It's no secret that General Motors is in require of an picture makeover, and the Buick brand . The name has become synonymous with the elderly in recent years. In fact, the last chilled automobile that Buick came out with could arguably be the GSX from the 70s. And, the fact that their last try to make the brand chilled involved leveraging the picture of Tiger Woods isn't exactly doing them any favors nowadays. So, what do they make of a new Buick LaCrosse with luxurious curves that might turn the heads of people under 70?The styling of the 2010 Buick LaCrosse is by far the largest improvement over the earlier models. To say that the elderly LaCrosse wasn't all that is about the same as saying that the sun will rise in the east. Both are such truisms that they no longer require to be pointed out. But the new LaCrosse is bucking that trend, thanks to joint development between Buick engineers in the United States and of G.M.'s Chinese design teams.
The sweeping roofline definitely takes some cues from other premium automobile manufacturers, & gives the LaCrosse an aura of speed balanced with gravitas. The elderly LaCrosse was a bit bulky & awkward, & while the new model has similar dimensions, it manages to turn that size in to an asset. The wheel arches & quarter panels are no longer bulging lumps, but well-cut shoulders. Those shoulders cover 18-inch wheels on most models of the LaCrosse, but the top-line CXS model gets 19-inchers.The interior has been similarly upgraded. The new cabin will chair adults without any issues. The elderly LaCrosse could accomplish this same feat, but people will actually need to get in to the 2010 model. The leather upholstery is well made & the wood accents gleam. Those accents wrap around the cabin, generating the illusion of a forward moving cockpit. & while that's great for the driver, the backseat gets plenty of affection as well. In fact, with a leg room measurement of 40.5 inches, the LaCrosse is in the upper echelon of the segment when it comes to fitting adults in the back chair, as some premium sedans have measurements as low as 36 inches (we're taking a look at you, Lexus ES350).
Okay, so there's nice looks, a revamped and comfortable interior, as well as a actual chance for the 2010 LaCrosse to re-inspire confidence (and interest) in the Buick badge. Is there anything wrong? Yes. And the issue is under the hood. Base models will feature a four.4-liter inline four-cylinder engine, but most will finish up with a four.0-liter V6. And both of these are woefully inadequate. The new LaCrosse weighs about three,000 pounds (depending on trim level), and that's much weight for those engines to push around with any kind of pep. The engines aren't bad in and of themselves, and have been great fits in other G.M. models, but this isn't of them. The top-level CXS gets a four.6-liter V6 that has 280 horsepower and 259 lb-ft of torque, which is about what you require for the weight of this automobile.
And the engine lineup is indicative of the giant issue the Buick brand, and indeed most all General Motors models, face. Yes, there's some brilliant G.M. cars on the market, but regrettably most of those models are the top trim level vehicles that deliver the same value as other cars can for less money. The 2010 Buick LaCrosse is a definitely a large step in the right direction, but its shortcomings only serve to illustrate how far the brand still has to go.
No comments:
Post a Comment