Jalopnik: lucerne

2011 Buick Lucerne With Rear-Wheel Drive Is Not Dead Yet

Ben Wojdyla — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 10:40:00 EDT

Automakers are gnashing their teeth over how to deal with the second malaise era looming over us like an 800 lb gorilla with a stolen banana. The General's combatting the murky fog by playing switcheroo with some of its product plans — specifically plans for rear-wheel drive. Originally, the 2011 Buick Lucerne was to shift to rear-wheel drive, in an attempt to move Buick slightly out of stodgy territory and into crotchety. Speculation's been that the plan was nixed due to all the doom and gloom lately, but it seems that may be less than true as we're now hearing the next Lucerne's rear-wheel plans are still quite "Fred." As in not-yet-dead.

Motor Trend's Motor City Blogman, Todd Lassa, is reporting the news of the RWD Buick Lucerne's demise may have been greatly exaggerated. Along with a lot of background info, Lassa says the Buick will be staying rear wheel drive, but moving off the 118.5-inch extended wheelbase Zeta platform and onto the smaller "midsize" 114.8-inch wheelbase Zeta — the same as the Pontiac G8. So it'll stay rear-wheel driven, but shrinking a bit in the process.

Enthusiasts will hate the idea of a rear-wheel powered Buick, sure. Want to know what they'll hate even more? The Blogman's also reporting GM's plans for a rear-wheel drive 2011 Chevy Impala is still dead in the water. The world is a crazy mixed up place sometimes, ain't it? [Motor Trend]

GM To Idle Hamtramck Assembly Due To American Axle Strike

Ben Wojdyla — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 11:30:00 EDT

Reuters is reporting General Motors will be idling its Hamtramck Assembly plant on Monday as a result of the ongoing strike at American Axle. The Detroit area plant currently builds the Cadillac DTS and Buick Lucerne and joins 30 other plants affected by the parts shortages. Though shuttering plants is never good news, the situation will allow General Motors to reduce their bloated vehicle inventories. We're wondering if it's time for embattled Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick to join the American Axle picket line, so the media mob following him actually bothers covering a real story. [Reuters]

2008 Buick Lucerne Super Is 2007 CXS with 17 More Horses And Priced At $39,395

Matthew DeBord — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 14:00:00 EST

When Buick's latest version of its big Lucerne sedan hits dealerships in April, it will no longer be called CXS but instead "Super," following in the footsteps of little brother LaCrosse, which received a similar designation last year. According to GM, the Lucerne Super will be priced just south of $40K. The main difference between the old CXS and the new Super is under the hood: the CXS Northstar V8 put out 275 hp, while the Super Northstar V8 does 292 hp. Of course, this is a little like... oh, I dunno, touting your 2005 Cabernet over the '04 because you're at 15 percent alcohol by volume, rather than 14.5. Then calling it "Special Reserve" instead of just "Reserve." Thus, Lucerne Super. But so what? More grousing and the GM press release, after the jump.

Lucerne-plus-Northstar V8 equals one thing: good freeway cruising. Buick is calling it a "driver's car," but it's really at its best when it's driving more or less in a straight line on a large American multi-lane highway, doing about 80, with enough mellow torque in reserve to keep everything comfy and confident. I had one of these on a run from L.A. to San Diego about a year ago and it was a pleasant ride (I was involved with Buick marketing from 2004-2006, fyi). Which makes you wonder: If 275 hp was just fine, what's the point in moving up to 292 hp? Is that really "super?" Seems more gratuitous, really. Or just an enhanced reminder that you can't get a V8 on a Toyota Avalon Limited, the Lucerne Super's putative competition. In which case, we're thinking that maybe Buick's not as happy with that competitive relationship as they could be.

However, if form holds and GM starts encouraging markdowns at its new Pontiac-Buick-GMC dealerships, the Lucerne Super might be a chance to get a V8 at a significant discount. Hell, the way things are going, we might be living through the twilight of the mighty V8, so get 'em while you can!

Buick Announces Pricing For The 2008 Buick Lucerne Super
DETROIT - Buick, the premium international brand of General Motors, today announced the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) for its all-new 2008 Lucerne Super entry-luxury sedan. Buick's most premium and powerful full-size sedan carries an MSRP of $39,395 including a $765 destination freight charge. It will be available for sale in dealer showrooms beginning in April.

