


All photos ©2007 Chris Shunk / Weblogs, Inc.

click above image for more spy shots of the 2010 Buick LaCrosse

Despite a heavy rotation of security guards protecting the identity of this test car, Priddy photographer Chris Doane managed to snap it during one of one its brief public outings in an undisclosed location. It's the 2010 Buick LaCrosse, a car that's extremely important for Buick, which is down to a lineup of just three vehicles (LaCrosse, Lucerne and Enclave). It's also an important car for GM, as the 2010 LaCrosse will be the first vehicle sold in the U.S. on the new Epsilon II platform, a chassis that will eventually underpin the next generation Saturn Aura and Chevy Malibu. But Buick's getting the new platform first, and will no doubt make a splash with this all-new vehicle when it arrives in 2009 and a 2010 model.

Though heavily covered, we can see through the mesh obscuring the front end to see a grille not unlike the one worn by the Enclave CUV. With the Enclave enjoying critical acclaim and sales success, it's no surprise that Buick will be trying to repeat the formula in its mid-size sedan. Also note the roof, which is dominated by an oversized sunroof with two sections.

We're unsure what engine was powering this test vehicle, but dual exhaust pipes hint at something hot. While it could be a V8, we're betting it's the 3.6L V6, most likely with direct injection. In the new Cadillac CTS, this engine puts out over 300 HP. Doane reported the test car was plenty quick, so this scenario seems likely, but expect the 3.6L DI V6 to be detuned a bit for duty in the LaCrosse. Can't have a FWD Buick encroaching on the territory of Cadillac's RWD sport sedan, now can we?

[Source: Chris Doane for Brenda Priddy & Company]

Our neighbors to the north have official felt the crunch of the strike here at home, with the Oshawa, Ontario plant closing down production today after it ran out of parts to produce the Chevrolet Impala. Unfortunately, 3,000 workers have had to punch out and head home for the day as a result.

It's expected that another plant in Ontario that produces the Pontiac Grand Prix and Buick LaCrosse will have to shut down before the end of the day, while the Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra plant is likely to close by the end of the week unless deliveries resume.

[Source: Automotive News – Sub. Req.]

click above image to view more pics of the Buick LaCrosse sold in China

By now, many people are of the opinion that the best Buicks in the world are sold in China. The new Zeta-based, rear-wheel drive Park Avenue just introduced for the Chinese market would do wonders for the brand in North America, while the front-wheel drive LaCrosse sold there wears a much classier design than our own. According to the folks at Winding Road, who spent some time with the GM China crew at the Shanghai Auto Show, a hybrid version of the LaCrosse is also on its way to Chinese customers. The hybrid LaCrosse will likely use the Belt-Alternator Starter system used by GM's mild hybrids in the U.S. While not as frugal with the fuel as a full-on hybrid, the BAS system is less complex and less expensive. We don't expect the LaCrosse sold in North America, or any Buick sold in North America for that matter, to feature a hybrid drivetrain anytime soon.

[Source: Winding Road]

click above image to view a hi-res gallery of 2008 Buick LaCrosse CXS shots

Today was the legitimate end to the embargo on information about Buick's new 2008 LaCrosse. The LaCrosse has received a new nose inspired by the well received Velite convertible concept from the 2004 New York Auto Show. The Autoblog staff has already divided itself into love-it or hate-it camps, with this blogger being of the opinion that the new grille improves the look of the LaCrosse, which wasn't that ugly to begin with. Along with the grille, the hood and fascia are all new, as well, though one can hardly see the difference to those components at first glance. The interior remains largely the same in design, though more items have been made standard like XM satellite radio, a telescoping steering wheel, redundant controls on the steering wheel and dual-zone climate control. The base CX even gets a leather-wrapped steering wheel and driver information center. The LaCrosse powerplant lineup remains the same, with the base CX and midrange CXL making do with the old 3.8L V6 producing 200 horsepower. The more expensive CXS also keeps the nice 3.6L VVT V6 producing 240 horsepower. Oh, and then there's that LaCrosse Super with the 300-horsepower 5.3L V8. More on that in a minute...

While pricing has not yet been released for the 2008 model, we do know it will arrive in showrooms this summer. Check out the official press release from GM after the jump and our gallery of desktop wallpaper-sized hi-res images.

[Source: GM]

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.