The production version of the 2017 Buick LaCrosse made its global debut at the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show and is scheduled to arrive in dealerships the summer of 2016. The flagship sedan from Buick is completely redesigned and reengineered from the exterior and interior to the powertrain, suspension, and in-car technology.
The new LaCrosse signals the next phase of Buick’s international momentum,” said Duncan Aldred, vice president of Buick Sales and Marketing. “Its quietness, comfort and connectivity were developed to set new standards in the segment, supported by technologies not offered on competitors such as the Lexus ES. It is also drop-dead gorgeous.”
Vehicle highlights include:
- About 300 pounds lighter and stiffer than second-gen LaCrosse
- Technologically-advanced, responsive, and fuel-efficient 3.6L V6 engine paired with a new eight-speed automatic transmission
- New five-link rear suspension and available HiPer Strut front suspension
- Available electronically controlled Continuous Damping Control active suspension with selectable Touring and Sport modes
- Driver-selectable Electronic Precision Shift
- Advanced, all-new dual-clutch AWD system (available)
- Easier rear-seat entry/egress and more usable storage space
- Available wireless charging, available Teen Driver and configurable, LED driver information center with 8-inch-diagonal color display
- IntelliLink with frameless 8-inch-diagonal color touchscreen featuring Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and OnStar 4G LTE with Wi-Fi hotspot integration
The 2017 LaCrosse is apparently a hit with the automotive press judging by the positive reviews that Automotive News collected into a recent article. Below the video are the high praises that were collected. In this “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know” video, Nathan spoke with the Chief Engineer for the Buick LaCrosse at the LA Auto Show and learned lots of useful tidbits about GM’s latest full-size sedan.
“Good on Buick for distilling the best of the Avenir concept into a sedan that is leaps and bounds more handsome and attractive than its predecessor. It remains comfortable inside, but there’s a level of style and maturity in this design we haven’t seen in Buick showrooms for quite some time. Let’s hope this is the start of a trend and not just an aberration.”
— Eric Weiner, Automobile
“The Buick LaCrosse epitomized the old Buick: The GM brand with the oldest customer base, a car for people who don’t care much about driving, and altogether far more garish more than stylish in a contemporary way. Here is the new LaCrosse: Swoopy and decidedly American, but with a thoroughly upgraded front-wheel drive architecture, a redesigned 3.6-liter V-6, and a quick-shifting eight-speed automatic.”
— Jens Meiners, New York Daily News
“The redesign of the brand’s LaCrosse flagship comes on a new structure that helps reduce the sedan’s weight by 300 pounds, wrapped in exterior styling that kindly borrows from the Chevrolet Impala. Although the footprint of the LaCrosse stays basically the same, Buick stretched the wheelbase by three inches for more passenger space. Even storage is grand, with the trunk capable of swallowing four golf bags. Under the hood, a revised 3.6-liter V6 makes 305 horsepower, mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. All-wheel drive is available. The rear suspension changes from a four-link to a five-link design. Inside, there’s a floating center console, an 8-inch touchscreen with fewer buttons, and an infotainment system that plays with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.”
— Consumer Reports
“Through two generations, the Buick LaCrosse has barely registered on the Car and Driver radar screen. It’s been an underwhelming car in a segment made up of spacious, somnambulant entry-level luxury products such as the restrained Toyota Avalon and the forgettable Hyundai Azera. The LaCrosse, like its rivals, has delivered essentially zero driving enjoyment for enthusiasts like us. We’re hopeful, however, that the new-for-2017 LaCrosse will change that. General Motors claims to have put the LaCrosse through the same type of weight-loss regimen as the Cadillac CTS and the Chevrolet Camaro, 10 Best Cars awardees that are spectacular to drive. Another new GM product that recently lost a lot of weight is the new Chevy Malibu; the LaCrosse uses a longer-wheelbase version of the Malibu’s Epsilon II platform. The engineering team claims that this LaCrosse is nearly 300 pounds lighter than the outgoing car; fully half of that weight drop comes from a lighter steel structure.”
— Rusty Blackwell, Car and Driver
“Luxury cars are increasingly adding high-tech safety features, and the LaCrosse is no different. Available features include adaptive cruise control, a blind spot warning system, a backup camera and GM’s Safety Alert Seat, which warns the driver of potential safety issues by vibrating different areas of the seat cushion. Also offered are lane departure warning and prevention and forward collision warning with automatic braking for both other cars and pedestrians. There’s also available technology designed to keep an eye on young drivers, with the ability to mute the stereo when front-seat occupants aren’t wearing their seat belts, emit visual and audible warnings when a preset speed is surpassed, and provide parents with a report card on their child’s driving.”
— Mike Hanley, Cars.com
“And perhaps my favorite addition to the LaCrosse is new smartphone wireless charging. The phone storage slot in the center console will inductively charge smartphones without plug-ins or cables. That is, if your phone has that capability, which most do not yet. Regardless, the LaCrosse shows that the Buick brand isn’t just for grandmas anymore. Instead, it’s putting its tech foot forward, joining ranks — and sometimes outpacing — even some of the German carmakers.”
— Nick Jaynes, Mashable
“Looking closely at the side profile, you may notice that the LaCrosse looks just a little bigger and lower. Overall length has increased by 0.6 inch, although width increases by only a tenth of an inch. Meanwhile, the car sits lower than before, dropping 1.7 inches from the roofline. We think the LaCrosse looks more athletic than its predecessor thanks to its more pronounced hips and new character lines running across the body. The new LaCrosse also features a short rear deck in the rear. No longer does the LaCrosse have the thick chrome accent bar running below the rear insignia. Slimmer taillights complete the minimalistic look.”
— Kelly Pleskot, Motor Trend