The Lucerne Super features a long list of standard content exclusive to the Super badge, compelling safety features, and performance and powertrain enhancements. Pricing targets comparably equipped luxury import competitors.

Standard luxury content

2008 Buick Lucerne SuperLucerne Super has a full range of standard equipment and technologies befitting Buick's premium image. Among them include a new 4.6L 292-horsepower Northstar V-8 engine; Magnetic Ride Control technology; premium steering gear; heated and cooled front seats; heated windshield washer fluid; QuietTuning, Buick's exclusive process to reduce, block and absorb interior cabin noise; factory-installed remote start; Ultrasonic Rear Parking Assist; rain-sensing windshield wiper system; OnStar; XM Satellite Radio; and six air bags, including an industry-first dual-depth front passenger air bag.

2008 Buick Lucerne SuperLucerne Super's exterior features new and exclusive features such as a chrome waterfall grille, front and rear fascias, rocker panels and dual chrome exhaust tips. Its luxury-like interior gets a leather-wrapped instrument panel with French-seam stitching; suede trim on the doors and seats; heated real walnut wood steering wheel and shifter; a Nova-silver center stack finish; a nine-speaker, 280-watt Harman Kardon audio system; six-disc, in-dash CD changer with MP3 capability; and floor mats embroidered with the Buick name and tri-shield emblem.

Available features include 18-inch chrome wheels, touch screen DVD-based map navigation, power sunroof and an Ultra Confidence package with Side Blind Zone and Lane Departure Warning safety-enhancing technologies.

A driver's car

2008 Buick Lucerne SuperThe Lucerne Super is a driver's car, thanks in part to its increased horsepower, enhanced chassis tuning and steering precision.

The Northstar V-8 engine produces 292 horsepower and 288 lb.-ft. of torque. The engine's added power improves launch-acceleration and vehicle-passing capabilities. New premium steering components give the Lucerne Super improved steering precision and responsiveness.

Lucerne Super's chassis was further tuned for a more agile ride and performance. A key enabler of the chassis is Lucerne Super's Magnetic Ride Control technology. It has been recalibrated to give even more driver control and performance while further reducing body roll and head toss in cornering and lane changes. The system uses magnetically charged particles suspended in a synthetic fluid to continuously adjust the fluid's viscosity to varying road surfaces and driving characteristics. It provides a quicker response than conventional valve-damping systems, while providing exceptional vehicle control and increased tire contact with the road surface.

In addition to the Super trim, Lucerne is also available in CX (MSRP of $27,520) and CXL (MSRP of $30,165) models. All Lucernes are built at GM's Detroit-Hamtramck manufacturing facility and come with the industry's best coverage, including a five-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty and four-year/50,000-mile bumper-to-bumper protection.

General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world's largest automaker, has been the annual global industry sales leader for 77 years. Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 274,000 people around the world. With global headquarters in Detroit, GM manufactures its cars and trucks in 35 countries. In 2007, nearly 9.37 million GM cars and trucks were sold globally under the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, HUMMER, Opel, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn, Vauxhall and Wuling. GM's OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services. More information on GM can be found at www.gm.com.

Report: China Remakes Buick In Buick's Own Image

Mike Spinelli — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 08:31:15 EDT

It's no secret China has become the most compelling reason to keep a candle burning for the Buick brand. The superpower-in-training is now Buick's top market, evidenced by the Rivera concept that debuted at the Shanghai auto show earlier this year. Now, Automotive News reports China's influence may feed back into the US market by decade's end. The first Chinese-designed Buick to debut in the states could hit in 2009. That is, the next Excelle, a small, entry-luxury sedan to ride on GM's new rear-wheel-drive Alpha architecture (similar to the Pontiac Solstice's Kappa platform) that'll reportedly host the next Cadillac BLS for Europe. [Note: AN says it's a front-drive platform; not sure what they're smoking]. The next-gen LaCrosse sedan will follow on the Epsilon 2 platform in front- and all-wheel-drive versions, and the next Lucerne in 2011, which will be built on Holden's Zeta platform like the Pontiac G8. That car will be similar to the Park Avenue, recently introduced in China. Does the Chinese market know American cars better than we do? Watch this space.

