Buick Avenir

New concept car

http://www.buick.com/avenir-concept-vehicle.html

Even better the Buick Avenir was also a big winner in the awards this year and received the nods for both Best Designed Concept Vehicle and Innovative Use of Color, Graphics and Materials. In the concept category. This is a huge win for Buick, it will do remarkable things for Buick's image. Now, they just need to build it.

they also have a two door convertible concept car,the cascada

Edited January 17, 2015 by handmedownreatta (see edit history)

The convertible is not a concept car but will be actually produced, it will come out as a 2016 model.

The Avenir is certainly handsome in my book. I'm sure if it's put into production, the concept will be watered down considerably, especially in the interior. BTW, the Cascada (Opel) is the first Buick convertible since the 1991 Reatta.

So the cascades an Opel?

yes, as is the Regal

Why does it look like a Chrysler Crossfire to me?

much larger than a Crossfire, Crossfire is only a two seater. I think the Buick is more rakish, just pray for a Buick grill in it.

I think it looks like the toyota convertible.

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That's a longshot = the Crossfire doesn't even have a trunk nor does in have the rounded lip.

They look very much alike.

Reminds me of the 4 door Porsche panamera.

I definitely see some similarity in the lines of the early 70's Riviera.

Isn't this considered a trunk in the Crossfire coupe?

Edited January 18, 2015 by Doug Harness (see edit history)

That is a decent enough looking concept, though I am underwhelmed with the decision to use an Opel for a purportedly high-end new Buick. Ask last-gen Pontiac GTO owners about their feelings on that matter; it was a good car but it was no goat seems to be the consensus.

Of course, this is the new iteration of badge engineering. Being that all three "US" automakers are now international companies (Chrysler especially as it is not even under domestic control now) they can source a car or platform from another country and make the badge engineering less obvious than it was at the low point of their existence in the 80's.

I guess if it helps sell cars and make them money that is a good thing. But, I see them struggling to sell cars now. There is a shopping center 5 minutes from a local large Buick dealership that has their channel stuffed inventory on it. Nearly 1/3 of this lot is packed with new Buicks and GMC's and the stockpile is growing. This shopping center was formerly a Target store and seperate grocery store, that will give you an idea of the size of the lot. And this is the overstock of just one dealer.

Looks to me like they could shutter production for 6 months and still have cars leftover if this is the trend nationwide. Have seen the same with a local Dodge dealer, and several others in the area renting space anywhere they can get it to stash these unsold cars. This has to be killing the dealers with carrying costs, even if corporate is helping float the costs. It also portends big markdowns when a glut of unsold cars are still sitting well after the next model year debuts. Gee, shades of the Reatta once upon a time. Same as it ever was.

I guess I see a downward trend here for cars and car makers in general, so it is difficult for me to get excited about a concept car that I know won't be buying. Luckily, I'm happy with with the ones I have. If they can inspire the masses with this stuff, more power to them.

KDirk

The Avenir looks interesting from the front view. When I see the rear view it looks like the stylists got lost and tacked the back end of a different concept

car onto it. The 2+2 seating with the raised console between the rear seats...... just to gimmicky for my taste. But what do I know, I like older cars more than

the new ones most of the time. In fact if I had to choose a new Buick, it would be the Verano, and I can't explain why.

Perhaps I'm proving I'm an 'old geezer', but I'm frankly lost at the kookie names for these new Buicks.

Yes, I understand international marketing. However, why not use names that EVERYONE can easily pronounce?

Not all of us speak Spanish, so if Buick wants to sell these cars in the United States why don't they use names that we understand? Specials, Roadmasters, Supers, Centuries, Skylarks, Rivieras, and even Reattas were, and still are, cool names. Surely the dudes in suits can come up with something both easy on the eyes and easy on the tongue!

Just my two cents,

I agree Bob. My mind tries to make some kind of logical link to these weird names and the end result is "Does Not Compute"

from what i've researched "Avenir" means "Future" in French: http://translation.babylon.com/french/to-english/

supposedly the body sits on a Caddy RWD and is going to be marketed mainly to the Chinese (if produced). apparently Buick sells more Buicks in China than in the US.

i saw all this on the internet, so it must be true! haha... i do like it - especially the "boattail".

I generally agree with the sentiment on current vehicle naming trends, however we should remember Reatta is a stylized version of a Spanish word. Eldorado, Seville and Deville are all non-english words as well. Toronado was a fictitious Spanish name from the imagination of some marketing guy at GM. So, there is a long history of this kind of stuff.

What I find well and truly stupid is the trend (ala Cadillac) of trying to out-Euro the European car makers with three letter abbreviations that mean nothing. Leave that to BMW and Mercedes, they've been doing it for decades. The domestics should not be trying to imitate that, but doing something unique to differentiate themselves.

KDirk

Spanish, French Taiwanese, who cares?.......why not call it something plain and simple, rather than always trying to be so "cutesy tootsie".

No wonder the valet in the commercial can't find the Buick. The owner must have told him to go fetch his Calimanera or Shalimanilia, instead of "Power Steed V-6"!

Oh well, I've no plans to buy one anytime soon anyway.

Come on Bob, you are hip enough to own Reatta's go with the flow lol. I bet a lot of folks said the same thing when BUICK went crazy and named a car Reatta. If you look back over Buick history there have been lots of names come and go, in the beginning it was number series, Think of those folks that were around when Buick came up with names for the cars instead of numbers, scandaless. It's just change, and as we get older change becomes harder and harder to deal with.

I like the Avenire concept.

It certainly looks like a well-developed package; I expect it is something we will see in the next 2 years or so.

I have a Crossfire and think the back of the Avenir looks more like a '10 Jag sedan.