2012 Buick LaCrosse eAssist
It’s hard to talk about all of the good things General Motors is doing these days without referencing theChevrolet Volt – it is perhaps the most talked-about car on the scene, green or otherwise. In showing the world that highly efficient, practical cars aren’t so far out of our reach, GM is preparing to launch a slew of fuel-sipping vehicles in the near term.
We’ve already spent time with the honest-to-goodness 42-mile-per-gallon Chevrolet Cruze Eco, but the next chapter of GM’s efficiency story lies in Buick’s eAssist mild hybrid system, coming to both its LaCrosse andRegal sedans later this year.
We recently had the chance to drive the 2012 Buick LaCrosse eAssist on the roads near GM’s proving grounds in Milford, Michigan, and while some hybrid systems vastly change a car’s overall driving experience, we walked away from our time in the Buick feeling as good as we ever have in a LaCrosse. The beauty of eAssist is that it functions in an almost entirely transparent manner, and that’s a very, very good thing.
LA 2010: 2012 Buick LaCrosse eAssist brings efficiency to the full-size luxury sedan
Full-size luxury sedans are typically guilty pleasures since they can be either coddling, comfort machines or all-out speed freaks. One thing they haven’t been is fuel efficient… until now. Making its debut at the 2010 LA Auto Show is the 2012 Buick LaCrosse eAssist.
Power for the LaCrosse eAssist is provided by a 2.4-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine with direct-injection. It gains an efficiency boost through the addition of a 115V lithium-ion battery pack, which allows the fuel system to take a nap during certain conditions. These two power systems working together, along with the six-speed automatic transmission, allow the Buick LaCrosse eAssist to achieve 25 miles per gallon in the city and 37 mpg on the highway – a 25% percent improvement compared to the 2.4-liter flying solo. Consider this the reinvention of GM’s long lost mild hybrid system.
Pricing for the 2012 Buick LaCrosse eAssist is expected to start around $30,000. What’s more, the hybrid system will be fitted standard to all LaCrosse models equipped with the 2.4-liter Ecotec engine.
[Source: General Motors]
Categories: Auto Show, Buick, Hybrid, LA Auto Show, Sedans/Saloons Tags: Buick, LA Auto Show
LA 2010: 2012 Buick Regal GS mildy impresses, majorly disappoints
Alright, so the 2012 Buick Regal GS isn’t the Americanized version of the 325-horsepower, all-wheel-drive Opel Insignia OPC we were once promised. Still, this sports sedan has a turbocharged and direct injected 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 255 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, comes standard with a six-speed manual transmission and has enough visual flare to certainly give the impression of fast. It even sports Buick’s trick HiPerStrut front suspension to reduce torque steer through the front wheels.
It might not be exactly the car we were hoping for, but it should still prove to be a welcome addition to the Buick lineup when it goes on sale next year. Pricing has yet to be announced, but considering the Regal itself is priced as an entry-level luxury sedan, we expect the GS model to cost closer to $40,000 than $30,000.
The Regal GS made its official debut today at the LA Auto Show, and we’ve got a full gallery of high-res shots live from the show floor for you.
Categories: Auto Show, Buick, LA Auto Show, Sedans/Saloons Tags: Buick, LA Auto Show
2011 Buick Regal makes even more sense on American soil
It was cold and rainy last November when we first drove an early prototype of the 2011 Buick Regal in Michigan. The weather was lousy, but our short time with the car intrigued us. There were far fewer complaints about conditions last month when we spent time with the sport sedan on the famed Nürburgring in Germany – its home turf. As it moves closer to arrival, Buick’s newest family member once again showed us its moves in the mountains of Southern California.
We spent the better part of a sunny spring day driving both the normally-aspirated and turbocharged models – each with automatic transmissions – in an attempt to see how the imported European challenger runs on clean and dry domestic pavement. How does the four-door sedan perform in this new arena? Is it tough enough to compete in the mid-size segment? Most importantly, is the Buick Regal good enough to accomplish its goal?
Categories: Auto Review, Buick, Car Review Tags: Buick