New York Auto Show Preview: Buick Reintroduces "Super" Designation, Reveals Super-Duper LaCrosse And Lucerne

Ray Wert — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 12:45:00 EDT

For 2008, the brand that even the General's vice-chairman wonders whether they got to in time, is going retro. The company's reintroducing the "Super" designation from the early 1950s. "Super," not to be confused with its hetero-life-mate, "Duper" was the umm...actually we're not sure what it used to be...as near as we can remember and as near as we can tell from the releases, Buick's "Super designation was:

"The name Super, evoking the glamour and elegance of rail travel of the late '30s, harks back to a time when America was on the upswing, having weathered the trials of the Great Depression, but had not seen the horrors of a second world war that was on the horizon."

That's certainly uplifting. Whatever it was, with a new 300-hp V8 affecting a 0-60 time of 5.7 seconds, it's clear "Super" will be the high-performance designation for the Buick brand. It remains to be seen whether these newly designated whips and their power-to-the-front wheels orientation will live up to the fantastic naming scheme or whether "NHP" at the end of the Northstar name on the engine means "No Hoonage Potential." Gallery of both the new-for-2008 LaCrosse and Lucerne below, press release below the jump. – Ray Wert

BUICK LACROSSE SEDAN GETS NEW FACE OF BUICK AND MORE EQUIPMENT STANDARD
NEW YORK - Buick will freshen its 2008 LaCrosse line with the new face of Buick - a front-end design inspired by the Velite convertible concept - and an elevated list of standard equipment across all LaCrosse models.

Like the recently introduced Buick Enclave luxury crossover and Super models, the 2008 LaCrosse features a more distinctive front end. The new design brings the 2008 LaCrosse sedan in line with a common Buick family appearance. The fascia, hood and chrome waterfall grille are new. The 2008 model will also offer four new exterior colors, including: Scarlett Red, Gold Mist Metallic, Dark Mocha Metallic and Dark Slate Metallic.

Inside, the '08 LaCrosse continues to offer a well-equipped, comfortable and quiet interior. More comfort and convenience features are now standard for CX, CXL and CXS models for 2008. The LaCrosse CX, for example, is a richer entry-level car, adding a leather-wrapped steering wheel, theft deterrent system, illuminated vanity mirrors, driver information center personalization and more. All trim levels now have a chrome exterior appearance package, remote starting, XM Satellite Radio, telescoping steering wheel column, redundant steering wheel controls and dual-zone climate control as added standard equipment.

"LaCrosse really started the evolution to the new Buick you see today," said Buick General Manager Steve Shannon. "It introduced a new direction for Buick cars with great design, performance and fuel economy with a premium and quiet interior. Indeed, LaCrosse set the foundation for the new Buick."

The LaCrosse line now offers three powertrains. The CX and CXL trims are powered by the 3.8L V-6, now in Series III form. With more than 25 million sold, it is one of the most proven and reliable engines in the industry. Rated at 200 horsepower (149 kW), the 3.8L features electronic throttle control to improve engine response and optimize fuel efficiency, along with upgrades for quiet operation.

The performance-oriented LaCrosse CXS has a standard 3.6L V-6 with variable valve timing that delivers 240 horsepower (179 kW). The premium, all-aluminum engine features dual overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder. Its fully variable intake and exhaust valve timing achieves outstanding flexibility, delivering 90 percent of the engine's peak torque where it is most useful, between 1,500 rpm and 6,000 rpm. The 3.6L VVT delivers a market-leading balance of good specific output, high torque over a broad rpm band, fuel economy and first-rate noise vibration and harshness control.

The recently announced 2008 LaCrosse Super introduces a V-8 engine and portholes to the LaCrosse lineup. With the fuel efficiency of a V-6, the new 300-horsepower (224 kW)* 5.3L small-block V-8 with Active Fuel Management (AFM) technology can propel LaCrosse Super from 0-60 mph in 5.7 seconds. GM's AFM engine technology seamlessly switches between four- and eight-cylinder-power to save fuel.

