1988 Buick Park Avenue With 3800 V6 on 2040-cars

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GM’s Charlie Wilson was right: Stronger regulations can help U.S. automakers

Charlie Wilson had been the president and CEO of General Motors before being nominated to become secretary of defense by Dwight Eisenhower. During his Senate confirmation hearings, he controversially said, "For years I thought what was good for our country was good for General Motors, and vice versa." And he was right. While car companies aren't necessarily the most progressive when it comes to things that might have the slightest possibility of political blowback, General Motors should be credited for doing something absolutely forthright in this regard with its announcement that it wants the federal U.S. government not to squash the California Air Resources Board's emissions requirements but to actually create a 50-state "National Zero Emissions Vehicle" program that, in the words of Mark Reuss, executive vice president and president, Global Product Group and Cadillac, "will drive the scale and infrastructure investments needed to allow the U.S. to lead the way to a zero emission future." Filing comments to the Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient Vehicles Rule for Model Years 2021-2026 Passenger Cars and Light Trucks is one thing. But a graphic the company developed for this announcement — shown above — is something else entirely, something that is absolutely credible, creative and clever. There is a photo of a Chevrolet Bolt EV driving along a highway, which seems to be in Marin County (based on the blurred San Francisco skyline in the background). Text on the photo states: "It's Time for American Leadership in Zero Emissions Vehicles." It seems to say, in effect, "If we want to make America great again, then we're going to do it by leading in technology, not by retreating behind weakened regulations." General Motors understands that the auto market is globally competitive, and if U.S.-based companies are going to be in the game, then they'd better be able to out-innovate the companies based elsewhere, where emissions and economy standards are not being weakened. What's good for our country ... Related Video:

2022 Buick Enclave revealed with refreshed styling, more standard features

Buick gave us a sneak peak at the 2022 Enclave back in January, but it officially pulled the sheet back Wednesday to reveal the extent of its updated styling and detail a few updates to its feature content, including a new suite of standard safety tech.  We can now better see the various exterior styling touch-ups, including a larger, more pronounced grille, new head- and taillights, and more angularly sculpted front and rear bumpers. The Avenir's exterior treatment was also updated to incorporate the new elements. The changes aren't too dramatic, but Buick did enough to make the 2022 visually distinguishable from previous years.  The new standard safety suite is Buick's Driver Confidence Plus package. It includes automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane keeping assist with lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring, forward collision warning, rear park assist, rear cross-traffic alert and automatic high-beams. Buick's midsize crossover is still powered by a standard 310-horsepower V6 with optional all-wheel drive. The range-topping Avenir model includes an adaptive suspension and unique styling elements.  Despite our previous expectations, the Enclave's cabin didn't really get an upgrade apart from the standard safety items listed above. Buick did not include pricing information in Wednesday's announcement, so you can look forward to yet another update before the 2022 Enclave goes on sale later this year.  Related video: 2021 Buick Envision Running Footage

2025 Buick Enclave revealed with new looks, technology

The 2025 Buick Enclave has been revealed, and as expected it combines Buick's current corporate styling with the new-generation three-row SUV platform shared with the Chevy Traverse and GMC Acadia. It also gets plenty of standard features and technology, along with the first Buick implementation of Super Cruise. The design of the Enclave is much more boxy and upright than the extra-curvy model that precedes it. Even the wheel arches have been squared-up. It's coupled with the shark-nose front fascia taken from the Wildcat concept that has adorned every other vehicle in Buick's lineup. The whole thing is slightly larger than before, too, though Buick didn't specify by how much. And as is the case with most Buicks, there's a base Preferred model, as well as Sport Touring (ST) and Avenir trims that receive appearance tweaks in addition to different feature sets. The ST adopts black trim, including in the grille, whereas the Avenir uses bright metal trim and body color wheel arches, plus larger 22-inch wheels (Preferred and ST have 20-inch wheels). The interior is the biggest upgrade by far, though. Immediately obvious is the standard 30-inch combination instrument and infotainment display. It has a curvy, inverted trapezoid shape that has a slight retro-futurism vibe. It sits atop a low, wide and gently curved dashboard, one with a small set of physical short-cut buttons above the center air vents. A "floating" center console rises to meet the dash, though stops short of connecting to it. Adjustable ambient lighting is standard in here, along with power, heated seats, wireless device charging, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus a 12-speaker Bose sound system. Avenir upgrades the sound system to 16 speakers, adds a panoramic sunroof, front seat ventilation and massage function, rear seat heating and a head-up display. Mechanically, the Enclave is basically the same as the Traverse and Acadia. It uses the new platform and also gets the turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder as the sole engine option. In the Enclave, it makes 328 horsepower and 326 pound-feet of torque, the same as the GMC, and a tad more than the Chevy. An eight-speed automatic is the only transmission offering, though both front- and all-wheel drive are available. Towing capacity is again mirrored at 5,000 pounds, and Super Cruise is available, making Enclave the first Buick with the hands-free driving assist system.