It’s been a quiet front for Buick as of recent, though the brand is keen to capitalize on the momentum gained in the U.S. market since a self-proclaimed rebirth involving “white space” and major plans to revitalize the entire lineup.
Today marks an important step in that revitalization, as the Tri-Shield brand ushers in a new face for its future with the 2017 Buick LaCrosse.
Buick’s New Face
Foremost, yes, the Buick Avenir influence is very noticeable up front. The new grille includes a refreshed take on classic “waterfall” elements, and sits recessed at the front of the car with wing-shaped elements. And, as fans have clamored for, the red, white and blue tri-shield badge is back and here to stay.
The design has taken on a very sleek a fluid look, ditching the tall, portly proportions of the outgoing, second-gen LaCrosse. The 2017 LaCrosse wears Buick’s signature sweepspear,reinterpreting the body-side design element in a modern fashion to provide depth to the car’s sheetmetal.
Overall, the front wheels have been pulled forward and the wheelbase stretched 2.7-inches, while length is only 0.6 of an inch longer. A 1.6-inch lower roofline carries the 2017 LaCrosse’s sleek profile into a tasteful lip in the rear with a pair of winged LED taillights.
“It’s a sleeker design that looks confident and purposeful,” said Holt Ware, exterior design director. “Stretching the wheelbase, lowering the roofline and making it slightly wider creates a dramatic effect that is enhanced by the design’s supporting elements such as the swept headlamps.”
Interior Ambiance And True Craftsmanship
The 2017 Buick LaCrosse also welcomes a new approach to interior-cabin design. The new single-cockpit design is characterized by a horizontal form that sweeps into the doors and across the instrumental panel. A “floating” center console was made possible with the inclusion of the all-new eight-speed Electronic Precision Shift. Not only does it provide a major sense of design, it also creates extra storage below.
“There is fluidity in the interior forms – a seamless ambience that flows throughout the cabin,” said Liz Wetzel, interior design director. “Like the exterior, there is sculptural beauty in the interior’s functionality, complemented with high-quality, authentic materials and exceptional attention to detail.”
Buick has made it clear that nearly every touchpoint on the car is a wrapped in a premium, soft-touch material, which we can vouch for. Anywhere the hand will touch feels luxurious and soft. Depending on the trim level, genuine aluminum sills and wood decor washes the cabin, contrasted with true French stitching on the seats.
Additionally, the following are included to provide the greatest luxurious experience seen yet from a Buick sedan:
- Three fashion-inspired interior trim choices:
- Jet Black
- Dark Atmosphere and Shale
- Jet Black and Brandy
- Contemporary Moon White ambient lighting
- Eight-way-adjustable heated and ventilated front seats with new massage feature – with improved heating for quicker warm-up on cold mornings
- Perforated leather-appointed seats
- Heated steering wheel
- Dual-zone automatic climate control
- Power rear sunshade
- Premium Bose audio system
Engineering Luxury And Silence
But the 2017 Buick LaCrosse isn’t merely a design statement. The full-size luxury sedan arrives with General Motors’ next-generation 3.6-liter LGX V6, including the latest stop/start technology. The V6 will be paired to the all-new eight-speed transmission with Electronic Precision Shift, sending power to either the front wheels, or Buick’s all-new twin-clutch all-wheel drive system that anticipates where power needs to be sent between the front and rear wheels, and between the rear wheels.
Two suspension packages will be available with the 2017 LaCrosse, each tailoring the vehicle’s driving experience to a different kind of driver. The first features a MacPherson front suspension setup to maximize driving comfort, and is paired with 18-inch wheels. The second utilizes Buick’s HiPer Strut setup for a more dynamic driving experience, and receives 20-inch wheels. Both suspension choices get an all-new five-link rear suspension. Continuous Dampening Control is also available to further enhance comfort and driving capabilities.
Finally, Buick’s QuietTuning has been taken to new heights in the 2017 LaCrosse. Over 100 sound points have been examined to ensure a refined, quiet driving experience. These include the window switches, wiper blades and triple-sealed doors.
Safety First With State-Of-The-Art Technology
Along with parent company General Motors, Buick remains committed to be the safest automaker in the market. That’s reflected in the 2017 LaCrosse’s bountiful amount of passive and active safety features, including:
- Ten standard airbags
- Front pedestrian braking
- Lane keep assist
- Teen Driver information system
2017 Buick LaCrosse Active Safety diagram
The latest technologies will be ready for action with the all-new LaCrosse, too. OnStar 4G LTE with Wi-Fi hotspot is front and center. It combines forces with an eight-inch MyLink infotainment system. Buick has also included a fantastic slot for mobile phones, which happens to charge the device as it sits, too.