The LaCrosse line is built at GM's Oshawa 2 Assembly, ranked North/South America's top manufacturing facility the last two years, according to J.D. Power and Associates.

The 2008 LaCrosse will arrive in dealer showrooms this summer. Pricing has not been announced.

*Pending SAE certification.

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A Very Special Buick: GM's Oldster Division Looks to Yesteryear for a Modern Spark

Mike Spinelli — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 11:27:50 EDT

While Mr. Wert attends some manner of press event at the Buick Home for the Aged, the Detroit News maps the crossroads at which the GM brand finds itself. How will the Buick brass navigate the "damaged" brand (said Bob Lutz) to a more prosperous future? One way is by resurrecting the "Super" tag that once denoted early postwar high-performance. Super models, built between 1940 and 1958, included the Buick Super, the Buick Super Riviera, and the Buick Super Convertible. They were a favorite of city chicks in hunter's caps and the turtlenecked, cardigan-wearing accountants who once took them ice skating in the Catskills (see above).

Of course, Buick could have reached for the later-day GS designation of the 1960s and 1970s. Those were the days when the Skylark GS-X was a drag-strip halo car and the Rivera GS was a favorite of dentists and other male social climbers. But by going back to Super, Buick can still emphasize luxury and avoid a semblance of muscle-car fogginess (thus avoid impinging on Pontiac's supposed brand slot), while giving a hint of performance pedigree. It can also glom onto the underground VIP-car movement, just now reaching critical mass in Japan and the West Coast of the US. Will it save the company? Who knows. But it might reduce the age of its average buyer by a few critical years. Sixty would be nice. – Mike Spinelli

GM's Buick brand reaches crossroads [Detroit News]

Broken: Buick Just Sold More Cars in China than in the United States of America

Jonny Lieberman — Wed, 20 Dec 2006 17:45:00 EST

The old man used to go on and on about the glory of Grandpa Loverman's 1953 Buick Roadmaster. It was beautifully styled, possessed a powerful straight-eight, had advanced features like... wait for it... power door-locks! Best of all, it was called the frickin' Roadmaster! Car names don't get better than that. Neither, really, do cars. Today's Buicks on the other hand, in the words of Car Tzar Bob Lutz, are damaged. Even if the new rides (like the ~~Outlook~~ Enclave) do manage to follow in the mighty footsteps of their noble ancestor (they don't), they will still have lousy names. Lucerne is reminiscent of dairy products and LaCrosse is only interesting if you recall Jim Brown's college days when he lettered in lacrosse at Syracuse. I won't ruin it for you, but the NFL great enjoyed chasing rich white guys around with a stick. Even so, Jim Brown would never drive a LaCrosse. However, another dominant American athlete, Tiger Woods, would be happy to. My point? I just hope Mr. Woods is aware what they do with tiger dongs in China. – Jonny Lieberman

China could save a tarnished GM brand [msnbc.com]

LA Auto Show: Buick Lucerne Chop Job

Mike Bumbeck — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 14:52:21 EST

While the sliced right down the middle Ford GT at SEMA a while back was certainly interesting, the braintrust at Buick evidently has super sawing ability. Buick sliced up this Lucerne into six parts and encased it in plexiglass to give potential buyers an inside look into all the swell features of this fine and luxurious automobile. Of course magnetic suspension, heated windshield wiper fluid, and those heated-and-cooled seats won't do you a damn bit of good if your car is cut up into six freaking pieces! Perhaps the remote starting system somehow fuses the Lucerne back together for road going amusement. – Mike Bumbeck

Pimp My Lucerne: Buick Bringing Trick Sedans to SEMA

Mike Spinelli — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 12:50:09 EDT

Buick is so gangstah it doesn't even know how gangstah it is. Or does it? According to hip-hop digest Brand Week, Buick is having 11 Lucerne models customized by various manner of street mod shops, with a plan to unveil the cars at the SEMA show in Las Vegas later this month. Urban car culture juggernaut DUB has already created a version of the Lucerne to match its existing DUB Edition Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger and Cadillac Escalade. Brand Week connects the dots in Buick's strategy between Japan's "VIP style" of decked-out luxury cars — preferred by the Yakuza mafia — and American urban culture's fascination of late with sedans. Not that grandpa even cares what the kids are doing: He's driving a minivan. – Mike Spinelli

