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Buick Envision Concept previews future crossover

April 19, 2011 at 1:12 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Buick, Cars, International News

GM’s Buick brand likes to use Shanghai to preview its upcoming cars. Some may just brush these concepts off as mere eye candy, but these guys are serious. Case in point is the Buick Business Concept from Shanghai 2009 that was launched in production form as the new Buick GL8 last December, with stepped windowline intact.

This time it’s a crossover. The Envision Concept, like the Business Concept, was developed jointly by Shanghai GM and the Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center (PATAC), which lies just outside the city. It merges Buick’s global design language with Chinese aesthetics for the SUV segment. “It introduces the development direction for Buick’s future SUV products for the market,” said Shi Hong, Director of Buick Marketing at Shanghai GM.

The Envision features the traditional waterfall grille that houses Buick’s tri-colored shield. Headlamps and fog lights are inspired by traditional Chinese patterns – porcelain-like daytime LED lamps house five “Chinese pillar-like” LED bulbs. Sharp lines start from above the headlamps, submerge into the body, and reappear at the rear, running through the taillamps and showcasing the traditional Buick double sweep spear.

The Envision has scissor-style doors with sensors for a grand sense of occasion. This “coupe-like body” and multifunctional space offer a hint of Buick SUVs to come for the Chinese market, according to GM.

The insides of the doors are inspired by the “yin and yang” concept. Together with the two-toned galaxy-blue and sand-beach white Italian leather and maple and metallic materials with a velvety texture, it offers a “visual effect of peace and elegance”. A shared armrest runs from the front to the back, with storage function and hidden air vents. The flat floor is supposed to emulate the deck of a yacht.

The AWD Envision is powered by GM’s PHEV plug-in hybrid system. The 2.0-litre SIDI intelligent direct injection turbocharged engine is complemented by a pair of electric motor generators in the Envision’s eight-speed auto transmission. A lithium battery and a solar energy roof with optical equipment serve as an alternative energy source independent from the engine.

More pics after the jump.
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2012 ‘Baby Buick’ Verano revealed ahead of Detroit debut

January 7, 2011 at 10:06 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Buick, Cars, General Motors, International News

This is the “baby Buick” that will make its world debut at the upcoming Detroit Auto Show. Verano, as it is called, is a “compact sedan” (in US terms of course) based on General Motors’ Delta II platform that also underpins the Opel Astra and Chevrolet Cruze. Seen it before? The Verano was launched in China mid-2010 as the Buick Excelle GT, and we showed you that car here.

The Verano, which sits below the Regal in Buick’s range, will come with an Ecotec 2.4L engine paired to a six-speed automatic gearbox. With 177 horsepower and 230 Nm of torque, the Verano does 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) in 8.0 seconds flat, and is capable of 11 km/l on the highway.

That will be the sole powertrain option when it goes on sale in the fourth quarter of 2011, but a 2.0L turbo engine will be offered in the future. In contrast, China’s Excelle GT comes with a 1.6 turbo with 181 hp/235 Nm.

Buick is all about traditional comfort and luxury, so the Verano is claimed to be “the quietest compact sedan on the road, quieter than many midsize and full-size cars”.

Among the unique measures to maintain a “library-quiet driving experience” are hydraulic ride bushings, isolated engine cradle, nylon baffles and foam in hollow body portions, five layer headliner, triple-sealed doors with fiberglass “blankets” and acoustical laminated glass, among other things. Even the 17-inch aluminum wheels are manufactured in a unique way to enhance quietness, Buick says.

Meanwhile, the Verano’s cabin features “exceptional seat comfort”, soft touch materials and ambient lighting inspired by the LaCrosse. It also comes with the same grade of leather as the LaCrosse that can be had in a special “Choccachino” colour seen here. Buick says that the components within the center stack have a gap tolerance of less than 1 mm, while the instrument panel-to-door panel gaps are less than 5 mm – the best in class.

Besides the expected Bose stereo, OnStar and 10 airbags, the Verano’s heated steering wheel and seats automatically activate when one starts the car in temperatures below 7 degrees C, surely something many Americans facing a harsh winter would appreciate.

Gallery after the jump.
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New Buick GL8 breaks cover, China sales start next month

December 6, 2010 at 3:07 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Buick, Cars, China, International News

After over 330,000 units sold in China, General Motors has unveiled the successor to the successful Buick GL8 MPV. Based on the Buick Business Concept shown at the 2009 Shanghai Motor Show, the new GL8 was developed by Shanghai GM in cooperation with the Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center (PATAC, located just outside of Shanghai) with Chinese users in mind.

