"...I thought you said they bought a Buick???"
"THAT'S NOT A BUICK!"
"THAT'S WHAT I TOLD HIM!"
 |
| The Buick Avista concept. Yep, you read it right. This is a Buick. |
These lines come from the frequently run Buick commercials we've all seen lately. And at first glance, one may have a hard time believing that the vehicle they're looking at on stage comes from Buick! Because after all, isn't Buick only for "old people?" Don't they make "land yachts" with enormous back seats that are only good for cross-country road trips and other things... perhaps better left unsaid? Boy oh boy, we all know perception and stereotypes are a pain sometimes. As brands such as Kia and Buick have learned and struggled to overcome the hard way: By completely going back to the drawing board. Right now, I'm going to impress upon you a few quick reasons as to why you SHOULD NOT be surprised this Avista concept came from Buick.
Redefining Luxury AND Themselves
Over the past several years, Buick has been working hard to completely redefine themselves in a new light with American buyers. The brand is already immensely popular in China (part of the reason Buick survived the recent recession, but that's another story entirely), and now as a result of their efforts, is one of the fastest growing brands in America. They're now appealing to a much younger audience with models like the Regal and Encore. And with the upcoming Cascada convertible, I don't see that trend slowing down anytime soon. But in the meantime, Buick has given us some more eye candy that has everyone drooling. First the Avenir, and now the Avista. If they're names weren't intriguing enough, then their styling will certainly keep your attention. Especially when it comes to the Avista. It shares the same wheelbase with the new 2016 Chevrolet Camaro SS, and it makes a solid 400 horsepower coming from its new 3.0 liter twin-turbo Cadillac-supplied V6 paired to an 8-speed automatic transmission.
Now mind you, Buick hasn't had a coupe in their lineup since the 90s! As hard as it might be to believe, that was nearly 20 years ago now! The last Rivera rolled off the line in 1999. So when everyone saw this concept wearing Buick's new corporate interpretation on their classic "waterfall" grille, and also adorning the classic tri-color tri-shield emblem, you bet people got to talking! Many are calling for a production version of the Avista right now, and I honestly must agree with them. I mean, a Buick coupe? Buick? In 2016? That's rear wheel drive??? AND it has a twin-turbo V6 engine in it??? Seriously!!?!? And those rims on it...
 |
| The last version of the Buick Riviera, produced from 1995-1999, was also the last Buick coupe as of late. It shared its architecture with the 1995-1999 Oldsmobile Aurora, and was often considered as sleeper due to its conspicuous styling, but world-renowned reliability and performance of its 3.8 liter V6 engines make it somewhat of a gem. |
Sign Me Up!
Comment and let me know what you think! Is the Avista a step in the right direction for Buick? How well do you think they've overcome their "stodgy, old-timer" stigma?
As we've seen first-hand, Buick is already on a roll, and will continue to turn heads and defy perceptions if they can actually turn concepts such as this into a reality. And given a rumor I heard, GM is now considering doing something at least with the Avista name since the auto show demand was so strong! That's good news for die-hard Buick fans, which I've almost become myself recently. My mother's 2013 Buick Regal turbo is one of the most enjoyable cars to drive we've ever owned I'd say. And given that a new Regal is surely on the horizon now, a redesigned Verano is coming, the Cascada is due to be on lots soon, AND now we have murmurs of this Avista concept either working its way into production or, at the bear minimum, different styling elements from this vehicle working its way into newer Buick models, I wouldn't dare underestimate Buick's potential in the marketplace and at General Motors right now.
As we've seen first-hand, Buick is already on a roll, and will continue to turn heads and defy perceptions if they can actually turn concepts such as this into a reality. And given a rumor I heard, GM is now considering doing something at least with the Avista name since the auto show demand was so strong! That's good news for die-hard Buick fans, which I've almost become myself recently. My mother's 2013 Buick Regal turbo is one of the most enjoyable cars to drive we've ever owned I'd say. And given that a new Regal is surely on the horizon now, a redesigned Verano is coming, the Cascada is due to be on lots soon, AND now we have murmurs of this Avista concept either working its way into production or, at the bear minimum, different styling elements from this vehicle working its way into newer Buick models, I wouldn't dare underestimate Buick's potential in the marketplace and at General Motors right now.
You shouldn't either. Because I assure you things are just heating up.
Copyright © 2016 Adam's Autos, All Rights Reserved.
No comments:
Post a Comment