We recently returned from the west coast after sampling Buick’s latest flagship sedan, the 2017 Buick LaCrosse. During our time we were bombarded with facts, information and more from Buick marketing gurus, engineers and from the car itself.
So, we compiled five fun facts for you about the 2017 LaCrosse down below, ranging from design, to how the blinker works. Check out our first drive of the 2017 Buick LaCrosse here. Without further ado:
It’s A Seriously Global Car
When speaking with Cathy Turzewski, one of the LaCrosse’s engineers, she gladly told us how the entire globe helped shape the 2017 LaCrosse. Specifically, regions were brought on for their strengths. The U.S. had the final say in design; Europe contributed to structural engineering; China was tasked with interior materials and choices. Overall design had global input, too, despite the U.S. studio giving the final word. Sketches from Europe, Australia, China and South Korea were all submitted.
The Interior Trimmings Made For Quite The Challenge
During our drive, Turzewski also made it known the interior design wasn’t a cake walk. Specifically, the brushed aluminum piece spanning from underneath the infotainment screen to the passenger door was extremely difficult to place.
Designers and engineers had a difficult time keeping it one solid piece, as Turzewski told us it originally had cut seams where the volume button meets the climate controls. We’re glad those seams were worked out, because the fluid shape is very pleasant on the eyes.
It’s The First Buick With Paddle Shifters
The 2017 Buick LaCrosse marks the first application of paddle shifters for the brand, ditching the automatic gearbox controlled buttons. Even neater, the transmission does not need to be put into manual mode to use them. Drivers can drop gears at the flick of a button to pass traffic and the transmission will automatically recalibrate after the maneuver.
The Daytime LED Running Lights Don’t Shut Off While The Blinker Is Engaged
Buick somehow managed to figure out how to keep the LED running lights housed in the headlamp themselves active during blinker engagement. Normally, the LED light shuts off while the blinker is engaged. But, Buick says careful bulb placement allowed for the winged LED lights to be on at all times.
Designers Ensured The “Sweep Spear” Made It To Production
After designers began dreaming up final sketches for the 2017 LaCrosse, it was decided between engineering and the design team that the LaCrosse’s “sweep spear” must stick around for the production car. Senior Creative Designer Takahiko, or ‘Taka’, Suginoshita stated the line was essential to the overall style of the exterior, a trademark characteristic if you will.
After incredibly long man hours, engineering was able to incorporate the style line, which runs along the entire car and into the rear shoulder, and keeps the body panel feasible for production stamping.
[nggallery id=787]
Comments
Very nice, Buick!
I bought a new 2016 Buick LaCrosse. Should I have waited and bought a 2017. There is probably not a good answer.
When will you test drive the 2017 Buick LaCrosse Hybrid?
I think I will never understand why people buy crossovers… This car is so beautiful!!!
the only negative i find on this car is the small gas tank..
LMAO…All this hype…and all this is, is a redesigned / remasked Chevrolet Impala. LOL – From the interior of where everything sits to the exterior lines. One of the quick tell-tails is the window shapes and angles and the seams of the doors to the spacing of the rear of the front wheel well to the front door seam.
See for yourself and compare here – http://gmauthority.com/blog/2016/07/chevrolet-impala-june-2016-sales-numbers-figures-results/
Anyways, looks nice..I am just laughing at all the writing above about the features of this and that, when the Impala that has been out for 2 years now and has had all of these features already.
Current Impala (from 2014), being longer, has considerably shorter wheelbase, than this new 3rd gen LaCrosse, so, Impala looks a little awkward in comparison with its huge front and read overhangs (Impala does have a way bigger trunk, however, which is a definite “plus”).
Otherwise, yes, it looks that 2014-current Impala inspired the looks of this new 2017- LaCrosse.
Both are made by the same GM, so this similarity between new 2017- LaCrosse, current 2014- Impala (and even new 2016- Malibu) is just a sort of corporate style similarity.
I thought the Regal GS had paddle shifters?
The Regal GS does not have paddle shifters. It has a manual mode on the shifter you move into that allows you to push forward to shift up an pull back to shift down.