2010 LACROSSE REPRESENTS A REINVIGORATED BUICK

The completely redesigned 2010 Buick LaCrosse luxury sedan is the newest example of the globally influenced product renaissance at Buick. It offers all-wheel drive, a suite of advanced intelligent personal technologies and safety features, as well as three efficient, powerful engines.

“The new LaCrosse builds on the success of Enclave as the next step in Buick’s renaissance and great attention to detail, craftsmanship and advanced technology,” said Susan Docherty, Buick-Pontiac-GMC vice president. “It offers unique features such as all-wheel drive and a new, efficient four-cylinder engine that will attract new customers to Buick.”

The 2010 LaCrosse was developed within GM’s worldwide network of design and engineering centers, reflecting Buick’s growing popularity around the globe – particularly in Asia. It offers a contemporary vision of a luxury sedan that looks at home on the streets of Santa Monica or Shanghai, with heritage cues that recall the brand’s legacy as a design leader.

“There is great harmony in everything offered by LaCrosse – a beautifully crafted exterior, a premium interior and a satisfying driving experience to please the senses and complement any lifestyle,” Docherty said. “It’s a seamless package that incorporates the very best of GM’s global resources to make this Buick an industry benchmark.”

The 2010 LaCrosse is offered in three models - CX, CXL and CXS:

• CX – equipped at the start of production with a new 3.0L direct injection V-6, premium cloth seats and 17-inch wheels. The 3.0L engine generates 255 horsepower (190 kW) and 217 lb.-ft. of torque (294 Nm) and has a six-speed automatic transmission. Later this year, a new, 2.4L Ecotec four-cylinder replaces the 3.0L as the standard engine.
• CXL – also equipped with the new 3.0L direct injection V-6, adds leather-appointed heated seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, fog lamps, outside rearview mirror with LED turn indicators and puddle lamps, and 18-inch alloy wheels. An advanced, intelligent AWD system is available.
• CXS – equipped with a 3.6L direct injection V-6; real-time active-dampening suspension (optional); perforated, leather-appointed, heated and ventilated seats, and chrome-plated 18-inch alloy wheels (19-inch optional). The 3.6L engine, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission, generates 280 horsepower (209 kW) and 259 lb.-ft. of torque (351 Nm).

All models share a beautifully sculpted, globally influenced design that is instantly recognizable as a Buick, including a signature “sweep spear” body-side styling, portholes on the hood and a waterfall grille.

The LaCrosse’s interior continues the flowing, detailed aesthetic of the exterior, with elements such as ice-blue ambient lighting throughout the cabin – from the center console, instrument panel and door panels. Buick’s signature QuietTuning, an engineering process to reduce, block and absorb interior noise, provides a distraction-free passenger environment.

The contemporary atmosphere of the LaCrosse’s cabin is accented with available digital connectivity and personal technology that includes in-dash navigation, Bluetooth connectivity, an auxiliary audio input and a USB port. For rear-seat passengers, a DVD entertainment system is offered.

Safety features

LaCrosse’s strong body structure – including the use of ultra high-strength steel – and a carefully designed passenger compartment help manage crash energy to protect occupants. The LaCrosse is also equipped with technologies that help avoid crashes in the first place.

The roster of standard and available safety equipment includes:

• Six air bags, including dual-level frontal air bags; front thorax-pelvic air bags and roof-mounted head curtain air bags for front and rear passengers are standard. Rear side air bags are available
• Front safety belt pretensioners and lockable head restraints are standard
• Front shoulder belt load limiters are standard
• A collapsible brake pedal system is standard
• OnStar is standard.

GM’s Side Blind Zone Alert system is available later this summer. Additional optional technologies that bolster LaCrosse’s safety include a head-up instrument display, adaptive forward lighting and a rearview camera system (please see the separate Technology release for more details).

Buick’s renaissance and quality story

As General Motors reinvents itself, Buick remains a core brand that will play a central role going forward. Buick’s lineup is expected to grow in North America, building on the success of the popular Enclave crossover that ignited the brand’s renaissance, as well as the new LaCrosse.

Great design and intelligent personal technologies are driving Buick’s renaissance and build on a foundation of exemplary quality. In March 2009, J.D. Power and Associates announced that Buick tied for the highest ranking in vehicle dependability for three-year-old models. The previous LaCrosse ranked first in the midsize segment, beating the Toyota Camry, while the Buick Lucerne placed second in the large car segment.

For the seventh straight year, Buick ranked in the Top 10 brands in the J.D. Power and Associates dependability study, which evaluates more than 200 problem areas. In addition to the latest J.D. Power and Associates honor, Buicks have been recognized with numerous “recommended” and “best buy” designations by leading consumer magazines and websites for all three current models: Enclave, LaCrosse and Lucerne.

The new 2010 LaCrosse is manufactured at GM’s Fairfax Assembly facility in Kansas City, Kan.