Buick LaCrosse 2009-

[Matt]

DETROIT – Redesigned from the ground up, the 2010 Buick LaCrosse luxury sedan makes its world debut at the 2009 North American International Auto Show in Detroit on Jan. 11. The LaCrosse offers all wheel drive, a suite of advanced intelligent personal technologies and safety features, and a choice of two fuel-saving V-6 engines.
“The new LaCrosse was created with great attention to detail, craftsmanship and advanced technology,” said Susan Docherty, Buick-Pontiac-GMC vice president. “It builds on the success of Enclave as the next step in Buick’s renaissance. And, as with Enclave, our goal is to attract a whole new buyer to our dealerships for LaCrosse.”

Sculpted design

Buick’s long heritage of leading designs, such as the Y-Job Concept, the Roadmaster and the Riviera, helped define American automobile design through the years, according to Ed Welburn, vice president of GM Global Design. Today, Buick design is a product of a global team and resources. Creative collaboration between designers in the United States and China, in partnership with the Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center (PATAC) as well as chassis and body engineers in Europe, resulted in the first General Motors vehicle to be created on three continents.

“The new LaCrosse is intended to represent modern elegance,” said Welburn. “Throughout the design, you experience a balance of contrasts. Both the interior and exterior have been designed with harmony in mind. The exterior balances taut, sculpted lines with sensuous accents and surfaces. Inside, smoked chrome accents, warm wood, first-class leather and materials combine with cool blue ambient lighting to create an inviting environment.” The exterior design is faithful to the Buick Invicta show car introduced at the 2008 Beijing Auto Show.

“It is instantly recognizable as a Buick, with its signature ‘sweep spear’ body-side styling, portholes inside the character line on the hood, and waterfall grille,” added Welburn.

Luxurious interior experience

Inside, the two-tone interior is defined by a flowing, uninterrupted design theme that wraps around the instrument and door panels. Attention to detail is evident throughout the interior, including the analog instrument cluster, chrome offset by dark wood accents, and the contrasting thread and French stitching on the instrument panel.

Buick’s signature QuietTuning – an engineering process to reduce, block and absorb interior noise – provides a distraction-free passenger environment. An unexpected, inviting touch is the cool blue ambient lighting throughout the cabin from the center console, instrument panel and door panels.

[Matt]

Intelligent personal technologies

The contemporary atmosphere of the cabin includes the digital connectivity and personal technology offered in the new LaCrosse. That includes features such as in-dash navigation, Bluetooth connectivity, an auxiliary audio input and a USB port. For rear-seat passengers, a power rear-window sunshade and a DVD entertainment system, with two display screens integrated into the seatbacks, is available.

LaCrosse’s intelligent technologies also work to deliver a 360-degree field of vision behind the steering wheel, for a greater feeling of comfort, security and safety. It starts with the available head-up display in the windshield, allowing the driver to monitor speed while keeping his or her eyes on the road. At night, the available adaptive lighting package can direct the high-intensity discharge headlight beams up to 15 degrees for enhanced illumination of the road and its curves.

LaCrosse offers Side Blind Zone alert that notifies the driver if a vehicle in adjacent lanes is traveling in the driver’s blind spot. The LaCrosse is also available with a rear view camera, with the display integrated into the navigation system screen.

The technology available on LaCrosse enhances a suite of standard safety features that is designed to meet the criteria for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) 20 Star Safety Rating. Highlights include front-, side- and roof-mounted head-curtain air bags, StabiliTrak stability- and traction-control system. The safety and security of OnStar is also included for the first year of ownership.

Responsive performance

LaCrosse’s stiff body structure serves as the foundation for precise suspension tuning, safety and a quiet ride. Buyers can choose from a family of efficient, direct-injection six-cylinder engines and a fuel-conserving six-speed automatic transmission with tap-up/tap-down control.

The direct injection engines in the LaCrosse create more power with less fuel and reduce vehicle emissions through greater combustion control – particularly cold-start emissions that are reduced by up to 25 percent.