The 2017 Buick LaCrosse will be built at GM’s Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant, and Buick states the 2017 LaCrosse will reach dealerships during the summer of 2016. And even though the new LaCrosse may not fit the brand’s “white space” motif, it looks to fill a void as a possible grand-slam volume player ready to do battle in the near-luxury space.
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Comments
Stuff like this slowly makes me consider buick over cadillac not a fan completely of the new strategy and sporty ride of the new cadillacs but we will see.. not saying I don’t find the new cadillacs interesting bit slowly buick is becoming more my range
Matt you beat me to it.
Near luxury? Wow, this looks to be full luxury! The interior looks more luxurious than my 2014 Cadillac!
I have to say this is a good move for Buick for sure!
It looks like GM/Buick went all out with this redesign and it truly pays off. Everyone involved in this project should be proud of what they accomplished. It should give European and Japanese carmakers reasons to worry and car owners reasons to give Buick a long, long look.
Love it!. This could me my next car. It looks close to the Aviner too. I can’t believe it was only lengthened .06 inchs. It looks like it’s 3 inchs longer than the current model.
I give GM credit, since I think the design nails it for the Buick customer. With that said, I am not a Buick customer.
Can’t wait to sell ’em!
GM is back¡¡
So far, I love everything about this car!!!! I’m just not sure how to change the lights unless you have to take out the front bumper.
Really shopped for a luxury car with all the features I wanted. The list was long and the prices of the cars equipped with what I wanted were quite high. 65-85+K. The last car I drove during my search was a new 2014 lacrosse. A Buick was not high on my list but I heard so many good things about them I had to give them a look. The car listed for 50K and had a Black Friday 20% off deal. The Pearl White Lacrosse had everything on my list and a luxury Sangria interior package I could have done without but now happy it was equipped with it. 40K for a FULLY equipped luxury car that drove better than anything else I tested. Had the car for over a year now and it has been a joy to own and drive. What a great surprise. The car even gets looks and positive comments. Buick is not a old persons car anymore. The operating systems are similar to my 2015 Z51 Corvette. I might be old (70) but the car is young. My other cars are C5 & C7 Corvettes + a GTO so I am not a old fart. Try the Buick.
Age has NOTHING to do with good taste! I hope at 70 I have a stable like yours!
Unfortunately this car has horrible headroom specifications. Why can’t their largest car be like a real roomy American car of old? This obsession with coupe like rooflines is stupid. Rant over.
Dude. If rumors are true there’s going to be PLENTY of Buick SUV’s to choose from.
If he’s like me, he doesn’t want a SUV, he wants a “real” car.
Well you gotta pick, you know? If your head doesn’t fit in a boat you get a yacht.
Should have more headroom than an accord. Too much to ask? I like the looks though.
Buick is out doing brands like Lincoln and rubbing up against Cadillac. GM has made a wise choice promoting two luxury brands–high margins and a fall back should Caddy fail.
The interior is beautiful and exterior adequate to take on Lexus.
For people who don’t want “an American BMW” they can get a Buick and those that want sporty and luxury have Cadillac. Hitting both markets with quality cars right now.
There is nothing wrong with Buick and Cadillac sharing space, rubbing up against each other. VW Group does this with a few brands.
If managed properly, Buick should be the American Audi with Cadillac challenging BMW. Each GM brand should have a premium flagship selling for no less than 65,000–Chevy included.
My earlier comment was based on the difficulties found in GM relaunching two long neglected, regional brands. No one can guarantee Cadillac success when even Jaguar struggles.
Forget about this not being your grandfather’s Buick as this isn’t even your father’s Buick as this 2017 Buick LaCrosse has some of the design cues seen in the Buick Avenir concept car.
De Nysschen and Cadillac better step it up if this is GM’s idea of budget luxury.
They are stepping up…see recent interiors of the XT5 & CT6. .
Better than I expected. I hope Buick makes me eat my words when I said they should’ve been folded instead of Pontiac. This appears to be a step that way.
This vehicle along with the coming Cascada will have you eating more of your words.
But you have it a little wrong. Even before this redesigned LaCrosse,Buick was still the better choice to keep afloat because it had the better long term propects for success given it’s extreme popularity in China.
