Sedans may not be the hottest thing on the market as of recent, but Buick is still ready to show its can build a solid luxury offering in the 2017 LaCrosse. But, it’s also going to propose a value proposition, too.
According to Cars.com, the 2017 Buick LaCrosse will arrive this summer with a starting price of $32,990. While that reflects a $1,000 increase over the current 2016 model year, it still undercuts rivals such as the Lincoln MKZ and Lexus ES.
The 2017 LaCrosse will arrive with a standard 3.6-liter LGX V6 engine, mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox with Electronic Precision Shift, fancy speak for an electronically controlled transmission module to reduce noise and vibration, while freeing up interior space. It also gives the 2017 LaCrosse a handsome, floating center console.
Furthermore, an eight-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is standard inside, as well as push button start. All-wheel drive, an adaptive suspension system and a heated steering wheel and leather upholstery with heated, ventilated and massaging front seats round out some of the options available. It’s fairly easy to push the 2017 LaCrosse into $45,000 territory.
Buick will also launch the refreshed 2017 Encore and the all-new 2016 Envision this year, keeping the brand poised for big sales as the market continues to swell.
Comments
Do you have any information you can share on the 2018 Buick Enclave?
It seems that they don’t, so far. Otherwise, we (the readers) would be already able to read it here.
2018 Buick Enclave remains a biggest mystery – unless one works in GM’s Buick division.
It looks like GM still wants to sell the current Enclave (2008-) to its very end with the interior and even keyfob dating back to mid-2000s.
Enclave has a lot of other merits, but I’m actually surprised it still continues to sell so well.
Shouldn’t thebRegal be competing with the MKZ and the ES?
Yes, Regal, more or less – according to its size class. Current Regal, however, is a bit outdated and a bit small, being rebadged Opel Insignia, which is around since 2008. But saying even new LaCrosse is slightly cheaper than MKZ and ES, it is meant, probably, that it is positioned well in the entry level luxury mid-to-full-size sedan market.
3rd gen LaCrosse is essentially an improved version of the 2nd gen, with similar pricing, and some new (for LaCrosse) features, when being topped out, such as massage seats and automatic parking assist, thus putting 3rd gen LaCrosse a bit higher in the car ranks than where 2nd gen is. To me, new 3rd gen still lacks power folding mirrors to better stand on the street being parked next to its competition.
But, overall, I suppose, it will do well in its market segment – probably, no worse than the outgoing 2nd gen did.
The 3.6L V6 is standard equipment! Amen to that.
3.6 was, pretty much, standard on the previous gen as well. 3.6 V6 LLT was used in top CXS trim in 2010, but became mainstream in 2011, and then 3.6 V6 LLT was replaced by 3.6 V6 LFX in 2012-2016).
There were just some other less powerful (and less popular) engine options available, such as 3.0 V6 LF1 in 2010, 2.4 I4 LAF Ecotec in 2010-2011, and 2.4 I4 LUK Ecotec eAssist in 2012-2016.
In new 3rd gen LaCrosse, it’s just new 3.6 V6 – LGX – it is slightly more powerful, than LFX, but, more importantly, it now has stop-start and partial cylinder deactivation (2 cylinders of 6, if I’m not mistaken) for fuel savings, which is good, no doubt.
So, for new LaCrosse with new 3.6 V6 LGX and new 8 speed auto (Aisin unit, I suppose) one should get faster and swifter car (especially with optional HiPer strut front suspension) and better fuel economy at the same time.
In terms of performance, I would expect 3rd gen LaCrosse to provide around one second 0-60 improvement in comparison with 2nd gen LaCrosse equipped with LFX (should be around 6 seconds for 3rd gen instead of around 7 seconds before for 2nd gen).