That Tricked-Out Car is a Buick? [Brand Week]

Mehta Says Meh: The Truth About the Buick Lucerne CXS

Davey G. Johnson — Wed, 21 Jun 2006 22:30:00 EDT

Honestly, while we were at this year's North American International Auto Show, we would see Lucernes as part of GM's hospitality fleet while out catching frostbite and giving ourselves cancer (stupid cigarettes) and mostly just thought, "Wow, what a Passat-like rump." And then, while up in Sacto for Easter, again outside giving ourselves cancer, we spent some time walking around a family friend's recently purchased Lucerne and thought, "What the hell have they done to the brand which provided our friend Peet with his '72 Electra Land Yacht that looked so bitchen with an Obituary sticker on the bumper? The brand the provided us with what our ridiculously pretty friend Sarah called, 'Dave's Fresh Riiiiiide?' We swear, portholes or no, Buick's brand DNA, much like Luca Brasi, sleeps with the fishes." TTAC's Sajeev Mehta agrees.

Buick Lucerne CXS [The Truth About Cars]

Related:
DUB Pimps a Buick [Internal]

Insurance Institute Hits Them From the Side; Resulting Headlines Top List of Most Obvious

Ray Wert — Mon, 19 Jun 2006 12:37:31 EDT

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety apparently likes it like we do — releasing the results over the weekend of the 2006 side impact crashworthiness (we didn't even make that word up!) tests, and now we're treated to 75 articles in papers across the country all saying "Study: Side Air Bags Improve Safety." Well — umm — yeah, that's true, and thank you Associated Press for your hard work in making it clear to the whole world it's better to smack your head into a pillowy cushion of air than a piece of hard industra-plasti-vinyl with metal underneath. Geez.

Oh, the results? Is that what you're asking for? Well...

...the Chevy Impala and Toyota Avalon both received "good" ratings, the Buick Lucerne and Hyundai Azera received "acceptable" ratings and the Buick LaCrosse and Chrysler 300 received "marginal" ratings — all when tested with side airbags. Of the large cars tested without side airbags, the Chrysler 300, Ford Five Hundred and Ford Crown Victoria — all received ratings of "Poor." It should be noted that when the Ford Five Hundred was tested last year with side airbags, it received a Gold Medal — so it's got that going for it.

So remember kids, side airbags save lives.

Study: Side Air Bags Improve Safety [CBS/AP]
New side impact crash test results: Impala, Avalon are top large car performers [IIHS]

DUB Pimps a Buick

Mike Spinelli — Mon, 10 Apr 2006 08:15:24 EDT

Old-school suckers to the side! It appears DUB magazine thinks the Buick Lucerne could be the next Chrysler 300C, considering they've applied the time-honored DUBification process to one of Buick's new ships. The DUB edition Lucerne has the typical black paint, 20-something" rims and an AV setup that'd make a middle-school geek spit his retainer. It'll be shown this summer around the country, at only the most "down" golf communities.

Geriatric Gangsta: DUB Pimps Out a Buick for the Aging Hip-Hopper [Edmunds]

Buick Lucerne to Get Major Ad Push

Mike Spinelli — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 07:45:39 EST

Buick's newest hopeful, the Lucerne — the Swissified replacement for the Le Sabre — will suck up 20% of the GM brand's first-quarter ad budget for 2006, or $9 million, according to AutoWeek. It'll even get an endorsement from Tiger Woods (don't be so impressed, they're paying him). The company is going heavy in an attempt to gain sales traction for the pivotal new model, considering the relatively weak showing of its smaller Lacrosse sibling. Buick has also dropped Aerosmith's "Dream On" from its ads. A new slogan, "Beyond Precision," which experts say promises to boost wiggle room by approximately 18%, will dominate Buick's newest messaging.

New Lucerne to dominate Buick ad spending; vehicle to get special Tiger Woods pitch [AutoWeek]

Related:
Spy Photos: 2006 Buick Lucerne [internal]