Buick LaCrosse @ 2009 NAIAS

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Who would have thought 10 years ago that of all GM's U.S.-based brands, Buick would be its most worldly? Not us.

But the 2010 Buick LaCrosse to be shown at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show is the first vehicle out of GM to be designed on three separate continents. And when production begins this summer at the Fairfax Assembly facility in Kansas City, Kansas, GM claims all the parts will fit together, too.

Design duties were shared between U.S. designers and their compatriots in China. The Chinese arm was responsible for the Buick Invicta concept that made the auto show rounds last year. The engineering for the new midsize sedan was handled in Europe. (Europeans have no interest in Buick-branded cars per se, but this new front- and all-wheel-drive midsize platform will certainly be used by other upcoming GM models.)

Did you know that the 2009 Buick LaCrosse, the one with the four round peepers, was fitted with a four-speed automatic and a pushrod V6? It was, assuming you didn't opt for the Super model. If you did, you got a pushrod V8 to go with your four-speed automatic, but nobody really chose the Super, actually.

Anyway, the 2010 LaCrosse gets a healthy infusion of modern technology, starting with the two direct-injection DOHC V6 engines. The base engine, which comes with the CX and CXL models, is a 3.0-liter version of the so-called high-feature V6, most notably used in the Cadillac CTS. In this application, this engine (first seen in the 2010 Cadillac SRX) makes 255 horsepower at 6,950 rpm and 211 pound-feet of torque at 5,600 rpm. That's 55 hp more than the outgoing 3.8-liter V6, but 19 lb-ft of torque fewer. This V6 is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission and is estimated to deliver 18 mpg city/27 mpg highway. The outgoing 3.8-liter pushrod V6 with the four-speed made 17 mpg city/28 mpg highway.

The high end of the LaCrosse fleet is the CXS, which is powered by a direct-injection 3.6-liter V6 making 280 hp at 6,400 rpm and 261 lb-ft at 5,200 rpm. The CXL uses the same six-speed automatic and should return 17 mpg city/26 mpg highway.

Given its six-speed tranny, the new LaCrosse would likely do considerably better in EPA testing compared to the old model except that it has gained so much weight for 2010. The new model gains between 453 and 516 pounds model-for-model compared to the 2009 LaCrosse. At a GM-claimed 4,018 pounds, the high-volume front-drive CXL is officially a porker. The available all-wheel-drive system (offered only on CXL) adds almost 200 pounds.

The vehicle is essentially identical in size to the outgoing LaCrosse. It gains an inch of wheelbase and loses an inch of overall length. Much of the weight increase can be partially attributed to more standard and optional equipment.

The 2010 LaCrosse can be had with a blind-spot alert system, a navigation system with a rearview camera, a DVD entertainment system with two screens, and a rear-window sunshade. The CXS model also comes with heated and cooled seats, a suspension with high-tech dampers and chrome 18-inch wheels. Stability control and traction control are standard for all models. Buick anticipates the new structure and a full complement of airbags should deliver a five-star rating in all four safety categories from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Of course, the most compelling aspect of the LaCrosse is that it's not boring to look at. It is almost flamboyant, in a way that Buick concept cars have hinted at for some time. It looks voluptuous thanks to full curves and an unusually long roof. The overall look works. The interior can best be described as swoopy. Buick has laid back the instrument panel to a degree we wouldn't have thought possible. It lends the interior an open, airy feeling.

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