The 2010 LaCrosse will be offered in three models - CX, CXL and CXS:

* CX – equipped with a new 3.0L direct injection V-6, premium cloth seats and 17-inch wheels. The 3.0L engine generates an estimated 255 horsepower (190 kW) and 211 lb.-ft. of torque (286 Nm) and is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.
* CXL – also equipped with the new 3.0L direct injection V-6, adds leather-appointed heated seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, fog lamps, outside rearview mirror with LED turn indicators and puddle lamps, and 18-inch wheels. Intelligent AWD is available.
* CXS – equipped with a 3.6L direct injection V-6; real-time active-dampening suspension; perforated, leather-appointed, heated and cooled seats, and chrome-plated 18-inch wheels (19-inch optional). The 3.6L engine, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission, generates an estimated 280 horsepower (209 kW) and 261 lb.-ft. of torque (354 Nm).

LaCrosse production will begin this summer at the Fairfax Assembly facility in Kansas City, Kan.

[DFH]

it looks good for a buick but it looks a lot like a mix between a bmw 5series and a lexus

[LeonOfTheDead]

it looks good for a buick but it looks a lot like a mix between a bmw 5series and a lexus

it's aimed to those kind of people wanting such cars but for a lower price, so that's good I suppose, even if I don't know how in China they ended up considering so well Buick.
apparently GM has a lot of trust in the Vectra's platform

[Kitdy]

In the great tradition of UCP car analysis, let's compare a certain feature of this car to another car of a different brand. Those rear lights look a bit of a mix between M5 and I feel something Korean, maybe a Genesis?

Not a bad looking car really, nothing too special but a solid execution with some room for improvement. I guess a bit blah in a way as not really standing out but that is sometimes good isn't it? Sublime? I dunno anymore.

[092326001]

i can't say it looks good but still better than the last gen

[faksta]

Kitdy, I believe the whole shape of the car shouts 'I'm another GM product called Opel Insignia!' Still better than the current LaCrosse indeed.

[cmcpokey]

i was thinking that it all looks like a Lexus GS. Insignia, maybe, and probably on the same platform, but when it comes to the style, its straight out of the toyota design studios.

[LeonOfTheDead]

i was thinking that it all looks like a Lexus GS. Insignia, maybe, and probably on the same platform, but when it comes to the style, its straight out of the toyota design studios.

it's an Insignia adapted for the Chinese market

[cmcpokey]

it's an Insignia adapted for the Chinese market

so developed for the chinese market, then being sold here? lovely.

[LeonOfTheDead]

so developed for the chinese market, then being sold here? lovely.

I thought it wasn't supposed to be sold in the US too, but I wouldn't be surprised.
be happy, in China is sold as a rival to BMW and Lexus

[cmcpokey]

I thought it wasn't supposed to be sold in the US too, but I wouldn't be surprised.
be happy, in China is sold as a rival to BMW and Lexus

i wouldnt think they would debut it at the NAIAS if it want going to be sold here. i actually like it, but i have liked buick design for ages. i think it is one of the few things in GM over the last 20 years that had some thought put into it. hopefully it will actually be a good car, but im not holding my breath.

[LeonOfTheDead]

i wouldnt think they would debut it at the NAIAS if it want going to be sold here. i actually like it, but i have liked buick design for ages. i think it is one of the few things in GM over the last 20 years that had some thought put into it. hopefully it will actually be a good car, but im not holding my breath.

first: it wouldn't be the first car unveiled in the US and not sold in the US
second: the Insignia should be sold in the US as a Chevy

I like it too, it's better looking than the Insignia itself, but it raises too much "meh" feelings in me.

[cmcpokey]

they should take it, paint it black, make it rwd, and bring back the glory days of buick. then it would be good.

and there really shouldnt be the divide that exists between NA GM and the rest of the world's GM. i hate it. same for Ford.

[f6fhellcat13]

And Taurus' overly thick side panelling, its disproportionally raised beltline and minimalist glasshouse deliniate it as belonging to the ever more typical genre of 'US-armoured car' urban paranoia

I don't like the chunky look that this car has. It is better than the old one but that's not saying much.
Pokey is right on about RWD.
Nice to see you posting again Matt.