BUICK GOES UPMARKET WITH LESABRE REPLACEMENT!

By Jason Stein---Automotive News / February 09, 2005

Buick has some ambitious and aggressive plans for its LeSabre replacement. How ambitious? Try Toyota Avalon or Lexus ES 330 territory. How aggressive? Try a price point north of the $26,725 LeSabre and a move into the entry-luxury segment.

As the third vehicle in Buick's self-described product transformation, the Lucerne is a re-engineered and restyled sedan that Buick hopes can attract a new buyer. "We expect the Lucerne, along with the LaCrosse and Terraza, to appeal to many new customers and account for approximately 75 percent of Buick sales," says Buick general manager John Larson. "We're in the process of rolling out one of the most aggressive product programs in Buick history."

Buick, and the LeSabre, could use a shot in the arm. LeSabre sales have dropped 21.4 percent during the last three years, from 145,304 in 2001. With an infusion of ride and performance technology, and the addition of a V-8 engine, Buick says the front-wheel-drive Lucerne offers a better mix of technology and sophistication. Buick will push the Lucerne's exterior design, premium interior and overall quietness when it brings the vehicle to market in the fourth quarter this year.

Among the changes this year:
Lucerne will be the first Buick to offer Magnetic Ride Control, a handling system that uses magnetically charged particles suspended in fluid to continuously adjust the fluid's thickness to varying road surfaces and driving characteristics. The result: less body roll during cornering.

Lucerne is the first Buick car to offer V-8 power in a decade. The V-8 features a 4.6-liter, 32-valve dual overhead cam engine estimated at 275 horsepower. A 3.8-liter V-6 is also available.

Buick will provide six standard airbags on the Lucerne, including a dual-stage driver air bag, side-impact and side curtain air bags. Also included is a dual depth front passenger airbag that deploys to either a reduced depth or increased depth depending on the position of the seat and severity of impact.