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‘Fortune’ Takes The Buick Avista Concept For A Spin: Video

Buick’s biggest splash may not be its rising momentum of sales, or even its surprise Consumer Reports reliability rating, which marked the first time an American brand cracked the top three since the 1980s. The largest splash was likely the Buick Avista concept car, which was revealed at the 2016 North American International Auto Show.

And Fortune, oh, lucky, lucky Fortune, was able to drive the Avista concept in its twin-turbocharged V6 glory.

Despite being able to drive the Avista, the story itself doesn’t quite describe any driving impressions. However, it looks stunning as it rolls around in the video you can see above.

The Avista in based on General Motors’ Alpha platform, which currently underpins the Cadillac CTS, ATS and Chevrolet Camaro. However, the Avista brings a much sleeker and stylish exterior, which is meant to showcase the brand’s future design direction.

Unfortunately, the Avista will likely stay a one-off concept car, despite its numerous design awards and accolades. Buick has reportedly not built a business case for such a vehicle in its lineup, especially when the brand is recording record sales numbers with its lineup of crossovers.

However, the brand has said once the Buick Cascada is due for a replacement (which it calls its halo vehicle), a new flagship may be considered. We can only dream at this point.

Former GM Authority staff writer.

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Comments

  1. GM had always sat and dreamed….GM is too cheap and lazy to creat great cars.

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  2. For proponents of GM building this, what is the business case? Who buys this thing? Are the customers Buick seeks (Encore, Cascada, Envision) younger women that: want better than a value brand, want the perception of reliability, and find a more traditional domestic (a man’s) car distasteful? Tell me I’m wrong.
    Too bad GM didn’t put this effort (and more) into the ’00s GTO. Maybe it’s not too late to make GMC a more full-line best-of division.

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    1. You could make a case that Avista, available as a hardtop and a convertible, makes a better halo car than the Cascada. The margins would be better, they would likely sell as many Avistas as they do Cascadas, and I’d venture that it’d appeal to both women and men.

      Sort of sad to see GM continue to redshirt their best ideas (Avista, Elmiraj, etc.) – although I’m sure it was easier to just rebadge and import the Cascada from Poland.

      Cars (and even some SUVs) fewer people want… probably helps explain why GM’s inventory is the highest it’s been in eight years (article’s on autoblog).

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      1. Sorry – the inventory story is from Det News, not autoblog. M’bad.

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      2. I’ve seen the Holden Cascada. Nooo, just no. It’s a chick/hairdresser car and has none of the aggressive purposeful lines of the Avista design philosophy. Just make it GM, don’t forget the RHD markets and also have a super-halo model with a 3.6L twin turbo and AWD to put the frighteners on those Nissan GTRs.

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  3. Here is the problem coupe sales are down.

    Second the production car would have to change as this car is far from a production car. Then the same people caring for it would complain about it.

    Ther are a lot of GM people who would love to have this car but in the end it is still about making money and selling volume.

    But with tat said keep in mind elements here can be used else where.

    The Riviera oringinally was a Cadillac design.

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    1. Avista would serve to reset Buick and elevate the brand to the level of true luxury from a design perspective.
      Avista would be a mobile advert for Buick, Opel and Holden, and could fill the space once occupied by Firebird since the car is very much a reskinned Camaro.
      For the US and Europe Avista could be produced along side Camaro or ATS to cut costs and the same could be done in China.

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  4. Since Buick is doing well with it’s current lie-up and making money for the Corporation it be the perfect time to launch this car as the Riviera . It’s not going to be a volumn car but would add the extra cache to Buick . GM has built niche cars in it’s history that they lost money on every vehicle ( ex. Cadillac ) but it could be the halo car that might bring in customers that have never even considered a Buick .
    And for being just a concept it sure is getting alot of attention . The Avista is an updated version of the Buick Riviera Concept shown in Shaghai in 2013 . Buick has the cash and a platform ( and I know the gizmo’s wouldn’t be feasable ) how is it the case can’t be made to do this . JM $0.02 .

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  5. Maybe coupe sales could be helped by making them more utilitarian. Go to a larger trunk opening or a lift-back if need be. The Camaro trunk lid should have been bigger. Use the suicide-style quad coupe doors. The extended cab trucks have been this way for many product cycles.

    I don’t necessarily think the design would be destroyed in production. So, it’ll have a black plastic thing that scrapes the ground. I like the frame-less doors and if they’d have to add a b-pillar, just make the front edge of the back window extra sturdy. Also I’d expect to see the 2.0L turbo engine.

    Still, I think Buick is going for customers that find the Encore ‘cute’. They need a dealer and brand to take care of them. And if Buick’s really pushing into luxury, given the wanted features, they’ll have to win the post-Lexus nit-pick game: body panel gaps, interior seams, nicer touchpoints.

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  6. The Avista would be an ideal car to become General Motors’ answer to Tesla’s Model S as it would borrow the battery technology from the Bolt and be equipped with more powerful electric motors for sports car performance with the ride and comfort of Buick sports sedan.

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  7. The only way Buick would give us the Avista is if China wanted it enough or if Opel was building it. Sadly, neither are true.

    They “can’t make a business case” for the Avista, a car seemingly everyone is asking for, yet they can make a business case for the Cascada, a car literally no one was asking for. What was never said: “You know what I want from Buick? A three year old FWD Polish-built soft top Opel convertible.”

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  8. Dear Santa at GM, This thing called a Buick Avista is beautiful. Oh and by the way a twin-turbo V6 is just what the Doctor ordered. Please, please, puhleeezzzz build this car and don’t forget us ‘right hook’ drivers in the ROW. I want mine in Burnt Metallic Orange with a blackout kit and heavy tints to keep prying eyes out. Also Santa, can you put a Holden (or for that matter Chevy) badge up the front (just leave the Holden-styled grill off it please, they look cheap and nasty) and maybe call it a Malibu Coupe to be the big brother to a 2017 Holden Malibu?? If you’re feeling generous please have an AWD option (drool!). Pretty please with sprinkles on top 😉

    Reply

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