THE ALL-NEW BUICK LUCERNE!

CarandDriver.com
February 2005

A key vehicle in the brand’s revival, the Lucerne is seen as a replacement for two sedans, the LeSabre and the Park Avenue. Although the LeSabre has not officially been yanked from production, we believe the Lucerne’s arrival will kill Buick’s bread-and-butter sedan. Built on the refreshed front-wheel-drive G-platform that also underpins the redesigned Cadillac DTS, the Lucerne will have V-6 and V-8 power mated to a four-speed automatic. The base engine is the familiar 3.8-liter pushrod V-6 making 195 horsepower. Optional on mid-level CXL-grade and standard on the fully loaded CXS will be a 275-hp version of the 4.6-liter Northstar DOHC 32-valve V-8. The Lucerne’s exterior styling, especially the front and rear ends, borrows from the handsome Vélite concept car from last year’s New York show. Front fenders sport four portholes on V-8 models, a Buick hallmark, and sculpted fender flares give the Lucerne an aggressive stance and are filled nicely with the 18-inch wheels, standard on the CXS. Available as a five- or six-seater, the Lucerne has a large back seat and 108 cubic feet of interior space. The Lucerne comes with a full complement of airbags (front, curtain, and side), including new dual-depth front airbags that can deploy in two different sizes according to seating position. On sale this fall, expect prices to start just below $30,000 for a base CX V-6 model and creep over $40,000 for the fully loaded V-8 Lucerne CXS