Improved from the aging original in every aspect, the new GL8 offers an “unprecedented luxury MPV experience that is unmistakably Buick”. If you’re wondering why Buick, stepping foot in any big Chinese city will answer your question. New money Chinese consumers have their automotive tastes skewed more towards America, which means that luxury and size goes hand in hand. So does chrome and Buick!

With length and width of 5,256 mm and 1,878 mm, the GL8 has a bigger footprint than a Toyota Alphard. The long 3,088 mm wheelbase is also 138 mm longer than the Japanese MPV, promising a large interior with three rows of seven seats. The 360-degree wraparound cabin inspired by luxury yachts combines Eastern and Western aesthetics and features ice-blue atmosphere lighting.

A two-piece sunroof, electric anti-pinch sliding doors, powered hatch, 10-speaker, 5.1-channel Bose stereo, 7-inch touch screen up front and 10.2-inch WVGA HD display at the back, OnStar and bi-xenons are the other luxuries that businessmen will love. The GL8 is powered by a 255 hp 3.0L SIDI direct injection V6 or a 2.4L Ecotec.

The GL8 is priced from RMB 288,000 and RMB 388,000 (RM136k-RM183k) in China. The current car will continue to be sold, now powered by a 2.4L Ecotec/6-speed auto and positioned below the new model.

Big gallery after the jump.
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All-new Buick GL8 MPV launching this month in China

November 12, 2010 at 12:46 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Buick, Cars, China, General Motors

Buick is big in China, which tastes in automobiles lean more towards America than Europe or Japan (huge saloons are in, tiny city cars aren’t, for instance) . If you’ve stepped foot in Shanghai or Beijing, you’d surely have noticed this Naza Ria/Kia Carnival style big, square MPV. That’s the GL8, and it’s popular as a luxury people carrier for business people. While it sells well, the GL8 is terribly dated, and out of sync with other premium offerings the Chinese are lapping up.

Well, the time has come and Shanghai GM has announced that it will launch the new Buick GL8 on November 28. Targeted to business users, the offers “improvements in design, power, control and technology” and will “create a new era for locally made executive wagons.” Engines options include a 2.4L Ecotec or a 3.0 V6 SIDI direct injection engine. The transmission is a six-speed automatic with Tiptronic buttons on the gear lever – an unusual layout. OnStar and Buick’s Quiet Tuning system will also be standard.

From the teaser images, we can see that the production GL8 follows closely the template set by the Buick Business Concept shown at the 2009 Shanghai show. Buick’s trademark chrome “waterfall grille” is there, as is the concept’s characteristic step down in the window line, although the showcar LED headlights have been replaced by more realistic ones.

View images of the new GL8 and the Business Concept after the jump.
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Buick Excelle GT revealed – it’s an Opel Astra sedan!

June 8, 2010 at 3:13 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Buick, Cars, China, International News


Click to enlarge

This sedan version of the latest Opel Astra has made its debut in China as the Buick Excelle GT, following the debut of the five-door hatchback Astra (Excelle XT) at the Guangzhou Motor Show late last year. Buick is a very strong brand in China, a marque that people aspire to own, which explains why GM is using it to market the Astra in China. Before this, the Buick Excelle name was given to the car we know as the Chevrolet Optra.

The Excelle sedan managed the transformation from hatchback to booted car quite well, and looks sleek enough to sit on the same table as bigger brother Buick Regal (Opel Insignia) without getting embarrassed. The front end gets a large waterfall grille with lots of chrome, which is a Buick trademark. The side profile of the car reminds me of a Nissan Sylphy, but with more sculpturing and angle for the glasshouse.

Of all the Euro C-segment hatchbacks, the Astra is the biggest of the lot; for the sedan, its wheelbase is lengthened by 70 mm to make 2,685 mm, which competes well with rivals like the Honda Civic and Nissan Sylphy at 2,700 mm.

Like in the the hatchback, the top line engine here is a turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder with 181 bhp and 235 Nm of torque available from 1,980 rpm to 5,400 rpm. An overboost function raises max twist to 266 Nm for five seconds under full throttle. The milder option is a normally aspirated 1.8-litre with 138 bhp. A six-speed auto is standard. The 1.8L engine and six speeder should be the same combo used in the Chevrolet Cruze, which we hear will be launched in Malaysia this week. The Cruze also sits on the same modern Delta II platform of the Excelle/Astra.

Shanghai GM, which will start selling the Excelle GT on June 23, hasn’t released a full photo set, but a Chinese website managed to snap the car completely uncovered. Gallery is after the jump.
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Detroit 2010: AWD turbocharged Buick Regal GS

January 11, 2010 at 11:39 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under 2010 Detroit Auto Show, Buick, Cars

One of the eye catching displays over at GM is the Buick Regal GS. The Regal is basically the European Opel/Vauxhall Insignia rebadged as a Buick for the US and Chinese market (Buick is a highly regarded marque in China). This GS showcar features a potent performance package – 255 bhp/400 Nm 2.0-litre Ecotec turbo engine with power going to all wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox and electronic LSD.

