The Buick LaCrosse is a four-door, front-wheel-drive sedan that Buick has built since the 2005 model year. It has gone through four generations across the North American and Chinese markets, and it is now a China-only model.
Buick LaCrosse at a glance
| Maker | Buick, General Motors |
|---|---|
| Production | since 2004 (2005 model year) |
| Class | four-door sedan, front-wheel drive |
| First generation | GM W-body (MS2000) |
| First engines | 3.8 L V6, 3.6 L HFV6, 5.3 L V8 in the Super |
| Canadian name | Buick Allure |
| Second generation | 2010, long-wheelbase Epsilon II |
| Third generation | 2017, Epsilon platform |
| North American production | ended with the 2019 model year |
| Fourth generation | 2023, China only |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the LaCrosse.
History of the Buick LaCrosse
The LaCrosse name was first used on a 2000 concept car based on the G-body Park Avenue. It had styling references to late-1940s Buicks — a descending swage line and front fender portholes — plus a removable rear roof and trunk panel that turned the boot into a load bed, and voice recognition in place of switches.
That concept gave its name to the production car, which arrived in late 2004 as a 2005 model and replaced both the Century and the Regal. It was a four-door, front-wheel-drive sedan on the MS2000 variant of GM’s W-body platform, offered with a 3.8-litre 3800 Series III V6 in CX and CXL trim or a 3.6-litre HFV6 in the CXS. In Canada the same car was sold as the Allure, because faire la crosse is Quebec slang.
The first generation was thoroughly re-engineered under the skin. The engine cradle became extruded aluminium, 20 pounds lighter, and the body used more high-strength steel, a magnesium cross-car beam, interlocking door latches and a double-thick Quiet Steel floor. All cars came with Buick’s QuietTuning acoustic package. A 2008 facelift brought a nose based on the Velite concept and the LaCrosse Super, with a V8, topped the range.
The second generation arrived for 2010 as a larger, more premium sedan on a long-wheelbase version of the Epsilon II platform shared with the Cadillac XTS, sold only as a five-seater with four- and six-cylinder engines. The third generation came for 2017 on the Epsilon platform shared with the Chevrolet Impala, and offered a mild hybrid combining a 20 kW electric motor with a 2.5-litre Ecotec four.
North American production ended with the third generation in the 2019 model year, though the car continued in China with a facelift. The fourth-generation LaCrosse, launched in 2023, is built and sold only in China and uses a turbocharged 1.5- or 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine.
Design and features
- QuietTuning: acoustic glass and extensive sound deadening from the start.
- Canadian Allure: the first generation carried a different name in Canada.
- V8 option: the 2008–09 LaCrosse Super was the only V8 version.
- Mild hybrid: the third generation offered one in some markets.
Buick LaCrosse versions
- First generation (2005–09): W-body, 3.8 or 3.6 V6.
- LaCrosse Super (2008–09): the V8 high-performance version.
- Second generation (2010–16): long-wheelbase Epsilon II.
- Third generation (2017–19 in North America): Epsilon platform, mild hybrid option.
- Fourth generation (2023–): China only, 1.5 or 2.0 turbo.
The LaCrosse replaced the Century and was sold in Canada as the Allure; its concept ancestor was based on the Park Avenue. More Buicks are in the Buick collection.
Sources
- Buick LaCrosse, English Wikipedia: concept, four generations, platforms, engines
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