GM Resurrects Mild Hybrid System For 2012 Buick LaCrosse

As we first reported more than a year ago, a beefier version of GM’s mild hybrid system, the kind that was on the previous Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid, is coming next year. Set to debut on the 2012 Buick LaCrosse, GM’s new “eAssist” mild hybrid system is said to improve fuel economy by as much as 25 percent.

In the case of the LaCrosse that means improvements as much as 6 mpg in the city and 7 mpg on the highway compared with the 2011 four-cylinder model. Final estimates are a claimed 25 mpg in the city and 37 mpg on the highway--impressive for a luxury sedan with seating for five adults.

eAssist essentially pairs a small electric motor with the LaCrosse’s 182 horsepower 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine to boost acceleration during high load situations and help reduce fuel consumption. The electric motor also acts as the car’s alternator-generator, topping up the batteries when needed and running ancillary features like the air conditioner. The system also features a regenerative braking system to help charge the car’s air-cooled 115 volt lithium battery pack.

Unlike a full hybrid system, eAssist cannot power a vehicle on electric power alone. Not surprisingly, the electric motor only adds about 15 horsepower during high load situations and the system can generate up to 20 horsepower from its regenerative brakes. The previous generation of GM’s mild hybrid technology only added an extra 3 horsepower of power assist and 7 horsepower of regenerative power. eAssist can, however, shut down the vehicle’s engine when stationary or when coasting to a stop and almost instantly restart it once the accelerator pedal is depressed.

The car also comes with an ECO gauge on the instrument panel that continuously responds to driving behavior, enabling the driver to drive with maximum efficiency. It also features a hill-assist system that captures brake pressure to help the driver more comfortably accelerate from a stop on a moderate or steep grade. It does this by reducing the tendency of the vehicle to roll backward with the engine in shut-down mode.

Read More: http://www.greencarreports.com/blog/1051533_gm-resurrects-mild-hybrid-system-for-2012-buick-lacrosse


Buick Dealers

Buick Enclave Earns Top 5-Star Safety Rating

Luxury Crossover Excels Under New, More Rigorous Government Testing System

DETROIT – The 2011 Buick Enclave has earned a five-star crash-test rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), further building on the luxury crossover’s leading safety rating record.

The Enclave previously received the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s Top Safety Pick signifying best- possible “Good” ratings in frontal offset, side and rear crash tests.

Enclave was tested under NHTSA’s new rating system, implemented this fall for the 2011 model year. The new rating is based on more rigorous frontal and side crash tests in addition to rollover resistance testing. Under the new system, these three test conditions are combined mathematically into an “Overall Vehicle Score.”   Under this methodology, the Enclave achieved an overall vehicle score of five stars – the highest rating possible - even though several individual tests resulted in four-star ratings.

“Earning five stars under the new rating system is an impressive feat – one that clearly demonstrates the strength of Enclave’s advanced structure, overall crashworthiness and effectiveness of its state-of-the-art safety technologies,” said Jeff Boyer, General Motors executive director of vehicle safety.
Enclave has a comprehensive safety system designed to protect passengers before, during and after a crash. Standard safety-enhancing features include a StabiliTrak electronic stability control system with rollover mitigation technology,  Panic Brake Assist and OnStar Automatic Crash Notification.

Enclave is equipped with six standard air bags: two dual-stage frontal air bags, two seat-mounted side-impact air bags in the first row and two roof rail-mounted head curtain side air bags that cover all three seating rows. Complementing the air bags is GM’s rollover sensing system, which activates the head curtain side air bags if sensors determine an imminent rollover. Additionally, first-row positions feature safety belt pretensioners with load limiters, which activate at the moment of a crash to take up slack in the safety belt and tailor the safety belt load to the severity of the crash.

