BUICK LACROSSE

The 'Buick LaCrosse' is a mid-size car produced by the Buick division of American automaker General Motors since the 2005 model year. The LaCrosse, only available as a four-door sedan, replaces the Century and Regal models of Buick's lineup. Its namesake is the Buick LaCrosse concept car shown beginning in 2000.

Contents

First Generation (2005-)

Trim Levels

International Models

Shanghai GM Buick LaCrosse

Future

Awards and recognition

References

External links

First Generation (2005-)

The LaCrosse made its debut in late 2004 as a 2005 model with the intention of replacing the popular Century and more sporting Regal midsize cars with a single model. Riding on a revised version of the W-body known as 'MS2000', the LaCrosse is available with two powerplant choices: a 3.8 L ''3800'' V6 and a 3.6 L ''HFV6'' V6, while power is routed to the front wheels via a 4T65-E automatic transmission.
The new model, as is generally the case with Buick, stresses quality and reliability over styling or performance. Early press commentary noted somewhat unfavorably that the car looks very similar to Buicks of the past decade, and the front end bears a striking resemblance to the 1996-1999 Ford Taurus, where the rear resembles the 2000-2006 Taurus.
The LaCrosse is sold as the Buick Allure in Canada. Though American cars occasionally bear different model ''and'' marque names when sold in the Canadian market, the case with the LaCrosse/Allure is unique. The original name was inspired by a Buick concept car of the same name shown in 2000 and also used as a reference to the sport of lacrosse, seen as popular with a younger, more active demographic that Buick sought to market to. However, ''la crosse'' means masturbation or swindling in Québecois slang.

Trim Levels

Three trim lines are offered:

★ 'CX': Base model with the GM 3800 engine

★ 'CXL': Well-equipped, with the GM 3800 engine

★ 'CXS': Sport/luxury model with the new 3.6L V6

★ 'Super': Proposed higher-performance model powered by a 5.3L V8
The CX trim replaces the Buick Century, effectively, and the CXL
and CXS trims replace the Buick Regal.

International Models

Shanghai GM Buick LaCrosse

Shanghai GM builds a version of the Buick LaCrosse for the Chinese market. Designed by Shanghai GM's Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center the Chinese LaCrosse is based on the same architecture as the North American model, but possesses a different engine lineup, interior and exterior designs. The car is also built in Taiwan by a joint Yulon-GM venture.

Future

A new trim of the LaCrosse bearing the 'Super' moniker debuted at the 2007 New York International Auto Show. The LaCrosse Super will be positioned as a higher-performance model of the sedan with revised front end styling influenced by the 2004 Velite concept car, as well as portholes and a rear spoiler. Power will come from the 5.3l small-block V8 engine featuring Active Fuel Management technology^[1]. This powertrain is also found on the Grand Prix GXP, Impala SS, and Monte Carlo SS. It will be introduced as a 2008 model.
In addition, regular LaCrosse models will receive a mid-life refreshing with a front end similar to that of the LaCrosse Super. It will not have portholes, and the rear spoiler will be listed as optional equipment.

Awards and recognition

The Buick LaCrosse is one of a handful of vehicles designated by Hertz Rent A Car as part of their ''Green Collection.'' Vehicles in the ''Green Collection'' must attain an EPA highway rating of 28 mpg or higher and can be specifically requested in advance.
The LaCrosse was one of Consumer Reports' 'Consumer Report Recommended' vehicles in their "Best & Worst Cars 2006" issue.

References

1. 'Super' Buicks: The Return

External links

★ Official site