LOS ANGELES, CA – Beautifully crafted and thoughtfully innovative, the 2017 Buick LaCrosse offers full-size sedan customers a striking, all-new design, sophisticated technologies and more-responsive performance.
The next-generation LaCrosse also introduces the new face of Buick, which is influenced by the dramatic cues of the award-winning Avenir concept. Notably, it features a new grille design with a large opening distinguished by the return of a three-color – red, silver and blue – Buick tri-shield insignia, accented by wing-shaped elements set against darkened waterfall grille bars.
Buick revealed the 2017 LaCrosse today at the Los Angeles Auto Show. It goes on sale early next summer.
“The new LaCrosse signals the next phase of Buick’s international momentum,” said Duncan Aldred, vice president of Buick Sales and Marketing. “Its quietness, comfort and connectivity were developed to set new standards in the segment, supported by technologies not offered on competitors such as the Lexus ES. It is also drop-dead gorgeous.”
Longer, lower and wider than the current model, the 2017 LaCrosse is built on a stronger yet lighter structure. In fact, it is about 300 pounds lighter than the current LaCrosse – thanks largely to the use of press-hardened, high-strength steels – which contributes to greater efficiency and more responsive handling.
The new LaCrosse’s lower weight is also due in part to new, dissipative sound-absorbing materials that are lower in mass, but provide more effective sound attenuation, resulting in a new threshold for Buick’s signature QuietTuning and forming a pillar of the car’s enhanced comfort.
The balance of the efficiency equation comes from a technologically advanced, second-generation 3.6L V-6 paired with a new eight-speed automatic transmission. Standard Stop/Start technology improves efficiency in stop-and-go driving.
“The blend of sophisticated technologies and advanced safety systems offer a more enjoyable and engaging driving experience,” said Aldred. “It’s a rewarding sedan for those who seek luxurious appointments, style and quality.”
The New Face of Buick
The new LaCrosse’s expressive exterior design creates a new proportion, rendering a more dramatic road presence.
“It’s a sleeker design that looks confident and purposeful,” said Holt Ware, exterior design director. “Stretching the wheelbase, lowering the roofline and making it slightly wider creates a dramatic effect that is enhanced by the design’s supporting elements such as the swept headlamps.”
LaCrosse’s new proportion is further complemented by an all-new grille that signals the next chapter in Buick’s design anthology. Inspired by the Avenir concept, it’s distinguished by a new, three-color tri-shield insignia set on a wing-shaped element. Contrasting with darkened waterfall grille bars and spanning the width of the opening, it connects the grille and headlamps, and emphasizes LaCrosse’s new sculptural surfacing. The design was introduced on the Avenir concept and was inspired by the 1954 Wildcat II concept.
“It’s the new face of Buick – one that reflects the sophistication, modernity and international reach of this evolving brand,” said Ware. “The new, winged motif also emphasizes the wider, lower proportion of the LaCrosse.”
The signature sweepspear body-side design element has been reinterpreted in a modern fashion, enhancing the car’s sculptural identity. It has a split design that gives the body side a greater perception of depth, while picking up additional bodylines, for an elegant, uninterrupted flow from the front fenders to the rear.
The 2017 LaCrosse’s bodylines are reinforced by a longer, uninterrupted “daylight opening” – the portion of the upper body between the A- and C-pillars. They’re ringed with chrome, which adds a tastefully restrained premium accent to the body side.
Other details blend form and function such as outside mirrors mounted on pedestals on the doors rather than the corners of the front side windows. The design offers a greater field of view, while the mirror housings were shaped in the wind tunnel to help reduce wind noise.
Aerodynamic considerations also drove the dynamic sweep of the deckled, which acts as a spoiler to optimize airflow over the LaCrosse, and the front of the car features deflectors in front of the tires to reduce drag.
The front wheels have been pulled forward and the wheelbase stretched 2.7 inches (65 mm), while the overall length is only 0.6-inch longer (15 mm). The dynamic proportion is further enhanced by a roofline that’s 1.6 inches (40 mm) lower than the current model.
The longer wheelbase is matched by wheels pushed outward 1.3 inches (33 mm) in the front and 1.1 inches (28 mm) in the rear, while the car’s width has grown only 0.4-inch (10 mm), creating a wheels-at-corners stance that conveys road confidence.
Additional exterior elements include:
- High-intensity discharge headlamps and LED signature lighting are standard
- LED taillamps are standard
- Eighteen-inch wheels are standard and 20-inch wheels are available
- Active grille shutters
Seamless Ambience, Authentic Craftsmanship
The new LaCrosse’s interior is designed to offer an open and inviting space for passengers – one that is relaxing, luxurious and well-connected. Sculpturally beautiful form and premium materials complement technologies developed for effortless interfacing.
It is the first Buick with a new single cockpit design aesthetic, characterized by a horizontal form that sweeps across the instrument panel and into the doors. It also incorporates a “floating” center console that positions the controller for the new Electronic Precision Shift high and close to the driver, while creating storage space below the console for items such as a handbag or tablet.
“There is fluidity in the interior forms – a seamless ambience that flows throughout the cabin,” said Liz Wetzel, interior design director. “Like the exterior, there is sculptural beauty in the interior’s functionality, complemented with high-quality, authentic materials and exceptional attention to detail.”
That attention to detail includes soft materials for virtually every touchpoint; real French stitching on the seats, instrument panel and more; and genuine aluminum sill plates and wood décor trim, depending on the model.
“There is a handcrafted essence that is inviting and rewarding,” said Wetzel. “It is clean environment that is designed to refresh and inspire.”
A number of new and enhanced available luxury features amplify the LaCrosse’s comfort quotient:
- Three fashion-inspired interior trim choices: Jet Black, Dark Atmosphere and Shale, and Jet Black and Brandy
- Contemporary Moon White ambient lighting
- Eight-way-adjustable heated and ventilated front seats with new massage feature – with improved heating for quicker warm-up on cold mornings
- Perforated leather-appointed seats
- Heated steering wheel with power tilting/telescoping steering column
- Dual-zone automatic climate control
- Power rear sunshade
- Premium Bose® audio system.
It also offers greater, more practical storage space and easier access. The rear doors, for example, open wider and offer easier entry/egress, and the trunk not only offers approximately 7 percent more storage space than the current model, but also was configured to accommodate four golf bags.
View the expanded auto show images at http://autodesigno.com/?p=5172
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