Read More: http://media.gm.com/content/media/us/en/news/news_detail.brand_buick.html/content/Pages/news/us/en/2010/Nov/1119_enclave

Buick LaCrosse gets mild hybrid system standard for 2012

It may not be much of a hybrid, but for 2012 the Buick LaCrosse will come standard with a mild-hybrid drivetrain. A development of the belt-alternator-starter hybrid system that last appeared in the slow-selling Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid, the LaCrosse eAssist system is good for 37 mpg on the highway, according to General Motors.

The belt-alternator-starter (BAS) hybrid system is mated to GM’s 2.4-liter Ecotec four-cylinder engine and a new-for-the-mild-hybrid six-speed automatic transmission. The hybrid drivetrain uses a new 115-volt lithium-ion battery, that weighs 65 pounds and still allows half of the rear seat to fold down to carry larger cargo. The new electric motor/starter cranks out 15 hp, which GM says is three times the hp available in the Malibu’s BAS system. The hybrid system shuts down the engine at stops and recaptures energy from the car’s momentum when stopping to boost fuel economy. GM claims there will be no price premium for the hybrid system. GM claims the system will boost fuel economy by 24 percent, compared with the four-cylinder 2011 LaCrosse. In our testing that four-cylinder LaCrosse already returned 37 mpg on the highway, and 15 mpg in the city, for an overall average of 23 mpg.

Read More: http://blogs.consumerreports.org/cars/2010/11/buick-lacrosse-gets-weak-hybrid-system-standard-for-2012.html

Buick LaCrosse

2012 Buick Regal GS Production Model Takes Sports Sedan Performance To A New Level For Buick

• High-performance midsize sport sedan with 0-60 mph performance of under seven seconds
• Features exclusive, GS-only high-output version of the Ecotec 2.0L turbo engine with 255 hp and 295 lb.-ft. of torque
• Buick’s Interactive Drive Control System allows drivers to change the suspension settings and steering sensitivity
• Exclusive, racing-inspired exterior and interior appointments
• Goes on sale in the second half of 2011

LOS ANGELES – The 2012 Buick Regal GS will make its auto show debut on Nov. 17 at the Los Angeles Auto Show. It is an even sportier expression of the Regal sport sedan that went on sale earlier this year and has attracted new buyers to the Buick family. Powered by a high-output, exclusive Ecotec 2.0L turbocharged engine mated to a six-speed manual transmission, the GS delivers an estimated 255 horsepower (190 kW) and 295 lb.-ft. of torque for a 0-60 mph performance of less than seven seconds (estimated). Buick’s Interactive Drive Control System is standard on the GS, allowing drivers to customize the driving experience by changing the suspension settings and steering sensitivity between three modes: standard, sport and GS.


“Built on the performance foundation of the Regal, the Regal GS was designed as an even sportier expression of responsive performance and style,” said John Schwegman, vice president of Buick marketing. “The driving experience is powerful and spirited; and the GS represents the next entry in Buick’s product renaissance.” 

The Regal GS goes on sale in the second half of 2011.  Pricing has not yet been announced.

Read More: http://media.gm.com/content/media/us/en/news/news_detail.brand

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2012 Buick Regal GS – Official Photos and Info

When the Buick Regal GS concept debuted at last January’s Detroit auto show, future production was as safe a bet as you’ll find in the automotive world. Sure enough, this past spring, GM confirmed that the GS would head to showrooms, but released no further details. Now, finally, we’ve got the skinny on the first real performance Buick in a long time.

Staying true to the recent trend, wherein a concept car is nothing more than a production-ready vehicle with really expensive paint and a few exaggerated styling cues, the 2012 Regal GS looks almost identical to the car we saw in Detroit. Basic differences boil down to smaller vertical air intakes on the front fascia, slightly different trapezoidal exhaust finishers in the rear, and Recaro-like front seats in place of the concept’s actual Recaros. But the satin-metallic trim; integrated rear spoiler; rocker panel extensions; Brembo front brake calipers; and big, 20-inch wheels all make the cut for production.

