What's Wrong With This Picture: Buick To The Future Edition

Edward Niedermeyer
by Edward Niedermeyer

Buick has gone back to China in order to find the way forward… and based on these renderings of the soon-to-be-launched Envision Concept, their designers have been spending some time with Mazda’s “Japanese Alfa Romeo”-focused stylists. Which is an interesting state of affairs: When Buick’s US managers lost their way, GM’s Chinese staff rediscovered the essence of the brand in designs like the Riviera and Invicta concepts. Now, it seems that Buick’s Chinese stylists may be starting to lose the plot, turning out this effort that looks like it could carry nearly any auto brand in existence. Is it time to bring Buick design back home?


Edward Niedermeyer
Edward Niedermeyer

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  • Advo Advo on Apr 16, 2011

    Instead of undercutting the competition by producing more cheaply, I wonder if Chinese auto companies will instead take those car concepts, a lot of which are pretty good looking on paper, and leave a lot of what we like in the final production model. Cost has got to be a major factor in consumers getting these dumbed-down designs. Maybe the Chinese will go that extra step to leave the styling details in there and can afford to do so even if they charge the same amount as competing brands.

  • Ciddyguy Ciddyguy on Apr 16, 2011

    Nope, not gonna buy this thing, it looks like it could be just another CUV type vehicle with oversized tired and swoopy, but now cliche'd styling cues and those wind doors, get real. Those aren't technically gullwing doors, that belongs to the beloved Mercedes Benz of the same name and the doors on the Delorean.

  • EBFlex Garbage but for less!
  • FreedMike I actually had a deal in place for a PHEV - a Mazda CX-90 - but it turned out to be too big to fit comfortably in my garage, thus making too difficult to charge, so I passed. But from that, I learned the Truth About PHEVs - they're a VERY niche product, and probably always be, because their use case is rather nebulous. Yes, you can run on EV power for 25-30 miles, plug it in at home on a slow charger, and the next day, you're ready to go again. Great in theory, but in practice, a) you still need a home charger, b) you paid a LOT more for the car than you would have for a standard hybrid, and c) you discover the nasty secret of PHEVs, which is that when they're on battery power, they're absolute pigs to drive. Meanwhile, to maintain its' piglike battery-only performance, it still needs to be charged, so you're running into all the (overstated) challenges that BEV owners have, with none of the performance that BEV owners like. To quote King George in "Hamilton": " Awesome. Wow." In the Mazda's case, the PHEV tech was used as a performance enhancer - which worked VERY nicely - but it's the only performance-oriented PHEV out there that doesn't have a Mercedes-level pricetag. So who's the ideal owner here? Far as I can tell, it's someone who doesn't mind doing his 25 mile daily commute in a car that's slow as f*ck, but also wants to take the car on long road trips that would be inconvenient in a BEV. Meanwhile, the MPG Uber Alles buyers are VERY cost conscious - thus the MPG Uber Alles thing - and won't be enthusiastic about spending thousands more to get similar mileage to a standard hybrid. That's why the Volt failed. The tech is great for a narrow slice of buyers, but I think the real star of the PHEV revival show is the same tax credits that many BEVs get.
  • RHD The speed limit was raised from 62.1 MPH to 68.3 MPH. It's a slight difference which will, more than anything, lower the fines for the guy caught going 140 KPH.
  • Msquare The argument for unlimited autobahns has historically been that lane discipline is a life-or-death thing instead of a suggestion. That and marketing cars designed for autobahn speeds gives German automakers an advantage even in places where you can't hope to reach such speeds. Not just because of enforcement, but because of road conditions. An old Honda commercial voiced by Burgess Meredith had an Accord going 110 mph. Burgess said, "At 110 miles per hour, we have found the Accord to be quiet and comfortable. At half that speed, you may find it to be twice as quiet and comfortable." That has sold Mercedes, BMW's and even Volkswagens for decades. The Green Party has been pushing for decades for a 100 km/h blanket limit for environmental reasons, with zero success.
  • Varezhka The upcoming mild-hybrid version (aka 500 Ibrida) can't come soon enough. Since the new 500e is based on the old Alfa Mito and Opel Adam platform (now renamed STLA City) you'd have thought they've developed the gas version together.
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