The Buick Avista has arrived in the Great White North at the Montreal International Auto Show to show off its beautifully sculpted face. As pretty as it is, it’s likely a reminder to Canadians we won’t see the Avista enter production any time soon.
Vincent Boillot, GM Canada, regional manager for eastern Canada, described the Avista as a game changer amid record sales in the country.
“The Avista is a modern expression of the brand’s heritage of sophisticated performance, communicated with beautiful elegance and offers visitors to the Buick display a hint at the future of Buick design. It is stunning design like this that is bringing new customers to Buick. In 2016 we saw a record number of new customers coming over from our competitors, historic sales numbers and three brand new vehicle launches with LaCrosse, Encore and Envision. As a direct result, Buick sales were up 21 percent right here in Quebec.”
The Avista will be on display at the Montreal International Auto Show for all to gawk at until the show closes on January 29, 2017.
Comments
I know Buick is gunshy about sedans and coupes with current trends in CUV/SUV territory. Got it. But being so you have to admit how bland most of these sedans were/are. The failure to design drool worthy sedans is also a big factor.
So the Cascada sells because of niche. There simply aren’t a lot of convertibles these days. Okay, it’s a hobby for Buick. Maybe even a tad of a loss leader.
So you’re telling me an Avista couldn’t perform the same function? I know it could.
I disagree regarding “blandness” of recent Buick sedans – the older ones, such as 1st gen LaCrosse, Lucerne and everything before that in recent history were bland to me as well, but I like their design language since Enclave (from 2008) and 2nd gen LaCrosse (from 2010) – it resonates well with my personal internal feeling of how a handsome automobile should look like, so this is all subjective and differs from person to person.
I own 2010 2nd gen LaCrosse for two years now, bought it for its looks, among its other qualities, and still like how it looks every time I approach it – maybe except visually too short wheelbase for its length (since it’s a FWD platform anyway) – which is actually fixed somewhat in new 2017 3rd gen LaCrosse.
And, no, despite liking recent Buick vehicles, I’m not a grandpa at all – I was only 32 when I bought my LaCrosse (and 34 now).
Regarding Avista – Avista is beautiful, but since Buick is under GM umbrella, they won’t put Avista into production simply because it would greatly cannibalize edgy “art-and-science” Cadillac sales, and they know it, I think – that’s why they don’t make a production version of the RWD Avenir concept as well.
seems to me that showing this vehicle elicits more negative reactions than positive ones to the buick brand.
buick is basically saying, “see this beautiful car? well we are not going to build it. too bad. may i show you a cascada instead?”
If they only built that.
I say build it and rebadge it as the Riviera.
Yes, that would be awesome, but it won’t happen, which is a big pity.
This coupe would sell well just due to its design – if they would only build it, which they won’t.
I had a Buick Lucerne when they were being manufactured. I’ve owned a lot of different luxury cars including the Jaguar S-type which was a luxury suspension. But I must tell you that the Lucerne was the smoothest riding vehicle I’ve EVER riden in! It was a classy luxury vehicle! So glad that Buick hasn’t dropped a fine-sedan line. I will likely own one if they come into production and meet my personal ride standards!
Lucerne is history already; the closest to its replacement is 2nd gen and new 3rd gen LaCrosse, pretty much.