Wake the Kids: Buick LaCrosse Avenir Is Coming in 2018

by Michael Accardi

Published: October 21st, 2017

wake the kids buick lacrosse avenir is coming in 2018

As part of a larger group of automotive publications, TTAC has access to a variety of content. We wanted to bring you some of the unique content we think lives up to TTAC’s standards and offers legitimate insight or a properly critical viewpoint to car evaluation. This story, by GM Inside News editor Michael Accardi, showcases Buick’s latest attempt to boost flagging LaCrosse sales.

NHTSA documents discovered by GM Inside News reveal Buick will expand its Avenir sub-brand in 2018 with the addition of the LaCrosse.

As the full-size sedan market continues to crumble, and the LaCrosse carries a production-crippling 204-day supply of inventory, Buick will push its flagship sedan further into the premium sphere as it attempts to chase unsatisfied luxury shoppers with its new top-shelf Avenir line.

The information comes from GM’s 2018 Vehicle Identification Number Decoder, which the company revised and submitted to the NHTSA late last month. As denoted by the VIN’s fifth position, Buick plans to offer the LaCrosse Avenir in both front and all-wheel-drive configurations, likely paired exclusively with the existing 3.6-liter V6 and GM’s nine-speed automatic transmission.

Expect the LaCrosse to gain visual cues similar to the recently launched Enclave Avenir: Buick’s new Evonik Acrylite LED lighting system will don the front and rear fascias, along with a new three-dimensional grille flanked with Avista-style chrome wings, along with Avenir-exclusive wheels.

Inside, the LaCrosse Avenir should get new color choices, accent piping, contrast stitching, embroidered front headrests, a wood-trimmed steering wheel and Avenir branded door sills.

Like the Enclave, expect Buick’s full suite of safety and tech features: adaptive cruise control, forward automatic braking, rear cross traffic alert, pedestrian baking, lane keep and departure, a vibrating safety seat, and 360-degree surround vision. Tech wise, look for an 8-inch infotainment screen with nav, wireless charging, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, OnStar 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot, and probably another application of GM’s rear camera mirror technology. Oh, and there might even be an air ionizer.

Using the $5,400 price difference between Avenir and Premium trim Enclaves, it’s likely pricing for the LaCrosse Avenir will start north of $45,000.

[Image: General Motors]

#2018BuickLaCrosseAvenir #Avenir #Buick #BuickLacrosse #Full-sizeSedans #FutureModels #GeneralMotors #GM #Luxury #NewCars #Sales #PremiumSedans

Michael Accardi

More by Michael Accardi

Comments

Join the conversation

2 of 45 comments

Ponchoman49 on Oct 23, 2017

As if 49-51K AWD LaCrosse Premiums weren't overpriced by about 5K to start with they go and add an even more expensive model in the works. I'm going to guess 52-55 range. The comical thing is they must actually think these will sell for close to sticker as there is barely anything being offered as far as rebates go. And sales go accordingly. My 3 Buick dealers have had the same 5-8 2017 model cars sitting on the lot the entire Summer and here it is nearly November. Expect nothing to change for 2018 with a powertrain combo that nobody asked for (the eAssist) and a V6 model that now starts at 37090 at entry point compared to 32990 for the 2017's. Note too that the 3.6 loses 14 LBS FT of torque for 2018 (WTF) and one highway and combined MPG despite being attached to the supposedly more efficient 9 speed. New MPG ratings are 21/30/24 but the AWD version seems to somehow stay the same.

Like Reply
Texex on Oct 30, 2017

Waaaayyyy too much cash for a FWD V6 that does not have four interlocking rings on it's grill.

Like Reply

Recent Comments

Varezhka I have still yet to see a Malibu on the road that didn't have a rental sticker. So yeah, GM probably lost money on every one they sold but kept it to boost their CAFE numbers.I'm personally happy that I no longer have to dread being "upgraded" to a Maxima or a Malibu anymore. And thankfully Altima is also on its way out.
Tassos Under incompetent, affirmative action hire Mary Barra, GM has been shooting itself in the foot on a daily basis.Whether the Malibu cancellation has been one of these shootings is NOT obvious at all.GM should be run as a PROFITABLE BUSINESS and NOT as an outfit that satisfies everybody and his mother in law's pet preferences.IF the Malibu was UNPROFITABLE, it SHOULD be canceled.More generally, if its SEGMENT is Unprofitable, and HALF the makers cancel their midsize sedans, not only will it lead to the SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST ones, but the survivors will obviously be more profitable if the LOSERS were kept being produced and the SMALL PIE of midsize sedans would yield slim pickings for every participant.SO NO, I APPROVE of the demise of the unprofitable Malibu, and hope Nissan does the same to the Altima, Hyundai with the SOnata, Mazda with the Mazda 6, and as many others as it takes to make the REMAINING players, like the Excellent, sporty Accord and the Bulletproof Reliable, cheap to maintain CAMRY, more profitable and affordable.
GregLocock Car companies can only really sell cars that people who are new car buyers will pay a profitable price for. As it turns out fewer and fewer new car buyers want sedans. Large sedans can be nice to drive, certainly, but the number of new car buyers (the only ones that matter in this discussion) are prepared to sacrifice steering and handling for more obvious things like passenger and cargo space, or even some attempt at off roading. We know US new car buyers don't really care about handling because they fell for FWD in large cars.
Slavuta Why is everybody sweating? Like sedans? - go buy one. Better - 2. Let CRV/RAV rust on the dealer lot. I have 3 sedans on the driveway. My neighbor - 2. Neighbors on each of our other side - 8 SUVs.
Theflyersfan With sedans, especially, I wonder how many of those sales are to rental fleets. With the exception of the Civic and Accord, there are still rows of sedans mixed in with the RAV4s at every airport rental lot. I doubt the breakdown in sales is publicly published, so who knows... GM isn't out of the sedan business - Cadillac exists and I can't believe I'm typing this but they are actually decent - and I think they are making a huge mistake, especially if there's an extended oil price hike (cough...Iran...cough) and people want smaller and hybrids. But if one is only tied to the quarterly shareholder reports and not trends and the big picture, bad decisions like this get made.