The Buick Allure is the Canadian name of the first-generation Buick LaCrosse. It went on sale in late 2004 as a 2005 model, replaced the Century and Regal in the showroom, and was built alongside its American twin at GM’s Oshawa plant.
Buick Allure at a glance
| Also called | Buick LaCrosse (United States, China) |
|---|---|
| Production | 2004–2009 (2005–2009 model years) |
| Market | Canada |
| Body | four-door sedan, front-wheel drive |
| Platform | GM W-body, MS2000 variant |
| Engines | 3.8 L 3800 Series III V6; 3.6 L HFV6 |
| Trim levels | CX, CXL, CXS |
| Transmission | 4T65-E automatic (4T65-E HD in the Super) |
| Assembly | GM Oshawa Assembly, Ontario |
| Replaced | Buick Century and Buick Regal |
| Name dropped | when the second-generation car arrived for 2010 |
The Allure is described in the English Wikipedia article on the LaCrosse; this page covers the Canadian first-generation car only. Based on one source.
History of the Buick Allure
The first-generation LaCrosse made its debut in late 2004 as a 2005 model, replacing the Century and Regal with a single four-door, front-wheel-drive sedan. In the United States and in China the car was called LaCrosse; in Canada, the only market where the name was considered a problem, it was sold as the Allure.
The reason for the different name is linguistic. In Quebec, faire la crosse is a slang phrase, and although la crosse itself simply means «the cross», Buick chose not to take the risk and renamed the car for Canadian buyers. The same nameplate had already been used on a 2000 concept car shown by Buick, which anticipated the production design.
The Allure used the MS2000 variant of GM’s long-serving W-body platform. Two engines were offered: a 3.8-litre 3800 Series III V6 in the CX and mid-level CXL, and a 3.6-litre HFV6 in the sportier CXS. The CXS was replaced in the United States by the LaCrosse Super, and Canadian sales of the CXS ended on 1 January 2008.
Structurally the car was stiffer and lighter than the models it replaced: the steel engine cradle gave way to an extruded aluminium one 20 pounds lighter, and the body used more high-strength steel, a magnesium cross-car beam behind the instrument panel, interlocking door latches and a double-thick Quiet Steel floor pan and firewall.
The Allure was offered with front bucket seats and a console shifter in five-seat form, or with a folding centre console and column shifter for six passengers. A facelift for 2008 brought a front end derived from the Buick Velite concept, chrome exterior trim, remote start and a telescoping steering column as standard. The Allure name disappeared when the second-generation car arrived for the 2010 model year, and from then on the car was a LaCrosse in Canada too.
Design and features
- QuietTuning: acoustic laminated windscreen and front side glass, plus sound deadening throughout the body.
- Two engines: the long-lived 3.8 V6 or the 3.6 HFV6, the latter in the CXS.
- Five or six seats: a folding centre console turned the front bench into a sixth place.
- 2008 facelift: Velite-inspired nose, chrome trim and remote start.
Buick Allure versions
- CX: the base car with the 3.8 V6.
- CXL: mid-level trim, also with the 3.8 V6.
- CXS: 3.6 HFV6, sold in Canada until 1 January 2008.
- 2008 facelift: revised nose and extra standard equipment.
The Allure replaced the Century and the Buick Regal in Canada, and it was replaced in turn by the second-generation LaCrosse. More Buicks are in the Buick collection.
Sources
- Buick LaCrosse, English Wikipedia: Canadian name, platform, engines, facelift