Buick sells more than 1 million units annually, something Pontiac would have taken decades to get to if ever.
I’m not arguing the truth. I was just speaking out of personal preference.
This car is so gorgeous!!! I wish it was out right now. This new Lacrosse has a full-on Caddy interior, I tell you. Lexus, Lincoln, and Audi better watch out. With this design, this car’s sales will be through the roof so far that those brands will be coming down so hard they might go out of business! Okay, that’s a little over-exaggerated, but the design is awesome!
That interior is just stunning! I sat in current LaCrosse and came away very impressed. This one seems to take it to the new level.
After Lincoln see it they will be ashamed for what they just created in new MKZ. Night and day!
I couldn’t wait for this car to finally arrive and I’m not disappointed. This car will be on my shopping list come my next vehicle purchase. We know GM is trying to create something in between Chevy and Cadillac with these Buicks but I think they’re much, much closer to Cadillac than Chevy with these interiors at least. And it will sound strange, don’t be mad a me guys, but I think we can thank Chinese customers for that.
Are you kidding me, buick lovers, this new version of the lacrosse is a disaster, the exterior is pathetic, the look of it is awful, it looks like in what carscoops said it best, the azera, it is pathetic and won’t be on my buying list.
this thing is a trainwreck to say the least.
You strike me as a night deposit box at a sperm bank.
That’s your opinion, but this new buick does not work.
I like the overall look of this vehicle but believes it has a design weak spot. A bad side, if you will.
If you look at all the pictures provided on this story by GMA, you notice one view isn’t really show. It’s the side view. Where the viewer is perpendicular to the car. From that view the car looks a little bland and over long. Once you abandon the perpendicular it looks sexy, but not until you do so.
Really lovin’ this car! Upscale, high-end, sensuous luxury, a powertrain like no other, and state-of-the-art infotainment and safety features exceed expectations! This is the new GM and the new Buick! This is why I waited and I’m glad I did! This is my next car!
Maybe i’m the only one that thinks this but this car looks like the Lucerne to me. But the Interior is nice tho!
Overall, I love the look – especially the front 3/4 view. What I don’t care for is the rear, which looks like it was not given the attention to detail that the rest of the car was. It seems that GM/Buick is aware that the rear is the weak point in the design given the fact that there are few pictures of it, and they are all cropped to show just one tail light at a time.
I love the black/brandy interior color, and hoping it is a regular color and not restricted to a $2500 package like the Sangria interior in the current car. I also hope they have a matching Brandy Metallic exterior color, and don’t just pair it with gray/silver/black. Really looking forward to seeing more pictures in other exterior colors, as gray isn’t really my thing.
I’m also hoping that there is an option for a full chrome grille. I like the new grille design, but would at least like to see it without the darkened vertical bars.
Lastly, I’m a bit disappointed that it isn’t just a bit longer. I was expecting something closer to the Impala (201″) in length. The additional 7% of trunk space they claim only works out to about 1 cubic foot, which is still extremely small for a car of this size. Still slightly less than a Chevy Sonic, and about four cubic feet less than an Impala. To top it off, the trunk hinges are no longer in pockets, which means that it might actually be a net loss in usable space and adds to the complexity of packing for a trip to make sure nothing is crushed by the hinges. Not very luxurious for an otherwise premium automobile. Too bad they didn’t go back to the hydraulic trunk hinges which don’t require space wasting pockets to avoid crushing luggage.
Overall, I’d say the 2017 Lacrosse is a great improvement over the current model. The exterior styling is handsome and stately, but not as striking as the Avenir concept; which was to be expected as is the case with every concept model. However, the front fascia and flowing body lines of the Avenir are nicely integrated into the new Lacrosse. The interior looks to be this car’s biggest drawing point! I love the sea of soft-touch materials covering almost every surface! The wood accenting blends nicely with the center console and the seats look comfortable! Simple, yet elegant!
The powertrain sounds quite interesting as well. Namely the twin-clutch AWD system. Hopefully it’ll bring at least a little excitement to the driving dynamics of the Lacrosse! The 3.6 NA V6 is something we’ve seen already, and surprisingly it’s not any more powerful than the current engine. However, with the new lightweight body structure GM is utilizing with their latest models, the 3.6 may be slightly faster. I’m also happy to see the availability of the 8-speed auto, although I’m dying to see GM’s upcoming 9-speed unit showcased in the Avenir.
So, great job Buick! Sales should be strong with this one!