Buick LaCrosse 2010

GM’s Buick LaCrosse 2010 was available for the preview at the Detroit Autoshow. The LaCrosse is an instantly recognizable as a Buick, with portholes inside the character line on the hood and what GM calls Buick’s waterfall grille.

GM North America VP for Buick-Pontiac-GMC Susan Docherty, global mid-size car vehicle line executive Jim Federico, and Buick brand character chief designer Dave Lyon provided a run-down on the new LaCrosse.

GM says the new LaCrosse is truly global, with an exterior designed in the United States as a reminiscent of the Invicta concept from the 2008 Beijing motor show; the interior developed in China, which serves as Buick’s biggest market; and a platform done by Opel in Europe.

Following the Opel Insignia, the LaCrosse is General Motor’s first North American car on the European midsize platform. The Chevrolet Malibu/Saturn Aura will be next which is due in 2011.

The car is being offered in three models: CX, CXL and CXS.  The CX is equipped with a new 3.0-liter direct-injection V6 producing 255 hp and 211 lb-ft of torque and is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.

The CXL level adds heated leather seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, fog lamps and turn indicators in the mirrors and is available with all-wheel drive.

The high-end CXS gets a 3.6-liter direct-injection V6 good for 280 hp and 261 lb-ft of torque. The CXS is equipped with real-time active-dampening suspension, heated and cooled leather seats and chrome-plated 18-inch wheels. Nineteen-inch wheels are optional.

The mid-size Buick is the first North American market application of the revised Epsilon II architecture that debuted last summer as the basis of the Euro-only Opel Insignia.