1969 Buick Riviera on 2040-cars

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Junkyard Gem: 1992 Buick Century Woodie station wagon

The Detroit station wagon with fake-wood exterior paneling had a good long postwar run, but minivans and — increasingly — sport utility vehicles were giving such wagons quite a beating in the showrooms by 1992. Buick was down to just two woodies by 1992; here's a discarded example of the front-wheel-drive Century, spotted in a Northern California self-service yard. Buick sold big rear-wheel-drive Roadmaster wagons with Simu-Wood™ siding through the 1996 model year, but the smaller Century was fairly plush. American car shoppers didn't insist on real-looking "wood" on their wagons, although Chrysler went much more three-dimensional with their plastic wood that did GM during this era. This one has the 3.3-liter Buick V6 engine, rated at 160 horsepower. This is not to be confused with the unrelated GM 60° V6, which was available in earlier and later Centuries. If only these seats could talk, they'd tell many tales of sibling battles and spilled fast food. Related Video:

Buick could import Envision crossover from China

Reports about the Buick Envision's likely arrival in the US go back even before the midsize crossover's debut in China last year, but the brand still doesn't have a official decision about whether to bring it here. According to The Detroit News, the company is somewhat concerned about a poor consumer reaction to launching a Chinese-made model in this country. Even if Buick officials are slightly apprehensive about the public perception, the concerns might not hold back the Envision in US. An anonymous source also tells The Detroit News that the brand intends to launch the CUV early next year and wants to sell around 40,000 of them annually. However, the UAW is reportedly not happy about the possibility of a Chinese-produced model coming here. The Envision launched at the Chengdu Motor Show as a step between the compact Encore and three-row Enclave. Power comes from a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with stop/start and 256 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. Buick offers the CUV with a six-speed automatic and all-wheel drive. The interior features active noise cancellation and an eight-inch infotainment system. The Envision also seems like a natural fit for Buick in the US due to the obvious hole in its CUV lineup, and the abundant rumors suggest that the brand sees the possibilities for it. The company now needs to decide whether to take a chance here and offer a vehicle from China.

The 2018 Buick Regal is now a hatchback and a wagon

Buick has long been General Motors' most traditional brand. With the launch of the 2018 Regal, it's now arguably GM's most risk-taking brand. Buick is turning its midsize staple into a hatchback, called the Regal Sportback, and a wagon, the Regal TourX. Revealed Tuesday afternoon at GM's historic Design Dome in Warren, Mich., the cars will go on sale in the fall after next week's public debut at the New York Auto Show. "At Buick we can try things other people haven't tried," GM product chief Mark Reuss said. The wagon – though Reuss was reluctant to call it one – is a longer (3.4 inches), higher-riding (0.6 inches) version of the Regal Sportback. It's the first Buick wagon since the 1990s Roadmaster, and it's aimed at the seemingly never-satiated crossover market in the United States. View 12 Photos The TourX will compete against the Volvo XC60 Cross Country, Audi A4 Allroad, Subaru Outback, and BMW 3 Series wagon. The Buick offers up 73.5 cubic feet of storage space behind the front seats and is all-wheel drive only. Power comes from a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder making 250 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque that teams with an eight-speed automatic transmission. "It's something that is very different and very beautiful, and it's a good alternative for Buick to try," Reuss said. The Sportback, meanwhile, offers the same four-cylinder and eight-speed trans as the TourX in AWD trim. The Sportback also offers a front-wheel-drive model that uses a four-cylinder paired with a nine-speed automatic, and the engine is rated at 250 hp and 260 lb-ft in that setup. With swoopy creased styling, the Regal Sportback offers a slightly different riff on the crowded sedan segment, which GM says still has three million annual retail sales. On a side note, Saab fans might feel some old wounds at the sight of the hatchback Buick, as the 5-door 9-3 was axed by GM in an attempt to make the model more mainstream before the brand's demise. Both models will offer front pedestrian braking, lane keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, OnStar and seven-inch or eight-inch touchscreens with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. As expected, the Regals are based on the Opel Insignia, and they will be built in Ruesselsheim, Germany. Reuss said GM plans to build the Regals there after the company sells Opel to PSA. He also said GM isn't concerned about potential border/import taxes that could be levied by the Trump Administration. "I don't know what the border tax is," he said.