After teasing the SUV for quite some time, Buick has finally dropped the cover off the all new Buick Encore - General Motors’ response to the Audi Q3 and the BMW X1. The Buick Encore will begin arriving at U.S. Buick dealerships in the first quarter of 2013.
The 2013 Buick Encore will offer contemporary styling, signature QuietTuning technology, and a host of features and amenities customers have come to expect from Buick. It will join the current Buick line-up with models like the Verano compact luxury sedan and the Regal GS sport sedan, both combined with the fuel-efficient eAssist "light electrification" technology.
The new 2013 Encore is powered by a new Ecotec 1.4L turbocharged four-cylinder engine that delivers a total of 140 HP and a peak torque of 148 lb.-ft. The engine is mated to a standard Hydra-Matic 6T40 six-speed automatic transmission.
UPDATE 01/19/2012: Buick has unveiled the first promotional video for the new Encore crossover. Enjoy!
Hit the jump for more details on the 2013 Buick Encore.
Full story
The 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show will be host to the Buick LaCrosse GL Concept - a vehicle that takes a step forward in defining automotive luxury. The GL Concept combines a palette of cabernet red, dark cocoa brown, and caramel chocochino inspired by the burnished metal of antique jewelry, ombré patina on vintage guitars, and flocked lining of keepsake boxes.
The exterior is painted in a cabernet red and is combined with brushed and tinted chrome accents on the grille, door handles, and deck lid, as well as around the windows, taillights, and headlights. A new set of satin-finish 20-inch rims completes the overall look.
Taking a step into the car’s interior will give you the impression of entering a nicely decorated room. It combines dark cocoa brown and caramel chocochino leather on the seats, doors, and instrument panel surfaces with a rich chocochino suede headliner and wood trim on the steering wheel and dash.
"The LaCrosse GL concept expresses Buick’s distinctly human kind of luxury – one that is as warmly inviting as it is elegant and refined," said David Lyon, executive director of design. "The design cues that already distinguish the production LaCrosse – such as the premium leather-upholstered seats, ice blue ambient lighting and soft touch surfaces – are amplified in the GL and serve as inspiration for future Buick models."
When people think about Buicks, words like old, boring, and grandpa come to mind. Very rarely, if ever, does the word sporty get uttered as an accurate description, but get ready for all of that to change. In an effort to change the stigma attached to the brand, Buick is releasing an all new Buick Regal GS which will arrive at dealerships in the fall of 2011. This new vehicle will target models like the Audi A4 and the Acura TSX with its exclusive Ecotec 2.0L direct injected, turbocharged engine that delivers a total of 270 HP and 295 lb-ft of torque.
The last time a GS model was released by Buick, it was 2004. This model was powered by a 3.8 L L67 Series II supercharged V6 that produced 240 HP and 280 lb-ft of torque. Technology, and the constant need to improve fuel economy, has allowed Buick to pump out more horsepower out of a smaller engine, all while providing an estimated fuel economy of 33 MPG.
UPDATE 08/04/2011: Buick has announced that the Regal GS will be put on sale this fall at a starting price of $35,310, which includes a $860 destination charge. Standard features on the GS model include: push-button start; a leather-wrapped, flat-bottom sport steering wheel with audio controls; metal sport pedals; and leather-appointed, heated and 12-way adjustable sport seating, a Harman Kardon premium 336-watt, 5.1 Matrix Surround Sound system with nine speakers.
Hit the jump for more details on the Buick Regal GS.
Full story
General Motors has unveiled the Envision at the 2011 Shanghai Auto Show. While the concept itself won’t be put into production, the company says it "represents a convergence of future ideas and technology for Buick in the market."
The Envision Concept was developed by Shanghai GM and the Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center (PATAC), and according to GM, integrates global design with local aesthetics for the China market, adhering to Buick’s "dynamic, fluid, quiet and comfortable" design essence.
The Envision has inherited Buick design DNA and taken the Buick global design language to a new height. It makes a significant statement for Buick styling and technology, and will influence upcoming models from the brand," said Ed Welburn, GM Vice President of Global Design.
And, in trend with all the latest concept cars, the Envision incorporates GM’s world-leading PHEV plug-in hybrid system.
Updated 04/18/2011: This review has been updated with the official images and details on the new Buick Envision Concept. Hit the jump to read the full details.
Full story
At the Chicago Auto Show that is scheduled to start tomorrow, Buick will bring the 2012 Regal eAssist, a new model added to the current Regal line-up that already includes the 2.4L and 2.0L Turbo models, and the upcoming Regal GS. The new model will go on sale this fall. The same technology has been recently unveiled in the 2012 Buick LaCrosse.
"Buick’s eAssist technology means customers don’t have to trade a premium driving experience for efficiency," said Tony DiSalle, vice president of Buick marketing. "We believe Regal and LaCrosse with eAssist provide more logical and affordable choices, compared to other hybrid midsize and full-size luxury sedans. It’s really an extension of the conventional internal combustion engine, not a replacement for it."
The new eAssist technology combines a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with a small electric motor powered by a 115-volt lithium-ion battery. The result is an improvement of 20% in fuel economy.
Hit the jump to read more about the 2012 Buick Regal eAssist.
Full story
