1994 Buick Le Sabre 4 Door Sedan on 2040-cars

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Hyundai tops VW and Buick in China, survey says

You may be aware of the long-time competition in China between Volkswagen and Buick, but another brand apparently should be in that conversation too: Hyundai. In a recently published annual consumer survey, the Korean company actually took the top spot to beat out its German and American rivals in second and third, respectively. The results were part of the China Brand Power Index that interviewed 11,500 people around the nation and was paid for by the country's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. While Hyundai proved popular with voters, its sales haven't necessarily shown that yet. According to Bloomberg, the brand had falling numbers in China for the first quarter of the year. Even Ford outsold the South Korean automaker in the same period, despite scoring lower on the survey. Meanwhile, Audi ranked as the populace's favorite luxury brand, which is hardly a surprise given the Four Rings' strong sales in China. In January alone the automaker saw a 15-percent boost in volume there. Parent company VW's strong performance was somewhat more surprising, though. State media severely criticized the German automaker in March, and customers protested last year for the allegedly poor handling of a recall.

Buick dusting off Grand National, GNX and T-Type nameplates

Inside Line reports Buick is planning to bring back some of the more storied names from the company's past, including the Grand National, GNX and the T-Type. Those cars rose to prominence in the 1970s and '80s to become performance legends of their day.
The new models will reportedly make use of the rear-wheel drive platform that currently underpins the Cadillac ATS and all would arrive as sedans - according to an unnamed source familiar with the initiative. Odds are the T-Type and the Grand National would share a driveline, with honest money being on a new twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter V6 as the engine of choice. Word has it the mill will be good for anywhere from 350 to 400 horsepower.
That leaves only the GNX. Inside Line seems to think that machine could get down the road with some help from the all-new GM LT1 small-block V8. The engineers behind the ATS platform have already told us the engine bay is large enough for to accommodate the big eight pot, and since GM is most certainly working on an ATS-V, a slightly less powerful, less luxurious Buick iteration makes some kind of sense. We can't wait to see these things in the light of day.

Buick Enclave gets continental makeover with Tuscan trim

Buick is trying to lend an air of Italian elegance to the Enclave with its newly announced Tuscan Edition that's available on the crossover for the 2016 model year. Named after the famously hilly and fertile region of Italy, the package brings some bronze accents to the CUV. As the very specific trademark filing for the Tuscan suggests, the special edition adds bronze trim to the uprights in the grille, and the metallic color finds its way into the embellishments on the 20-inch chrome wheels, too. Buyers also get to choose from three shades when ordering the package: White Frost Tricoat, Dark Chocolate Metallic and Ebony Twilight Metallic. Beyond those trim upgrades, the Tuscan Edition is just like any other Enclave. The package can only be ordered on the Leather and Premium trims, and all of their features are still available including a power moonroof, park assist, HID headlights and many luxury features inside. As with the rest of the range, power comes from a 3.6-liter V6 with 288 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque that routes through a six-speed automatic. There's also a choice of front- or all-wheel drive. The Italian-inspired CUV makes its debut at the New York Auto Show in just a few days and brings its bronzer to dealers this summer. Buick Introduces 2016 Enclave Tuscan Edition Bronze accents distinguish crossover that ignited brand's renaissance 2015-03-26 DETROIT – Buick today introduced the 2016 Enclave Tuscan Edition – a more distinctive expression of the popular crossover, highlighted by a bronze-tone grille and 20-inch chrome-clad wheels with bronze accents. The Enclave sparked Buick's renaissance eight years ago and continues to fuel its momentum, with 2015 sales building on record sales of 62,300 in 2014. "Buick's quality, refinement and style continues to attract more customers and this modern resurgence started with Enclave," said Duncan Aldred, vice president of Buick. "It was a pioneer for three-row luxury crossovers and remains one of the segment's most popular. The new Tuscan Edition celebrates Enclave's achievement and rewards owners with a higher level of distinction." The 2016 Buick Enclave Tuscan will be on display at the New York International Auto Show and goes on sale this summer on the Leather (1SL) and Premium (1SN) trims. It is offered in three premium exterior colors: White Frost Tricoat, Dark Chocolate Metallic and Ebony Twilight Metallic.