Traum: Buick Avenir

Traum: Buick Avenir

Impressionen von der Shanghai Autoshow 2015

Buick, of all companies, hosted its very own reveal event on the eve of the Detroit auto show, having all to itself an expansive stage in a warehouse in the city’s Eastern Market. The assembled journalists—and politicos, and hangers-on—were there to see the 2016 Buick Cascada convertible, two examples of which rolled out, one top-up, the other top-down. Right on schedule, as expected. No surprise.

Cascadas in place, however, a spot was unoccupied at center stage. We thought the brand might introduce a new SUV—to fill the yawning gulf between the tiny Encore and the huge Enclave. Instead, Buick rolled out a completely unexpected concept, the Avenir, and it’s a stunner. The Avenir is a low-slung four-door with unmistakable rear-drive proportions and flagship presence.

To some of us in the audience, the name sounded like a takeoff on Avenue, as in “Park Avenue.” Buick, however, explained that Avenir is French for “future.” GM global product development chief Mark Reuss—who knows something about Park Avenues, and many other past Buicks, having started his career with the division and being the son of a former Buick division general manager—said the Avenir “provides definite cues of what to expect from Buick in the future.”

At this point, though, details of the Avenir’s future are sketchy. The concept has a V-6 engine (with cylinder deactivation and auto stop/start), a nine-speed automatic transmission (with paddle shifters), all-wheel drive, driver-selectable suspension damping, and 21-inch wheels. At 204.5 inches long and 76.0 inches wide, it’s more grandly proportioned than both the Cadillac CTS (195.5 inches and 72.2 inches, respectively) and the Chevrolet SS (also 195.5 inches long but 74.7 inches wide). Actually, we expect that the Avenir will find a home on GM’s upcoming new Omega rear-wheel-drive platform, as a companion to the Cadillac CT6.

The Avenir’s look is the work of an international team collocated in Australia and North America. Lead exterior designer Warrack Leach is credited with the rounded rear, which is described as a nod to the boattail ’71–’73 Riviera. Other classic Buick details include the traditional grille and the prominent scallop running from the front wheel openings back down the body sides to the rear doors. The four-place interior features a sweeping design motif and individual bucket seats bisected by a full-length center console. Hopefully, Buick will be able to preserve much of this sharp-looking design as it steers the Avenir toward production.