But the 2012 Buick LaCrosse, the brand's largest surviving car, will offer one engine option that's projected to deliver 25 mpg city, 37 mpg highway.
That's not bad for a midsize near-luxury sedan (though 1 mpg lower on city mileage than Buick had hoped).
We've just driven a development prototype of the 2012 LaCrosse fitted with the eAssist system that will be standard on the 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, the smaller of two engines (the other is a 3.6-liter V-6).
Electric "boost"
It includes not only a start-stop function, saving gasoline when the car isn't moving, it also recaptures electric power via regenerative braking and stores it for use by an electric motor that assists the gasoline engine in short bursts.
That's what allows this "mild hybrid" system to improve fuel economy on the highway as well as in the city. The eAssist system was unveiled as an option for the 2012 Buick Regal at the Chicago Auto Show too; both cars will go on sale by the end of the year.
For 2011, the 2.4-liter engine is rated by the EPA at 19 mpg city, 30 mpg highway. So an increase to 25 mpg city, 37 mpg highway would be substantial: more than 30 percent in the city, almost 25 percent on the highway.
The big question is: Does the LaCrosse with eAssist drive like a Buick?
Read More: http://www.greencarreports.com/blog/1057317_first-drive-2012-buick-lacrosse-37-mpg-eassist-prototype
