2010 Buick LaCrosse Debut

Buick won’t recapture its glory days, which hearken back to the late 1930s to mid-1950s — far too long ago for target buyers — with the 2010 Buick LaCrosse. Still, the LaCrosse represents a nice second step in its renaissance, begun two years ago with the Enclave crossover. The Buick LaCrosse is General Motors’ first North American car based on its second-generation Epsilon platform, shared only with the Opel Insignia, for now.

When the Chevrolet Malibu moves to that platform, originally intended for the ‘13 model year, it presumably won’t come with all the standard and optional equipment that makes the new LaCrosse the perfect competitor for the Lexus ES 350. If GM’s latest North American scheme has any stability, the new Buick is the semi-luxury front-drive bridge between Chevy and Cadillac. Engines at launch will be GM’s new spark-ignition, direct injection (SIDI) 3.0L gas V-6 in the CX and CXL trim levels. It’s rated a healthy 260 hp and 214 lb-ft, and a manufacturer’s estimated 18 city, 27 highway mpg on the EPA cycle. It will come with front or all-wheel drive. The AWD system is an upgrade to the Saab 9-3x’s Haldex system, which can direct up to 85% of the power to the rear wheels even in the dry, to simulate rear-drive dynamics. It comes with an electronic limited slip differential.

Punching into the lucrative “middle manager in his 50s” demographic, you have the big-daddy CXS with the 3.6 liter V6 making 280 HP, the variable orifice dampers good for real-time damping adjustments (optional on the CXL), optional 19″ wheels and heated and cooled seats. You get a bigger price tag and more equipment, but not a lot more car. Acceleration, though stated as 6.5 seconds instead of the 3.0 V6’s 8.0 seconds, doesn’t feel appreciably faster. The real time damping system doesn’t really real time damp much better than the stock system. The gauge cluster can be had with a full-color info center, but other than provide eye-candy, it doesn’t provide additional information. The sky-view sunroof is nice, but it can be had on the CXL as well.

Technically, the “New” Buick was born two years ago when the Enclave debuted, but in reality, that was simply a new segment for the brand. In contrast, the LaCrosse marks the initial transformation of Buick’s future. CEO Fritz Henderson has stated that new Buicks (and actually all GM vehicles going forward) must be more than competitive – they must be superb. They can’t merely match the competition, they have to surpass them in every quantifiable way. So the launch of the LaCrosse couldn’t be more fortuitous or fraught with risk. Developed before bankruptcy, bailouts and government intervention, the LaCrosse is what GM envisioned for the future of Buick over two years ago. But is it good enough to revive the marque? Time to find out.

In terms of exterior design, the Lacrosse builds on the theme established by the Enclave crossover. Buick has relocated its signature portholes from the front fender to the hood ‒ a seemingly more functional location. Most of the other details follow Buick’s latest design language, including the ‘waterfall’ grille and smooth sculpted surfaces.

The 2010 LaCrosse is offered in three models – CX, CXL and CXS. The CXL will be equipped with a new 3.0-liter direct injection V6, premium cloth seats and 17-inch wheels. The engine generates an estimated 255 hp and 211 lb-ft of torque and is mated to a six-speed automatic.

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