eAssist Technology
Green Buick GMC
3210 East Kimberly Rd.
Davenport, IA 52807
- Sales: (888) 806-2890
- Service: (888) 647-8430
- Parts: (888) 435-1848
Groundbreaking Ideas
LaCrosse GL Concept Refines Buick's Signature Style
Elegant forms, warm hues and inviting materials preview possible design direction
LOS ANGELES - When designers set out to capture the essence of Buick luxury for the LaCrosse GL concept vehicle, they looked to the fine cuisine, heirloom objects and enriching experiences the brand's customers savor. The design study is on display at the L.A. Auto Show through Nov. 17.
Buick's color and trim designers worked from a palette of cabernet red, dark cocoa brown and caramel choccachino. They took inspiration from the burnished metal of antique jewelry, ombré patina on vintage guitars and flocked lining of keepsake boxes. For GL's French-stitched premium leather seats, the designers looked to the understated elegance of classic club chairs and contours of windswept sand dunes. And their use of smooth suede for the headliner is designed to invite one's touch like a favorite pair of gloves.
"The LaCrosse GL concept expresses Buick's distinctly human kind of luxury one that is as warmly inviting as it is elegant and refined," said David Lyon, executive director of design. "The design cues that already distinguish the production LaCrosse such as the premium leather-upholstered seats, ice blue ambient lighting and soft touch surfaces are amplified in the GL and serve as inspiration for future Buick models."
LaCrosse GL's cabernet red exterior paint is complemented by brushed and tinted chrome accents on the grille, door handles and deck lid, as well as around the windows, taillights and headlights. Machine-face, satin-finish 20-inch rims fill the wheel wells for a firmly planted appearance.
"The brushed-and-tinted chrome trim gives the GL a more subdued appearance than if we had used bright chrome. The overall effect is more in keeping with Buick's quietly confident aesthetic," said Magdalena Kokoszynska, creative designer on LaCrosse GL.
Open the GL's doors and backlit Buick-emblazoned sill plates invite one to enter like illuminated welcome mats.
Take a seat and one is ensconced in luxury, enveloped by flowing sculptural surfaces finished in a rich blend of warm-hued materials. They offer soft-touch refinement and surprise-and-delight details. The seats, doors and instrument panel surfaces are finished in contrasting dark cocoa brown and caramel choccachino leather. The seat cushions' pillowed surfaces evoke windswept sand dunes, and the ice-blue French stitching along their seams harmonize with Buick's signature ambient lighting.
Overhead, one finds a rich choccachino suede headliner a material and usage rarely seen in anything but the most luxurious automotive interiors. This butter-soft material also accents the steering wheel, inviting one's touch.
Like the GL's exterior trim pieces, the interior metal accents on the instrument cluster and center stack controls are a darker, warmer hue, and are complemented by the swirling grain of wood trim on the steering wheel and dash that evokes the ombré patina fade found on classic Gibson Les Paul guitars.
Attention to detail also is evident underfoot, where leather-surged and accent-stitched floor mats offer further refinement. Likewise, the storage compartments are flocked like the interior of a jewel box.
"Every surface in the interior of the LaCrosse GL has been crafted with the knowledge that Buick customers enjoy the finer things in life, but don't need to flaunt it," Kokoszynska said.
2012 Buick Regal with eAssist
Regal with eAssist Technology
The New 2012 Buick Verano
Verano Takes Quiet Tuning to New Level of Refinement
Newest Buick designed to deliver quietest performance in segment
DETROIT - The all-new 2012 Buick Verano luxury sedan, which goes on sale later this year, is expected to deliver one of the quietest driving experiences in the industry better than key competitors Lexus IS 250 and Acura TSX.
Buick noise and vibration engineers fine-tuned Verano to the highest standard of quietness by replicating the hushed interior of another luxury sedan ? the Buick LaCrosse.
"By positioning the Verano against the very best, our noise and vibration team went above and beyond to deliver the quiet driving experience for which Buicks have become known," said Chuck Russell, Verano vehicle line director. "Quiet-tuning components and systems are built into every facet of the Verano's architecture."
Vehicles generate noise in a number of ways, including the transmission and gears, air induction and exhaust, electro and electromechanical parts, fuel delivery and brake function, as well as road and wind noise.
A dozen noise-reducing and noise-cancelling technologies are used throughout Verano's body structure for increased cabin isolation and quietness, all without adding net weight to the car:
- A 5.4-mm-thick acoustic-laminated windshield and 4.85-mm-thick acoustic laminated side glass that minimizes wind noise
- Acoustic insulation material on both sides of the front steel dash panel and under the hood that reduce engine noise
- Five layers of acoustic insulation material in the headliner, including a premium fabric on the visible outer layer that muffles wind noise
- Triple-sealed doors that keep out exterior noise
- Three layers of acoustic insulation material in the doors that reduces the sound of wet-road sizzle
- Dual-density carpet on the floor that block coarse road and tire noise
- Underbody paneling that lowers wind and low road-surface noise while improving fuel economy
- Liquid-applied sound deadener that supports a solid body structure
- Specially tuned air intake and exhaust systems that enable pleasing engine sound quality without sacrificing engine performance
- Isolated chassis components that reduce vibrations over irregular road surfaces for a solid road feel
- A patented rear suspension that enables crisp road feel and superior ride and handling performance without sacrificing quietness
12. Hydraulic suspension bushings and an isolated engine cradle that reduces or eliminates vibrations.
In addition, Verano uses heat-activated baffles in various pillars, crossbars and other structural members to seal and close sections of the body structure that could transmit noise or allow water leaks. The heat-activated baffles are inserted at strategic areas of the body structure and expand in paint ovens to fill the structural cavities.
The sound of silence in the Verano resulted from hundreds of virtual and physical tests on the car's body structure, tires, chassis, interior and powertrain under a variety of conditions to eliminate or reduce noise, vibration and harshness. Road noise was measured on a variety of surfaces and in a wind tunnel, as well as in thermal and cold chambers. A four-post shaker rig was used to evaluate squeaks and rattles.
Among the 200 parts that typically come under scrutiny during noise analysis is the air induction system, which helps engine efficiency and performance. Special tuning elements were made to Verano's clean air duct to remove harsh frequencies during vehicle acceleration.
Verano's acoustic engine cover, alternator and refined engine accessory drive system are designed for quiet operation, and its six-speed automatic transmission allows the engine to operate at lower ? and less noisy ? speeds on the highway.
The use of more than 60 percent high-strength steel in Verano's structure helps eliminate squeaks and rattles because the body is stiffer.
"Verano was held to the highest standards, as accomplished on Buick Enclave, LaCrosse and Regal, and it achieves a new standard for interior quietness," said Tony DiSalle, U.S. vice president of Buick Marketing. "We're confident that luxury car shoppers will be hard pressed to find a quieter car at any price point on the market today."