Acceleration from nought to 60 mph (96 km/h) is “less than six seconds”. The Vauxhall Insignia VXR, which has a 320 bhp 2.8-litre Ecotec V6 turbo does the same sprint in 5.8 seconds. The Regal GS features a lowered body and aggresive styling that mimics the VXR, except that it wears Buick’s signature “waterfall grille”. The show car wears 20-inch wheels.

That front HiPerStrut suspension helps reduce torque steer and maintain negative camber during cornering, improving grip and feel while isolating undesirable feedback. The GS features Brembo brakes with cross-drilled rotors, four-piston aluminum calipers and uprated pads. Interactive Drive Control System (IDCS) chassis technology allows the selection of three modes – normal, sport and GS – that change suspension settings, throttle response and steering sensitivity.

Inside, the Regal GS features a full black interior, sport shifter, a suede-covered, flat-bottom steering wheel and Recaro seats with four-way lumbar support and cushion extensions.

More pictures after the jump!
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Opel Astra launched in China as the Buick Excelle

December 1, 2009 at 11:12 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Buick, Cars, China, Opel

china-buick-excelle

Chinese market tastes have become increasingly sophisticated over the past few years, and any first time visitor to Shanghai or Beijing would be surprised by the automobiles that ply their bumpy roads – turn up expecting little Cherys and Geelys and you’ll instead find large saloons from Buick, VW and Audi dominating the streets. In fact, GM’s Buick marque is one of the top-10 brands there, and is seen by the Chinese as a prestigious status symbol.

And that’s the reason why the even the Chevrolet Optra sells well in China, after being rebranded as a Buick Excelle. But as the Opel Insignia based Regal showed, Chinese Buicks now have real substance under the skin, and the new Excelle unveiled at the Guangzhou Motor Show is based on the sixth-gen Opel Astra, itself fresh in the market in Europe.

Three petrol engines are available, but of interest is the turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder that powers the range topping model. It comes with 183bhp and 235Nm of torque available from 1,980rpm to 5,400rpm, and there’s a ‘Superboost’ function that raises max torque to 266Nm, promising serious performance that should match VW’s Twincharger powered cars. Power goes to the front wheels via a six-speed automatic. It’s not announced, but we won’t be surprised if the suspension (front MacPherson struts, rear torsion beam with Watt’s linkage) is tuned softer for Chinese preference.

The Astra is the largest car in the Golf/Focus class with the longest wheelbase (2614mm) and its cabin features GM’s new design languange with the ‘dual-cockpit’ style, also seen in the Insignia and Chevrolet Cruze. Speaking of the Chevy Cruze, it was meant to be launched back in August, but we haven’t heard any news from Hicom-Chevrolet so far.

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Opel Insignia heading to the US as the Buick Regal

October 18, 2009 at 5:46 pm By Harvinder Sidhu Filed Under Buick, Cars, GMC

General Motors recently announced that the Opel Insignia will be sold in the US as the Buick Regal. The Insignia is currently being sold in the Chinese market under the Buick brand hence we can safely expect the US version to look more identical to the Chinese model.

The American auto giant did not disclose when the Regal will be launched in the States but the motoring fraternity is expecting it to arrive by the end of 2010 or beginning of 2011. A number of powerplant options should be offered, ranging from a 217HP 2.0 litre to possibly a 2.8 litre that can output up to 325HP. The image above is a spyshot of the US-bound model that was found on Facebook.

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Buick Business MPV Concept built for China

April 26, 2009 at 10:47 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Buick, China, International News

Buick Business MPV

The Buick brand is possibly GM’s most successful brand out of the US and it’s quite big in China. The Buick GL8 was the 2nd most highest selling MPV in 2008 in China, selling 36,252 units second to the JAC Refine’s 36,304 units.

Here comes the Buick Business MPV Concept, which was designed and engineered by GM’s Pan Asian Technical Automotive Center. It’s designed to appeal to the upper class Chinese customer and styling-wise it looks like a larger version of the Opel Meriva concept showcased late year – you should be able to immediately recognise it by the shoulderline profile which takes a little dip in the middle before rising back up. Perhaps this is a “Grand Meriva”.

Buick Business MPV

There is no B-pillar and the rear doors slide rearward to offer full easy access to the interior, which features 6 individual seats that look rather comfortable. The middle row can be rotated to face the rear for easy meetings between 4 people, and there is even a table in the middle which you can use to place your notebook or something.

Look after the jump for a full gallery of the Buick.
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