Scott Burgess

LaCrosse turns down modern road

The new 2010 LaCrosse is not your grandfather's Buick.

When General Motors Corp. takes the wraps off of the redesigned vehicle at the North American International Auto Show on Monday, it will show a completely redone luxury sedan with a much more modern appearance inside and out.

The global Buick takes on the look of the 2008 Buick Invicta, which is sold in China but not the U.S.

The long body includes a short hood and curved roof line that doesn't impede the head room in the second row. The high back end gives the LaCrosse a wedge-like stance, which is supposed to give it a more athletic appearance.

A few Buick design cues remain, though designers gave them a more modern twist.

Instead of putting the portholes on the fender, designers moved the iconic marks onto the car's hood. The car also has Buick's large waterfall grille and swept-back headlamps that move around the front end's rounded corners.

More impressive is the car's interior. The sweeping dash and modern-looking gauges are connected with a thin flowing piece of wood trim. It's elegant and sophisticated without being overbearing.

Buick designers also sprinkled blue LED lights throughout the cabin to accent different areas.

The second row is spacious and includes French-stitched leather seats and DVD players mounted on the back of the two front seats.

Susan Docherty, Buick-Pontiac-GMC vice president, said the new LaCrosse plays off the success of the Buick Enclave, a large crossover.

"We think the new LaCrosse can help us attract a new customer base interested in luxury sedans," she said.

One of the ways Buick hopes to pull in younger customers is by filling the cabin with technology. It will include Bluetooth connectivity for hands-free phone operation, an auxiliary jack for the stereo and a USB port.

Drivers will be able to enjoy a heads-up display in the windshield and at night they will have adaptive available lighting that swivels up to 15 degrees. Blind spot detection, a back-up camera and a navigation system also will be available.

While traditional Buicks have had big V-8s under the hood, the new LaCrosse will come with two engine choices: a 3-liter direct injection V-6 or a 3.6-liter direct injection V-6. Both engines will be mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.

The 3-liter engine produces 255 horsepower and 211-pound-feet of torque, while the 3.6-liter V-6 pushes an estimated 280-horsepower and 261-pound-feet of torque. Gas mileage figures were not available.

As GM's top designer Ed Welburn, vice president of GM global design, sat in the driver's seat of the LaCrosse during the recent media unveiling, he was asked if Buick would consider building a "Super" version of the new LaCrosse.

"They're all super to me," he said with a smile.

And the new LaCrosse is worth smiling about.

Scott Burgess is the auto critic for The Detroit News. He can be reached at (313) 223-3217.