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2018 Buick Enclave: How engineers made it larger, lighter, more sophisticated

Buick used the unveiling of the 2018 Enclave at the New York Auto Show to introduce its new range-topping Avenir sub-brand to the world. With fancier interior finishes and exterior details, it's Buick's latest effort to make itself a proper luxury brand (or perhaps re-establish itself as such). However, lost in the Avenir song and dance is the fact that the 2018 Buick Enclave is a (very) long-awaited all-new model regardless of the trim level one selects. Like the Chevrolet Traverse upon which it is based, the new Enclave is bigger than the vehicle it replaces but considerably lighter, by about 400 pounds. "We told every engineer, 'get your job done, but then take the weight out,'" said engineer Rick Spina as we hovered next to his larger yet lighter creation. His team therefore set about taking a little bit of weight out from just about everywhere, from using additional aluminum in the suspension to varying the thickness of the frame (thicker in places that needed to be stronger, thinner and therefore lighter in places that didn't). Only about 100 pounds came out of the body with the rest coming from elsewhere. Not only will the reduced weight improve fuel economy (Buick-estimated at 19 mpg combined with FWD versus 18 for the 2017 model) and presumably the old Enclave's rather ponderous handling, but it should only make things easier for the new powertrain: General Motors' now-familiar 3.6-liter V6 and its latest nine-speed automatic. With 302 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque, Buick says the new engine will need 7.2 seconds to reach 60 mph with FWD or 7.5 seconds with AWD. That's a second quicker than before. Besides acceleration, towing is also bumped up by 500 pounds to 5,000. For those models with all-wheel drive, the Enclave has the same basic system featured on range-topping versions of the Buick LaCrosse. Besides power being sent front and rear, it can also differ from right to left in the back, although Spina is quick to point out that capability is for traction-enhancing purposes rather than sporty, handling-enhancing torque-vectoring ones. Buick owners already appreciated the Enclave for its quietness so the engineers decided to take it that much further. This included altering the exhaust, improving body sealing (there are triple door seals), including active sound deadening and utilizing advanced materials that absorb sound as opposed to simply being thick, dense and heavy enough to keep it out.

PSA's purchase of Opel from GM is expected to be finalized soon

PSA's purchase of the Opel/Vauxhall division from General Motors is expected to be officially announced on Monday, according to The New York Times. PSA, the parent company of European automakers Peugeot and Citroen, will reportedly hold a joint press conference with GM in Paris to announce the deal. GM has worked as part of an alliance with PSA in Europe since 2012. The deal could be a big boon for both companies. For PSA, the addition of Opel and Vauxhall into its fold would catapult the automaker into second place behind Volkswagen for European marketshare, and would allow the company to spend research and development costs across a greater number of vehicles. And GM, which has struggled in recent years to turn a profit with its European division, would be able to focus more squarely on the areas where it's most profitable and to invest in future technologies like automation. But the deal isn't without its potential pitfalls, primarily for PSA. GM hasn't been able to make a success of Opel and Vauxhall, and it's not a sure bet that PSA will, either. What's more, the addition of Opel and Vauxhall doesn't expand PSA's reach any further into new markets, like China or India. The NYT cites data from Ferdinand Dudenhoffer, a professor at the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany, showing that 70 percent of PSA and Opel business is done in Europe, a market that has been shrinking since 1999. We'll have to wait a few days to see exactly how the deal between PSA and GM will be structured. We're also curious to see how the loss of Opel may affect GM's lineup in the States, especially for Buick, since the company's Regal sedan is based on the European Opel Insignia. In other words, stay tuned. Related Video:

2018 Buick Enclave spied looking slim in Death Valley

The nine-year-old Buick Enclave is well past its prime, but this set of spy photos reveals that GM won't put the vehicle out of its misery, but will give the vehicle a large update instead. Our photographers managed to catch Buick testing a heavily-camouflaged 2018 Enclave testing below sea level near Death Valley. Buick was testing the prototype in Nevada earlier this year, but slapped a trailer onto the back of the SUV. Thanks to the camouflage that covers the badging, headlights, taillights, and hood, there's no way to confirm if the prototype is really a Buick or something from Chevrolet. But the circular outline on the grille has us leaning towards it being a Buick. Five LED running lights shine through the heavy camouflage, while Buick's iconic waterfall grille is prominently uncovered. The Enclave, which came out in 2008, shares the same platform as the GMC Acadia and Chevrolet Traverse. With the new Acadia slimming down and ditching the old Lambda platform in favor of the Chi platform, the Enclave will surely follow suit. The Enclave, though, is expected to get a stretched version of the Chi platform with three rows. While the entire body is concealed, the prototype's side profile looks to be slimmer than the current Enclave. With the addition of the new, lighter platform, the Enclave is expected to get GM's new 3.6-liter V6 with a nine-speed automatic transmission added later down the road. The new Enclave is expected to make its debut early next year as a 2018 model, which will be followed by the reveal of the Traverse shortly after. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2018 Buick Enclave Spy Shots View 13 Photos Image Credit: Spied Bilde Spy Photos Buick GM Crossover SUV Luxury