The Buick Lucerne is a full-size luxury sedan sold between 2006 and 2011. Discontinued in 2011, the Lucerne spanned only a single generation and was replaced by the second generation Buick LaCrosse.
When it was unveiled, the Lucerne represented the latest iteration of Buick’s design language.
The front end was distinguished by a large headlight cluster with a single projector-style headlamp as well as Buick waterfall grille, a Buick design trait until the 2017 Buick LaCrosse delivered a new grille for the brand. A series of horizontally-placed “ventiports” on the front fenders corresponded to the amount of cylinders under the hood: Lucernes with the six-cylinder engine had three on each side, while those with eight cylinder engines had four.
The roofline sloped gracefully into a flowing C-pillar, culminating in a trunk lid with an integrated rear spoiler for improved aerodynamics. The large horizontal rear lights culminated in tapered at the outside edges
The Lucerne was based on a modified GM G platform shared wit hate Cadillac DTS. However, GM referred to the architecture underpinning the Lucerne as H.
The standard engine in the Lucerne was the GM 3800 3.8L V6 engine. In 2009, the 3.9L LZ9 V6 became the base engine. Cadillac’s 4.6L Northstar V8 was an option.
All engines were mated to four-speed transmissions:
- The six cylinder engines were mated to GM’s 4-speed 4T65 automatic transmission
- The Northstar eight-cylinder was mated to GM’s 4T80 automatic transmission
The Buick Lucerne delivered the following crash test results in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) tests:
- Front impact test: Good
- Side impact test: Acceptable
However, the IIHS also found that 2006-2008 model year Lucernes had the highest fatality rate in the large 4-door car class.
The Lucerne was introduced at the 2005 Chicago Auto Show and replaced both the Park Avenue and the LeSabre for the 2006 model year, thereby becoming Buick’s flagship sedan.
The Buick Lucerne was built at General Motors’ Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Plant alongside the Cadillac DTS.
2007
The 2007 Buick Lucerne introduced two new trim levels — CXL Special Edition (with more standard features than regular CXL) and Super.
2008
The 2008 Buick Lucerne featured a series of midcycle updates/enhancements, including a lane departure warning system and a revised exterior color palette.
2009
The 2009 Buick Lucerne received the 3.9L LZ9 V6 as the new base engine, Bluetooth phone connectivity, and XM NavTraffic. Flex-fuel technology became available at no additional cost.
2010
The 2010 Buick Lucerne added the rocker panels, grille, and fog lights from the Super trim level to the entire Lucerne lineup.
2011
The Buick Lucerne did not receive any changes for the 2011 model year, its last model year of production.
Buick introduced the Lucerne Super at at the 2007 New York Auto Show. The new trim level delivered more power and more luxury features than the original Lucerne.
The Lucerne Super was powered by an upgraded version of the 4.6 Liter Northstar V8 engine, adding 17 horsepower (13 kW) to the CXS model’s V8.
Styling updates to the Lucerne Super included updated front-end styling and a rear spoiler.
The Lucerne Super went into production in 2008.
The last Lucerne was built on June 15th, 2011.
With no direct replacement, the second generation Buick LaCrosse became the Lucerne’s unofficial successor, as the model has grown to be a full-size sedan compared to the first-gem’s midsize dimensions.