More Boost Means More Power

The same uprated direct-injected, turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder found in the concept will be the production GS’s powerplant. It’s identical to the turbo 2.0 found in the Regal Turbo, but GM’s engineers have cranked up the boost and reduced backpressure with a larger exhaust, upping its output to (an estimated) 255 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, increases of 35 and 37. At launch, the GS will be offered solely with a six-speed manual transmission—Save the Manuals!—while a six-speed automatic will be available later. The concept was initially claimed to hit 60 mph in under six seconds, Buick is now tempering its expectations, saying the production car will hit the mile-a-minute mark in “less than seven seconds.” We recently tested an automatic-equipped, 220-hp Regal Turbo to 60 mph in 7.5 seconds, and we predict the automatic GS will complete the sprint in 6.7 seconds or so.

While the concept sent power to all four wheels, the real GS will only drive its fronts. Admittedly, we were disappointed at this development, but at least the GS will employ the new HiPer Strut suspension system, which uses a modified MacPherson geometry up front to better maintain negative camber in cornering and reduce torque steer. We’ve sampled a Buick LaCrosse prototype with this system and found it rather impressive. The GS’s ostensibly tighter chassis also will include a 0.4-inch suspension drop all around and an adjustable driving-mode system like the Regal Turbo’s for tuning suspension settings and steering sensitivity. The system’s Standard and Sport programs are carried over, but the Turbo’s softest mode, Touring, is ditched in favor of a unique, super-sporty GS setting. Larger front brakes with Brembo four-piston calipers will hide behind the standard 19-inch wheels with all-season Goodyear Eagles; a 20-inch wheel of the same design wrapped in sticky Pirelli P Zero summer rubber is optional.

The interior of the GS will differ only slightly from those of lesser Regals, adding a special flat-bottomed steering wheel, metal pedals, more-heavily bolstered front seats, the satin-finished trim, and white lighting for the instrument panel when GS mode is engaged. The standard goodies list will include keyless entry and start, a 320-watt Harman/Kardon sound system, Bluetooth connectivity, backup sensors, and xenon headlights.



Read More: http://www.caranddriver.com/news/car/10q4/2012_buick_regal_gs-official_photos_and_info

Buick Chicago

Buick Continues to Attract New Customers in October

LaCrosse, Enclave and Regal Driving Showroom Traffic

DETROIT – Buick, the fastest-growing major automotive brand in the United States, posted its 13th consecutive month of year-over-year retail sales gains in October, with a 36 percent increase. The brand’s retail sales have grown 50 percent to date in 2010, driven by customer demand for LaCrosse, Enclave and the new Regal. Total Buick sales are up 39 percent compared to the same period a year ago and 55 percent year to date.

“Buick’s sales momentum is fueled by continuing strong interest in LaCrosse, Enclave and the all-new Regal,” said Brian Sweeney, U.S. vice president of Buick & GMC Sales and Service. “These models are attracting new customers to Buick, with nearly 42 percent sales coming out of a non-GM make.”

LaCrosse October retail sales were up 41 percent year over year and 158 percent for the calendar year to date. Total sales for LaCrosse were up 37 percent year over year and 162 percent year to date.

Enclave also saw an increase in retail sales, up 52 percent versus October 2009 and up 25 percent year to date for its second-best month of the year. Likewise, total sales for the luxury crossover were up 53 percent for the month and 30 percent so far this year.

Regal also is a big draw in Buick showrooms, with interest fueled in part by accolades from the automotive press. Regal is a semifinalist for the 2011 North American International Car of the Year awards, as voted by a jury of 50 automotive journalists from the United States and Canada.

Beginning on Nov. 4, owners of the new Regal and other 2011 Buick models can access their vehicle information and OnStar services from their smart phones. The myBuick and OnStar MyLink applications, available as free downloads, will provide drivers with unprecedented connectivity to their vehicles from their Android or Apple iPhone device.

Read More: http://media.gm.com/content/media/us/en/news/news_detail.brand_buick.html/content/Pages/news/us/en/2010/Nov/1103_buicksales

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