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2020 Buick LaCrosse images leaked on Chinese website

Buick is planning a refreshed version of its LaCrosse full-size sedan for the Chinese market, judging by these photos discovered by the site Auto Verdict on a Chinese government site used to certify upcoming new models. We can only see exterior cosmetic changes, but they bring the LaCrosse more in line with the styling of the new Regal and Enclave models, leading to speculation that it won't be long until the changes show up in the U.S. The front three-quarters photo shows off a redesigned front fascia, with slimmed-down headlights that are now tied to the grille instead of set apart by body-color surround, thanks to some new chrome treatment. There's also a chrome wing on the grille, similar to what's seen on the 2019 Enclave and new Regal. The lower front fascia is also different, with new L-shaped fog lamps. On the rear, there's a new chrome wing connecting and intersecting the taillights and surrounding the badge. There's no word about any interior changes, but they'd likely be minor in keeping with the exterior updates. Buick most recently debuted a 2019 LaCrosse Sport Touring version, while a mild hybrid model arrived for 2018. China, of course, has become Buick's largest market, but the picture is less rosy stateside amid dimming prospects for sedans, as consumers flock to crossovers and SUVs. In the third quarter, U.S. sales of the LaCrosse fell 31.1 percent from the prior-year period. Between January and the end of September, GM had sold 13,409, which was a decline of 14.2 percent. Its full-year 2017 sales totaled 20,161, which was down almost 27 percent from 2016. For perspective, Buick sold more than twice that number — 42,035 — as recently as 2015. The current generation launched in 2017. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2020 Buick LaCrosse China Image Credit: Buick Design/Style Buick Luxury Sedan

Question of the Day: Coolest factory-supercharged car?

Last week, we discussed possible engine-swap recipients for the plentiful-in-every-junkyard Eaton-supercharged GM 3800 V6 engine. The Buicks, Oldsmobiles, and Pontiacs that came with that engine from the factory were reasonably cool, of course, but when you look at all the production cars that have been available with supercharging over the decades you can find some pretty amazing stuff. My personal favorite has to be the Paxton-blown Studebaker Larks of the early 1960s, partly because the Lark was just about the stodgiest-looking, sleepiest little sedan available in America, possibly the most ridiculous recipient of a howling force-fed V8 imaginable, and partly because of the name of the optional supercharged 289-cubic-inch V8 you could get in the Lark: Jet-Thrust! What do you say is the coolest factory-supercharged car of all time? Related Video: Auto News Buick Automotive History Performance Classics supercharger questions

Buick Encore, Chevy Trax reportedly dead after 2022

The Buick Encore will not get an encore, and the Chevrolet Trax is dead in its tracks. Separate unverified reports say the two crossovers, which are essentially identical underneath the sheetmetal, will retire at the end of the 2022 model year without being directly replaced. Citing anonymous sources, enthusiast website GM Authority wrote that production of the Encore and the Trax is scheduled to end in the third quarter of 2022. Both models are manufactured in Bupyeong-gu, South Korea, and General Motors will reportedly use the extra production capacity to build more examples of the Trailblazer, which outsold the Encore and the Trax combined by a significant margin in 2021. General Motors hasn't commented on the report, but we wouldn't be surprised if the end is indeed near for the Encore and the Trax. Buick released the Encore for the 2013 model year, and Chevrolet launched the Trax for 2015, but the model made its debut as the Opel Mokka in 2012. It's at the end of its life cycle, and sales figures reflect this: 20,072 units of the Encore were sold in America in 2021, a drop of 52% compared to 2020, while 42,590 examples of the Trax found a home, a 60% decline. It's further proof that Americans don't like small cars. Viewed in that light, the decision not to replace either crossover makes perfect sense. If the report is accurate, the Encore GX (which is not related to the Encore in any way) will enter the 2023 model year as Buick's entry-level model. The situation is a little more complicated at Chevrolet: The pocket-sized Spark is on its way out in 2022 as well, meaning that the Trailblazer will become the entry point into the range. It's a different story in Europe: Opel, which is now part of the Stellantis group, released the second-generation Mokka in June 2020.