2017 Buick Enclave Leather Fwd on 2040-cars

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2017 Buick LaCrosse gets Avenir-inspired tease

Stylish touches from the beautiful Buick Avenir Concept are actually hitting the road on the front end of the new 2017 LaCrosse. The brand is showing off this single teaser of a more angular grille surround than what is currently seen on its lineup. In the center there's a three-color version of the well-known Tri-Shield badge. Chrome wings meet at the logo, and vertical chrome bars lead the eye up over the body. A version of this design is eventually becoming part of the entire Buick lineup by 2018. Debuting at the 2015 Los Angles Auto Show in November, the future LaCrosse rides on stronger, lighter underpinnings than the current model. It also gets a five-link rear suspension. The company promises that the changes mean a more engaging drive from the sedan. "The Avenir concept shattered expectations of what a Buick could be and the 2017 LaCrosse promises to do the same," Duncan Aldred, vice president of Buick, said in the release of the teaser image. The show car's look was highly praised by critics when it debuted at this year's Detroit Auto Show. The Avenir even won Eyes on Design awards for Best Designed Concept Vehicle and Innovative Use of Color, Graphics, and Materials. Related Video: Buick Previews All-New 2017 LaCrosse Expressive, Avenir-inspired design cues introduce the new face of Buick DETROIT – Buick today confirmed the all-new 2017 LaCrosse, with a preview of its Avenir concept-inspired design cues. A striking evolution from current Buick models, LaCrosse features a grille design that puts a new face on the brand, including a new, three-color tri-shield insignia set on a wing-shaped element. Contrasting with darkened waterfall grille bars and spanning the width of the opening, it connects the grille and headlamps, and emphasizes LaCrosse's new sculptural surfacing. The design was introduced on the Avenir concept and was inspired by the 1954 Wildcat II concept. It's a face all Buick models will adopt by 2018. "The Avenir concept shattered expectations of what a Buick could be and the 2017 LaCrosse promises to do the same," said Duncan Aldred, vice president of Buick. "Its expressive design represents a break from convention and highlights the progressiveness in all new Buick models." The next-generation LaCrosse's design is framed on an all-new chassis that is stronger yet lighter than the current model and serves as the foundation for a more dynamic driving experience.

2018 Buick Enclave launches luxury Avenir trim

Remember the shapely Buick Avenir Concept from the 2015 Detroit Auto Show? Well, this isn't that, even if they both share the same name. Meet the Buick Enclave Avenir, a new trim built atop Buick's redesigned 2018 Enclave seven-passenger crossover. Think of it as Buick's version of GMC's Denali trim and you'll be on the right track. As the brand's new top trim level, everything that's normally optional in the Enclave comes standard in the Avenir, along with a bunch of exclusive content. And this is just the first application of the Avenir package for Buick – expect the rest of the TriShield brand's products to get a similar makeover in due time. All Avenir models from Buick will get what the brand is calling a three-dimensional mesh grille with a new set of chrome wings. From there, the Enclave edition bundles unique pearl nickel 20-inch wheels, a Rear Camera Mirror like the one seen from Cadillac, and a new kind of LED headlamps that use something called Evonik Acrylite lighting technology. An in-car air ionizer promises to keep the cabin smelling fresh. The rest of the Enclave package sounds pretty good, too. It's got a standard 3.6-liter V6 engine with 302 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque, mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission. Front-wheel drive is standard, and all-wheel drive is optional. A tow rating of 5,000 pounds is standard fare for this class, as are seven seats inside. A frameless eight-inch LCD screen and integrated 4G wireless connectivity are other family-friendly highlights. We expect more Avenir-branded models to make their appearance in the Buick showroom soon. In the meantime, check out the Enclave Avenir in the image gallery above, and stay tuned for more from New York. Related Video:

GM recalling over 243,000 crossovers over possible seat belt defect

2010 Buick Enclave - Click above for high-res image gallery
The summer of 2010's recall hit parade continues unabated today, with General Motors having just announced that it is asking 243,403 owners of its 2009-2010 Lambda crossovers to bring their three-row haulers in for inspection. The culprit? Second-row seat belts in select Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia, and Saturn Outlook CUVs have "failed to perform properly in a crash."
According to GM, a second-row seat-side trim piece is to blame, as it can impede the upward rotation of the buckle after the seat is folded flat. As a result, if the buckle makes contact with the seat frame, cosmetic damage can occur, potentially requiring additional force to operate the buckle properly. So far, no great shakes, but in the process of applying that additional force, the occupant may push the buckle cover down to the strap, potentially revealing and depressing the red release button. As a result of this, the belt may not latch, or in certain cases, it may actually appear to be latched when, in fact, it isn't.