the buik day

2009 Buick Lucerne E85

Starting 2009 GM will add a new E85 Ethanol-Capable model to its line-up: the Buick Lucerne. The Lucerne, the first flex-fuel capable Buick passenger car, will be among more than 15 GM models with flex-fuel capability in 2009, up from 11 offerings this year.

E85 ethanol is a cleaner-burning alternative fuel that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 23 percent compared with gasoline.

The Lucerne is the latest vehicle announced for the 2009 GM FlexFuel lineup. The four-cylinder Chevrolet HHR was revealed at the Chicago Auto Show in February and the Hummer H2 and H2 SUT were announced in March as part of the opening of the first public E85 pumps owned by a dealership, Classic Chevrolet-Hummer in Grapevine, Texas.

2009 Buick Business Concept

China is the most important market to Buick. It not only sells more cars in the Orient than here, but the unloved by the U.S. Terraza minivan was also a real hit over there. So at this year’s Shanghai Auto Show it revealed a special car with Chinese influence called the Buick Business Concept.

So why is a MPV shown as a business car? Unlike in the U.S. where minivans are the shame of the soccer field, their size is seen as something of prestige in China. As far as design goes, this is a relatively good looking for a minivan. The flowing lines are reminiscent of the Mazda Biante.

For all those minivan fans out there, this may be as close as most of you will get to this Buick. Although production plans and distribution areas have not yet been announced, it’s likely that this will not be a world car for GM.

2010 Buick Excelle XT

While Cadillac may be at the top of the heap as far as General Motors domestic sales are concerned, the Buick brand is surprisingly popular in a few far off markets. Keeping their other customers happy the other upscale arm of GM has just unveiled the all new Excelle XT at the Guangzhou Auto Show. The XT is an interesting vehicle due to its coupe like profile despite being a five door wagon. The new car is slated to go on sale in China in 2010 and is basically an Asian iteration of the European Opel Astra.

The Excelle XT will be offered with a choice of three engines. The top of the line model will be powered by a 1.6 Liter turbocharged four cylinder gasoline engine cranking out 180 HP. Aside from the boosted offering, there will also be a naturally aspirated version with the same displacement making 116 HP and a slightly larger 1.8 Liter DOHC inline four with lots of high tech working parts to manipulate the cam profiles and produce an impressive and at the same time efficient 138 HP. No matter which internal combustion option you choose, all engines will be mated to a fuel efficient six speed automatic transmission, putting the driver at ease when they are behind the wheel.

2010 Buick Regal GS Concept

While the European market has the Opel Insignia, we here in the U.S. have the Buick Regal. And just like they have the in house high performance version known as the OPC, we will be seeing something very similar with the Buick Regal GS concept that will debut next week at the Detroit Auto Show. The last Regal worth noting was the Regal T type, a toned down version of the Grand National with a turbocharged six cylinder under the hood. The lat time that Buick built a GS it was powered by a 3.8 Liter supercharged V6 in the late ’90s.

However the times they are a changing and consumers are asking for fuel economy along with their performance. The Regal GS Concept is powered by a 2.0 Liter Ecotec turbo four with direct injection technology delivering a total of 255 HP and 295 lb-ft of torque, quite a bit more then before, mated to a six speed manual transmission sending power to an adaptive all wheel drive system. This means that the Regal GS is a sport sedan that can sprint from 0 to 60 MPH in under 6 seconds. All capped off with a set of exotic Brembo brake calipers. All together the Buick Regal GS is a perfect example of the American automaker’s commitment to high performance.

2010 Buick LaCrosse

The 2010 Buick LaCrosse comes in three trim level- CX, CXL and CXS and with a choice of two V6 engines. prices will range from $27,085 to $33,015. The CX is powered by a a new 3.0L direct injection V-6 that delivers 255 hp and and 211 lb.-ft. of torque and is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. The CXL gets the same engine as the CX, but 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.

The CXS is equipped with a 3.6L direct injection V-6 that delivers 280 hp and 261 lb.-ft. of torque; the engine is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. The CXS gets a real-time active-dampening suspension; perforated, leather-appointed, heated and cooled seats, and chrome-plated 18-inch wheels (19-inch optional).

Starting in the first quarter of 2010, Buick will offer a third engine choice for the LaCrosse CX model: a new direct injected Ecotec 2.4L four-cylinder with prices starting at $26,995.

The Ecotec 2.4L four-cylinder engine delivers a total of 182 hp) and 172 lb-ft. of torque. Mated to a six-speed automatic transmission, the new powertrain combination is expected to deliver fuel economy of 30 mpg highway and 20 mpg city.

2011 Buick Regal GS

At the 2010 Detroit Auto Show, Buick unveiled the Regal GS Concept - a US version for the European Insignia OPC. Now GM has confirmed that the company will build a high-performance version of the Buick Regal sports sedan. The production version will resemble the concept version and will most likely will feature the same 255HP, turbocharged 2-liter engine.

"That is the kind of excitement Buick needs to get a new cadre of buyers into their store," said autos analyst Joe Phillippi of AutoTrends Consulting in Short Hills, N.J. "Maybe Buick won’t be a four-letter word anymore."

With the new Regal GS, Buick intends to attract to younger customers, pushing the average age even lower and reversing perceptions that Buick is the brand of choice for senior citizens: "Buick kind of lost its way. We built big, floaty, quiet cars — what our customers wanted at the time. The GS would be the next step, more performance-based," Buick spokeswoman Dayna Hart said.

The Buick Regal GS will join the future compact car and small crossover the brand plans to build within the next few years. All of these new models build upon the new, younger image Buick is attempting to create.

2011 Buick Regal GS

At the 2010 Detroit Auto Show, Buick unveiled the Regal GS Concept - a US version for the European Insignia OPC. Now GM has confirmed that the company will build a high-performance version of the Buick Regal sports sedan. The production version will resemble the concept version and will most likely will feature the same 255HP, turbocharged 2-liter engine.

"That is the kind of excitement Buick needs to get a new cadre of buyers into their store," said autos analyst Joe Phillippi of AutoTrends Consulting in Short Hills, N.J. "Maybe Buick won’t be a four-letter word anymore."

With the new Regal GS, Buick intends to attract to younger customers, pushing the average age even lower and reversing perceptions that Buick is the brand of choice for senior citizens: "Buick kind of lost its way. We built big, floaty, quiet cars — what our customers wanted at the time. The GS would be the next step, more performance-based," Buick spokeswoman Dayna Hart said.

The Buick Regal GS will join the future compact car and small crossover the brand plans to build within the next few years. All of these new models build upon the new, younger image Buick is attempting to create.

2011 Buick Regal GS

At the 2010 Detroit Auto Show, Buick unveiled the Regal GS Concept - a US version for the European Insignia OPC. Now GM has confirmed that the company will build a high-performance version of the Buick Regal sports sedan. The production version will resemble the concept version and will most likely will feature the same 255HP, turbocharged 2-liter engine.

"That is the kind of excitement Buick needs to get a new cadre of buyers into their store," said autos analyst Joe Phillippi of AutoTrends Consulting in Short Hills, N.J. "Maybe Buick won’t be a four-letter word anymore."

With the new Regal GS, Buick intends to attract to younger customers, pushing the average age even lower and reversing perceptions that Buick is the brand of choice for senior citizens: "Buick kind of lost its way. We built big, floaty, quiet cars — what our customers wanted at the time. The GS would be the next step, more performance-based," Buick spokeswoman Dayna Hart said.

The Buick Regal GS will join the future compact car and small crossover the brand plans to build within the next few years. All of these new models build upon the new, younger image Buick is attempting to create.