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The last Buick Cascada unceremoniously rolls off the assembly line

Motorists in the market for a new Buick Cascada need to act fast. Peugeot-owned Opel has built the last example of the drop-top model in its Gliwice, Poland, factory, and there's no replacement in sight. Buick announced the Cascada's demise in early 2019, and GM Authority learned the model went out unceremoniously. There's no indication that the final example received a commemorative plaque on its dashboard, or is headed to a private collection; photos of it aren't even available. The dealership who ordered it might not know it's about to receive the last specimen of the breed. As a non-luxury, front-wheel-drive convertible, the Cascada was marooned on an island that Buick's rivals abandoned halfway through the 2010s. The Chrysler 200 Convertible and the Volkswagen Eos were discontinued after the 2014 and 2015 model years, respectively. Landing in a class of one likely raised more than a few eyebrows in Buick's product planning division, but it was a semi-enviable position that helped the firm sell about 17,000 units of the Cascada between the 2016 and 2019 model years. It proudly pointed out about 60 percent of buyers were new to General Motors. Left-hand-drive examples of the Cascada were sold under the Buick and Opel banners. Right-hand-drive models joined the Vauxhall range in the United Kingdom, and they wore a Holden emblem in Australia. The four flavors were identical with the exception of some brand-specific trim pieces and powertrains. None will get a successor; the aforementioned carmakers are no longer operating under the same roof, and the global convertible segment is steadily shrinking.  The Cascada's multinational provenance made more sense before General Motors sold its Opel and Vauxhall divisions to PSA Groupe, the Paris-based carmaker that owns Peugeot, Citroen and DS. The French firm pledged to keep producing cars for Buick for as long as necessary, but the former sister companies tacitly agreed to stop co-developing vehicles. The sedan and station wagon variants of the Regal are now the only Opel-designed, PSA-built model left in the the Buick portfolio.

2018 Buick LaCrosse gets a mild hybrid model, lower price

Update: Buick provided us with horsepower and fuel economy figures. The text has been updated to reflect this. Buick is rolling out a variety of updates for the 2018 LaCrosse, including a new mild eAssist hybrid. Like the previous generation LaCrosse and Regal eAssist models, this one features a small electric motor and an equally small battery pack that together augment rather than supplant the gasoline engine. The motor, attached to a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, helps to make takeoffs smoother and provide additional torque on demand. The gasoline engine still does the majority of the work, though. Combined, the powertrain produces 194 horsepower and 187 pound-feet of torque. It will also allow the LaCrosse to get 25 mpg in the city, and 35 mpg on the highway. While the electric powertrain doesn't provide primary propulsion, it does come with other benefits. The small battery means the LaCrosse maintains a folding rear seat. The battery also provides power to accessories when the engine shuts off at a standstill. This mild hybrid powertrain will be the standard engine for all 2018 LaCrosses, and they come with a lower base price. The 2018 model will start at $31,415, which is about $1,500 less than the lowest priced 2017 V6 LaCrosse. The V6 will still be available as an option, and Buick has updated it, too. The 2018 V6 models will also all come with a new 9-speed automatic transmission. The new LaCrosses will go on sale this fall. Related Video: Image Credit: Buick Green Buick Hybrid Luxury Sedan

Buick Enspire spied for the first time, loses concept's electric powertrain

About a year ago, Buick showed a high-performance electric crossover with wide, aggressive, curvy lines that was called the Buick Enspire. Now we have our first look at the production version. While it does seem to be styled like the crossover, it also seems to have lost its electric powertrain in favor of internal combustion. At the front of the crossover, we can clearly see it has the skinny, scowling headlights of the concept sitting high on the front fascia and flush with the hood. The main grille looks like it may be smaller, but it could also just be that the actual open section of the grille doesn't fill up the grille area of the fascia. In profile, the crossover has an attractive long nose, low roof and rising belt line. The rear shows the most change, as the rear pillars are much thicker, and the taillights don't appear to span the full width of the crossover. It's in the rear that we can also see the evidence that the Buick Enspire will actually be gasoline powered. Looking very closely under the rear bumper cover, we can see two exhaust tips turned to face the ground. Based on the size of the crossover, and the fact a Cadillac XT4 was being driven along with the prototype, the Enspire is probably using the XT4's platform, as well as its mechanical bits. That means it probably has a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder making 237 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. Power will also probably go through a nine-speed automatic to either the front wheels or all four. This prototype looks to be pretty far along, so we'll probably see the production version in about a year. Considering the Enspire's size and likely powertrain, it may even replace the similar Buick Envision. And since the Envision is Buick's worst selling crossover (unless you count the Regal TourX as one), it would be ripe for replacement.