After a long striptease, General Motors has finally unveiled the first renderings and details surrounding its Buick Invicta concept—a vision of Buick’s future and another in-the-sheetmetal manifestation of the growing international synergy between GM’s Buick teams in Shanghai, China, and Warren, Michigan.
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Invicta—the star of GM’s stand at the 2008 Auto China show in Beijing—is also widely believed to be what the 2010 Buick LaCrosse that’s been spied testing will become when it makes its appearance on Buick showroom floors in both China and the U.S. The LaCrosse is a nameplate sold both here and in China, but the cars are substantially different. That will change with the next LaCrosse, which will be underpinned by GM’s global Epsilon II architecture. The Epsilon II is front-drive based but all-wheel drive capable. Powering the Invicta concept is a version of GM’s 2.0-liter, direct-injection turbo four cylinder with an estimated 250 horsepower and 220 lb-ft of torque, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.
Invicta carries multiple design cues from previous Buick concept efforts, including the Riveria and the Velite that’s been kicking around the auto show circuit since 2004. Buick’s waterfall grille grins brightly out front with the badge prominently affixed in the center, flanked by cat-eye headlights. The signature port holes have moved from the fenders to the top of a hood that’s been sharply-creased at the edges.
Inside the cabin, the GM press-speak boasts of large car size in a midsize package, especially for rear passengers. A glass roof helps to open up the greenhouse, and premium touches in the cabin include seam stitching on the instrument soft-touch feel panel pad, steering wheel and door panels. Buttons, switches and pulls are also designed to upscale tactile standards, and LED accent lighting adds to the experience. Looking at the renderings, the center stack and console appear well-organized and executed.
It’s far too early to tell what exactly how much of Invicta’s look will carry over to the new LaCrosse when it hits U.S. showrooms, probably late in 2009. But at least so far, it seems like the type of car that could help Buick build on the momentum generated from its well-received Enclave crossover.
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