2004 Buick Rainier Cxl Plus Sport Utility 4-door 5.3l on 2040-cars

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2024 Buick Envision reportedly delayed, stripped of Super Cruise

It appears the Chevrolet Traverse isn't the only GM product trying to climb out of production hell. Remember, Chevy had to delay the start of production for the all-new third-generation 2024 Traverse, leading to the second-gen 2023 model carrying over for a brief spell as the Traverse Limited until the all-new SUV comes off the line in real numbers. According to GM Authority, Buick is in similar straits with the 2024 Envision. The automaker showcased a range of subtle cosmetic updates and some tech enhancements for the SUV over the summer, providing enough detail to be a little more than a tease, a little less than a debut. At that time, the 2024 Envision was meant to be on sale before the end of this year. Now GMA says the market launch for the 2024 Envision has been pushed back to late 2024 for as-yet-unknown reasons. This timeline marks the third delay. Just one month after the June reveal online, GMA wrote that the original October date for the start of production had been moved to December 11. Dealers began submitting orders at the end of September in anticipation of October production. Sometime after the October deadline passed, a November update claimed production would commence in the first quarter of 2024. We imagine the late 2024 date could move again, perhaps forward; that's a year out, it's possible GM gets good news before then. What's more, GMA also reports the 2024 Envision won't come with Super Cruise. This was going to be the first Buick with GM's hands-off driving feature, but again, for undisclosed reasons, plans have changed.  What we're pretty sure we can expect whenever the refreshed Envision arrives is a new front end with a bigger grille positioned lower on the front fascia, bright trim, and the new Buick emblem on the hood. The headlights are now integrated into the bumper, LED daytime running lights replace the outgoing Envision's headlights. The revamped look brings the Envision in line with other recent additions to the Buick range, like the Encore. Because Buick released a single photo for the summer reveal, we still have no idea what the Envision's back end and interior look like. The change in plans could mean a reworked trim lineup for the holdover. According to early figures from Autodata, the 2024 Envision will only come in three all-wheel-drive trims, Preferred, Sport Touring, and Avenir. This change would eliminate all the front-wheel-drive trims available in 2023 across the Preferred, Essence, and Avenir trims.

Buick Velite 6 to come in PHEV, electric versions for China

In addition to the all-electric Enspire crossover concept revealed this week ahead of the Beijing Auto Show, Buick is adding a new production variant to its Velite series of electrified vehicles for China. It's called the Velite 6, a plug-in hybrid that will launch this year in Buick's largest market. A full-electric version, shown in the lead photo above at right, is coming later. Buick already sells a vehicle called a Velite 5 in China, which is essentially a rebadged Chevrolet Volt, only with a higher electric-only driving range. This one is based on the Velite concept PHEV introduced in late 2016 at Auto Guangzhou. The PHEV and battery-electric versions look nearly identical, with a wide stance, plenty of creases and a hatchback design that bears some similarities to the longer 2018 Regal TourX wagon. The Velite 6 uses two AC permanent-magnet synchronous motors, a lithium-ion battery and a 1.5-liter four-cylinder combustion engine. Buick says combined gas-electric driving range is 435 miles, which is 15 miles greater than the Volt. Buick will assemble what it calls the "new-generation" ternary battery pack at its new SAIC-GM Power Battery Development Center in Shanghai. The company says the Velite 6 electric vehicle "will adopt a new-generation pure electric drive system to offer customers a smooth, quiet and natural driving experience." Both models get the cloud-based Buick eConnect technology, which allows over-the-air software updates, real-time integration with China's WeChat social media network, and other digital perks. Owners will also be able to use their smartphone as the vehicle's key, and they can also authorize others to use the car through their phones. China has long been Buick's largest market, with more than 1.18 million vehicles sold in 2017 compared to just 219,231 in the U.S., and the country has established aggressive mandates for production of electric vehicles. GM has plans to add 20 new electric and fuel-cell vehicles globally by 2023. Related Video:

2018 Buick Regal Sportback First Drive Review | Eyes wide shut

AUSTIN, Texas—Barreling along the tight backroads of Austin's Hill Country, my driving partner was coming in a little hot. Usually, beads of sweat would have appeared by now, hand crushing the grab handle. On roads such as this one, which are barely a car and a half wide, unusual confidence in the car is essential. But even with eyes closed (from the passenger's seat), it felt as if I was riding in an Audi, not in a product that shares its roots with the Chevrolet Malibu. This is a very good thing for Buick. It's unusually planted and stable, almost Germanic in nature. There's no traditional sedan available on these shores, which begs the question: Did the new Regal have to be a hatchback? Nope. Buick sells a traditional four-door Regal in China. The Regal Sportback, which is built in Russelsheim, Germany, is a European take on the sedan, in the vein of the recent proliferation of four-door "coupes" from all sorts of car manufacturers. It's far more versatile than most stylized sedans, however, with a wide opening that can swallow a full-size bicycle with both wheels on. Really—we tried it. There is an alternative to the hatchback, although it won't please sedan purists: the Regal TourX, a wagon in all but name. The 310-hp Regal GS isn't far away, either, and a luxe Regal Avenir is likely to appear. A hybridized Regal eAssist is also a possibility. Alas, the Regal nameplate is unlikely to reappear on a two-door coupe, according to a Buick spokesperson. The closest analogy for the Regal Sportback is the recently departed Volkswagen CC, in both form and function. From the quarter angles, the Regal Sportback has hints of the last-generation BMW 5 Series. Dead on from the front, or in your rearview mirror, there is more than a hint of the Audi shield grille. The LED headlight signature is distinctly European in style, but vaguely defined. Dynamically, the front-wheel-drive Regal Sportback is a match for the Audi A4/A5 Sportback duo. The smooth, turbocharged 2.0-liter inline four is a formidable powerplant, particularly when paired with the nine-speed automatic transmission. Its 250-horsepower output is a close match for Audi's engine of the same displacement. All-wheel drive is offered on the top two trim levels, Preferred II and Essence, as an option, paired with an eight-speed automatic. A trick differential that can direct torque to individual wheels, in addition to splitting it front and rear, is standard on the AWD models.