2012 Diamond Black Buick Lacrosse Titanium Premium I Leather Interior W/privacy on 2040-cars

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GM recalling nearly 4,000 vehicles over airbag concerns

Four different General Motors vehicles from the 2012 model year are being recalled over a potential airbag issue. The driver's side airbag shorting bar in the 2012 Buick Verano and 2012 Chevrolet Camaro, Cruze and Sonic might make contact with the airbag terminals, even during a crash. If so, the airbag won't deploy when it should, possibly increasing injury to the driver.
The recall is expected to begin on February 13 for the 3,896 units that might be affected. GM will notify owners who can then take their vehicles to dealers to have the airbag coil replaced. A bulletin from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration below has more info.

Buick will cease using ‘Buick’ badge on vehicles from 2019

GM Authority recognized that the recently unveiled 2019 Buick Envision is missing something: a " Buick" badge on the left side of the tailgate. Every other vehicle the carmaker sells features that script, but not the new mid-sized crossover. When the site asked about the omission, "representatives recently told GM Authority that Buick will stop using the brand badge on the rear of its vehicles, starting with the 2019 model year." The only identifiers that will remain are the three-color Tri Shield logo and the model nameplate, i.e., "Envision" or " Regal." It's a bold game for a mass-market major automaker, though Audi, Hyundai and Volkswagen follow the same trend. Even Bugatti, Rolls-Royce, Bentley, and Aston Martin affix their brand names to their vehicles within company icons or on brake calipers, albeit in small fonts. The coming Continental will wear the word "Bentley" across its trunk, silverware the present Continental does without. Porsche allows customers to delete model designations, but it must be requested. At the other end of the spectrum, the Ford Mustang Bullitt wears zero badges, but the Bullitt is a special edition of a well known model that otherwise advertises its provenance everywhere. Buick plays in hard-fought segments where mass appeal overrules instantly-identifiable design daring. Those kinds of carmakers usually want to take every opportunity to advertise every sale. Remember the last Buick to go without a make badge? The terrifically handsome Buick Avista concept that wore only two Tri Shield logos and its model name on the decklid. Perhaps that gave Buick some ideas. If the carmaker plans to start putting out cars like the Avista, then this move makes perfect sense. Update: A commenter pointed out that Hyundai vehicles don't have "Hyundai" badges, only the "Flying H." We've thought of some other brands/models, too. So Buick has mass-market company. Related Video:

Buick Avenir concept struts into Motown

We love auto show surprises, and Buick has already gifted us a sparkly package on the eve of the 2015 Detroit Auto Show. Dubbed Avenir, this four-door concept is said to signal the future of the Trishield brand by previewing a possible flagship sedan. Incorporating time-honored Buick design hallmarks like the sweep-spear profile, Ventiports, and even a subtle boattail rear-end, the four-place sedan is powered by a surprisingly real-world powertrain – namely a next-generation V6 with cylinder deactivation and stop/start, with the most interesting part of the driveline arguably being a "twin-clutch all-wheel-drive system" and a nine-speed automatic gearbox with paddle shifters. Make no mistake, this is a big car. At 204.5 inches long, it's longer than a standard-wheelbase Cadillac Escalade – a span that's emphasized by the car's long hood and waterfall grille – though it's not quite as wide. While clearly a showcar, the beautifully crafted interior looks largely produceable, including attributes like a next-generation 12-inch touchscreen infotainment system and 4G LTE wifi, but we suspect a production car would pick up a third rear seatbelt and give away some of its flowing contours that are said to have been "inspired by nature and sea waves receding on a beach." No word yet on whether there's actually a showroom future for a car like this – it could simply be an exercise designed to test the waters for a next-generation LaCrosse. After all, sedans aren't exactly popular concept fodder these days, especially as crossovers continue to eat into traditional sedan sales in many of the world's markets. However, China still loves the coddling rear seats of a proper four-door sedan (which in this case include silk and bamboo elements), and with a majority of Buick sales happening in the People's Republic, the Asian nation controls the destiny of this General Motors brand. Said another way? Anything is possible, especially with General Motors known to be working on a large flagship sedan for Cadillac already – the Avenir is reportedly based on the same Omega architecture that will underpin the forthcoming CT6. What do you think? Is this a promising direction for the resurgent Buick? Scroll through our gallery, check out the video, and then have your say in Comments.