Buick’s Avenir concept car, which debuted in 2015, raised the bar for the upcoming 2017 Buick Lacrosse. The Avenir had excellent exterior and interior styling and appeared to be a fantastic flagship sedan. We were a little disappointed when Buick made no moves to expand the Avenir beyond its status as a concept car. Fortunately, many of the Avenir’s successful design cues are beginning to make their way onto other Buick models.
That is also true for the 2017 Buick LaCrosse, which features a new V6 engine and some cutting-edge technological features. Overall, it’s a premium Buick vehicle that we’re very excited about. As a result, we are pleased to see that the interior, exterior, and technical specifications of the Buick Encore incorporate many LaCrosse features.
Exterior design
The fascia is the first place where you’ll notice Buick Avenir design cues. The stunning Avenir grille has been adopted by the 2017 Buick Lacrosse. The grille was so well received that it will appear on other upcoming Buick models as well. The overall shape of the grille is similar, but it is now wider, lower in height, and has a round bottom. In addition, the pattern mesh within the grille allowed for 24 vertical dark slats. The Buick logo remains in the center, but it is now set on a horizontal, slightly curved chrome strip. The logo, unlike its predecessor, is not monochrome, but rather features red, silver, and blue colors.
The multi-color logo has been such a success that it is rumored that it will be used on the luxury Buick Regal sedan.
The hood is also new and has deeper creases. The headlights have the same overall appearance, but are slightly less pointy and diagonal. This softens the frontal appearance of the 2017 LaCrosse, which wasn’t particularly necessary and, as a result, isn’t revolutionary.
The foglights on the lower bumper have shrunk to the size of two round dots. The lower air vent is slightly larger and has the same pattern as the grille. A chrome line above the lower air vent adds the finishing touch.
LaCrosse side and rear
On the side, not much has changed. The body line is a little smoother from the front wheel arch to the rear fender. Also, instead of a small outtake, the door handle niches now cover the entire handle. The bottom line of the car windows is curvier. Also, instead of a curved off corner, the back corner of the rear window now ends in a tip.
The 2.7 inch (7 cm) elongated wheelbase also gives the car the appearance of being much longer. In reality, the car is only 0.6 inch (1.5 cm) longer, but in this case, we’d say appearances are more important than reality.
The overall shape of the rear of the 2017 Buick LaCrosse is similar to that of its predecessor. The car’s sides have been adorned with new boomerang-shaped taillights. The license plate location was relocated from the trunk lid to the bumper. The chrome line on the trunk lid has been removed, and the logo in the center has been enlarged and multi-colored. Instead, a chrome line now connects the two separate chrome rectangular exhausts.
Interior design
The Avenir design cues also make a return in the cabin. First and foremost, the LaCrosse has the flowing appearance of the Avenir. The interior, dubbed wrap-around, appears to be made of a single piece wrapped around the corners. The dashboard is spotless, as is the center stack, and the passenger side dashboard insert adds a touch of luxury.
The material surrounding the center console and infotainment screen appears to be more upscale as well. The TFT-screen now protrudes rather than sinks, and the cheap-looking rotary knobs have given way to a more upscale layout. The air vents beside the infotainment screen, as well as the gear shifter, have been redesigned. The nice curve that flows down from the center stack to the gear shifter is a returning interior feature. Buick did an excellent job.
There is also a new steering wheel without the silver lining and a BOSE sound system.
There are five different interior color schemes to choose from. An eight-speaker audio system is included as standard. Ambient lighting, heated, ventilated, and massaging front seats, and a BOSE sound system are available as options. Buick included Active Noise Cancellation materials so that you could truly enjoy the music from that fantastic system.
Engine specs
The engine in the 2017 LaCrosse is a 3.6 liter V6 gasoline engine. It employs variable valve timing and direct high pressure injection. Cylinder deactivation and Automatic Start/Stop are two fuel-saving engine technologies. This engine produces 305 horsepower, making the 2017 LaCrosse a high-performance sedan. True, the 2016 LaCrosse had one horsepower less, but the new engine is lighter, reducing the total weight of the LaCrosse by 300 pounds (136 kg). That means the car can make better use of its current horsepower.
The engine is mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission with Driver Shift Control, which allows you to shift gears manually.
Front-wheel drive is standard, with all-wheel drive available only on the highest trim levels.
Tech specs
On the infotainment screen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are available technologies. Buick’s IntelliLink phone connectivity and Bluetooth Audio Streaming are standard. The base trim of the 2017 Buick LaCrosse also includes an OnStar 4G LTE built-in Wi-Fi hotspot.
There is also an optional SiriusXM Satellite Radio with a three-month trial period. Wireless charging and navigation are also available as options.
Cruise control and a remote vehicle starter system that activates climate control are also standard features on the 2017 LaCrosse.
Safety
Rear Park Assist, a Rear Vision Camera, Teen Driver Setting, and StabiliTrak are among the standard safety and convenience features. The latter ensures that the car automatically adapts when weather conditions limit steering or traction. This aids in keeping the vehicle on the road.
Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, Blind Spot Monitoring, Lane Departure Warning, Following Distance Indicator, and Forward Collision Alert are optional safety features. Adaptive Cruise Control, Front Automatic Braking, Automatic Park Assist, and Front Pedestrian Detection are also available.
Price and sale date
The 2017 Buick Lacrosse is priced starting at $32,065. The Preferred trim comes next, with a starting price of $36,065. The Essence starts at $38,665, followed by the Premium, which starts at $41,065. The 2017 Buick LaCrosse will be available for purchase in October 2016.
The Buick LaCrosse will not be available in Europe. Vauxhall produces Buick models in the United Kingdom, while Opel does so in the rest of Europe. Unfortunately, the LaCrosse model does not make its way to European shores in any form.
The Buick LaCrosse is sold as the Holden Commodore in Australia, and it may be sold there again for the 2017 model year.