Buick Avenir Concept
01-11-15, 11:05 PM
#16
Lexus Test Driver
Love the interior and dash. It's very clean and easy on the eyes. However, the exterior is an ungainly, sagging tub. The pointy rear does not match the swoopy sides. It's no prettier than the lamented first generation Acura CL, defunct Saturn Aura, and cheesy Pontiacs of the same era.
Agreed, the front grille needs to make a bigger splash. Times have moved on with grilles and it's time for Buick to get with the decade. Same goes for the skimpy and dated air intake openings at the bottom half of the front bumper.
Agreed, the front grille needs to make a bigger splash. Times have moved on with grilles and it's time for Buick to get with the decade. Same goes for the skimpy and dated air intake openings at the bottom half of the front bumper.
01-12-15, 05:28 AM
#17
Lexus Fanatic
iTrader: (20)
these concept interiors always look minimalist with thin seats and thin trim pieces... and they never make it to production, especially the seats which would be like rocks. 
01-12-15, 06:50 AM
#18
Lexus Fanatic
01-12-15, 08:15 AM
#19
Lexus Test Driver
And, at least as to the ATS and CTS, Caddy's problem isn't the cars aren't competitive--it's that car buyers don't know it. And even if Caddy wasn't competitive, putting this in the lineup doesn't make them competitive--it's all in the execution (see, for example, any XTS reviews--looks nice, but that's about it).
01-12-15, 10:58 AM
#20
Lexus Fanatic
And even if Caddy wasn't competitive, putting this in the lineup doesn't make them competitive--it's all in the execution (see, for example, any XTS reviews--looks nice, but that's about it).
And if the Cadillac version sells, the Buick version probably would also. Large, full-size Buicks often appeal to those who like the idea of essentially getting a full-size Cadillac at a somewhat lower price. That's what drove Buick Electra/Roadmaster/Park Avenue and Oldsmobile 98 sales for decades.
01-12-15, 11:51 AM
#21
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01-12-15, 12:07 PM
#22
Lexus Fanatic
These sci fi concept interiors even on luxury cars are annoying. Would anyone really want a car with a interior like that. So plain and cold. Looks like it will take forever just to adjust the radio or HVAC being forced to surf through a bunch of menu's since the trend is to eliminate all the buttons and dials for the tablet in a car look/operation.
01-13-15, 05:12 AM
#25
Avenir Concept Would Make a Great Buick Flagship [w/Video]
Buick’s Avenir concept on display at the Detroit Auto Show is a beautiful surprise and may preview a future production flagship model for the brand.
In the words of Ed Welburn, vice president of General Motors Global Design, the Avenir study “demonstrates the growing international reach of Buick and offers an exciting vision of where it can go.”
The Avenir is a four-seat full-size luxury sedan that stretches 204.5 inches (5,195 mm) in length and 76 inches (1,931 mm) in width. It has a lot of presence, thanks to the long hood, short overhangs, the sloping rear deck and the 21-inch wheels it rides on.
The study is powered by a next-generation direct-injected V6 engine with fuel-saving Active Fuel Management (cylinder deactivation) and stop/start technology, mated to a 9-speed paddle-shift automatic transmission. It also features a twin-clutch all-wheel-drive system and driver-selectable suspension damping.
Inside, the next-generation Buick IntelliLink infotainment system with large, 12-inch-diagonal color touch screen takes center stage on the dashboard, while the four-seat arrangement gives it a special touch. Buick says interior surfaces are inspired by nature and sea waves receding on a beach – a motif featured on the seats and carried through in other trim components, even the carpet.
Light and natural colors combine with oiled and buffed wood trim, as well as Galvano satin-chrome accents for a luxurious ambience. Besides plenty of space and luxury, rear seat passengers also get USB ports and video screens that allow them to plug in to their favorite media.
In the words of Ed Welburn, vice president of General Motors Global Design, the Avenir study “demonstrates the growing international reach of Buick and offers an exciting vision of where it can go.”
The Avenir is a four-seat full-size luxury sedan that stretches 204.5 inches (5,195 mm) in length and 76 inches (1,931 mm) in width. It has a lot of presence, thanks to the long hood, short overhangs, the sloping rear deck and the 21-inch wheels it rides on.
The study is powered by a next-generation direct-injected V6 engine with fuel-saving Active Fuel Management (cylinder deactivation) and stop/start technology, mated to a 9-speed paddle-shift automatic transmission. It also features a twin-clutch all-wheel-drive system and driver-selectable suspension damping.
Inside, the next-generation Buick IntelliLink infotainment system with large, 12-inch-diagonal color touch screen takes center stage on the dashboard, while the four-seat arrangement gives it a special touch. Buick says interior surfaces are inspired by nature and sea waves receding on a beach – a motif featured on the seats and carried through in other trim components, even the carpet.
Light and natural colors combine with oiled and buffed wood trim, as well as Galvano satin-chrome accents for a luxurious ambience. Besides plenty of space and luxury, rear seat passengers also get USB ports and video screens that allow them to plug in to their favorite media.
01-13-15, 09:40 AM
#26
Lexus Test Driver
Well--that's your assumption. I don't think anyone has polled the public as to the reasons the XTS isn't selling. You can't have it both ways--ATS and CTS are great and competitive cars, but don't sell because they are priced right in line with competition. XTS is priced ok, but isn't a great flagship car (not everyone wants or needs a "flagship" car anyway). How is it that every car in the Caddy line up doesn't sell well, but each for a different reason? As opposed to public perception of the Cadillac brand, real or perceived? I just don't buy that.
Last edited by tex2670; 01-13-15 at 09:45 AM.
01-13-15, 12:07 PM
#27
Lexus Fanatic
Originally Posted by tex2670
Well--that's your assumption. I don't think anyone has polled the public as to the reasons the XTS isn't selling. You can't have it both ways--ATS and CTS are great and competitive cars, but don't sell because they are priced right in line with competition. XTS is priced ok, but isn't a great flagship car (not everyone wants or needs a "flagship" car anyway). How is it that every car in the Caddy line up doesn't sell well, but each for a different reason? As opposed to public perception of the Cadillac brand, real or perceived? I just don't buy that.
http://gmauthority.com/blog/2014/12/...cars-to-avoid/
01-13-15, 05:28 PM
#28
Lexus Test Driver
If you want another opinion besides mine on the XTS, here's a credible one:
http://gmauthority.com/blog/2014/12/...cars-to-avoid/
http://gmauthority.com/blog/2014/12/...cars-to-avoid/
01-13-15, 06:22 PM
#29
Lexus Fanatic
. Not everything about it is bad news. Except for the CUE system, its interior (especially the trim) is generally better than that of the DTS it replaces. Like Lincoln's rival MKS, it offers the AWD system that neither the DTS or STS ever got. But I found the XTS I reviewed disappointing in its ride, sound-insulation, and general refinement level. It was not, IMO, worthy of being a top-level Cadillac. In addition, the one I drove had a small but noticeable shimmy/steering-wheel shake in the front end at freeway speeds....something that I noticed, on Cadillac forums/blogs, was a fairly common complaint with the XTS, especially early-producton ones.
