Buick Invicta Concept: The Next LaCrosse?
- Looks like: Buick wants to borrow some of Jaguar’s XF magic
- Defining characteristics: Coupe roofline, more menacing Buick grille
- Ridiculous features: A menacing Buick
- Chance of being mass-produced: High, very high. Buick is a big deal in China and it needs to be cutting edge there. U.S. buyers will reap the rewards.
No story about the emergence of China as a consumer market is more intriguing to car buffs than the way Buick is lauded as a desired brand there. In the U.S., you hear Buick and you think “grandpa” or, at best, “Tiger Woords.” Besides the recent Enclave crossover, there hasn’t really been a Buick worthy of attention.
The Chinese, however, want new Buicks of every shape and size and have gotten updated large sedans from Australia and smaller sedans built just for the Asian market. Now Buick has unveiled the Invicta concept car you see here, and says it will be the global design face of Buick.
The word is the Invicta will replace the aging LaCrosse in the U.S., although the names may vary in different markets. The concept is powered by a turbo-charged four-cylinder producing 250 hp and is teamed to a six-speed automatic. Nothing outrageous about that, and it also seems aimed at an increasingly fuel-conscious America.
The extreme slope of the roofline will probably be tamed in production but we’d expect the front and rear ends to stay true to the concept. Check out photos below and let us know if you think this Buick sedan will help the brand’s image in the U.S.
