Oh, man – what a beauty! As fans of the Tri-Shield, many of us here at GM EFI Magazine welcome a freshly designed concept from Buick, a brand that has been all but languishing for the last several years. That’s not to say that they’re on their way back up with quality and style, because they surely are, but with their main focus being on crossovers and mundane family sedans lately, seeing a concept like the Avenir is a breath of fresh air!
Unveiled just last night at the 2015 NAIAS, the Buick Avenir concept is powered by a “next-generation” V6 with direct-injection, cylinder deactivation and engine start/stop. Designed to provide a look at Buick’s future styling direction as well as a perceived look of what a new flagship sedan could look like, we feel that they’re onto something.
Sitting behind that DI V6 is a 9-speed(!) paddle-shifted gearbox, and naturally, a rear-driven axle. What, you didn’t actually think this would be front-driven, did you? Built on the fresh Omega architecture, this concept shares underpinnings with the upcoming Cadillac CT6 sedan – the long-awaited flagship Caddy that’s rumored to replace the current XTS, which was said to be a stopgap car from the beginning.
You can blame China all you want for Buicks survival over Pontiac, but with cars like this potentially over the horizon, we’ll take it! Who knows, maybe even a Buick GN/GNX, too?
Rick Seitz is the owner and founder of GMEFI Magazine, and has a true love and passion for all vehicles. When he isn’t tuning, testing, or competing with the brand’s current crop of project vehicles, he’s busy tinkering and planning the next modifications for his own cars.
