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DETROIT – The Buick Avista concept today won The Detroit News’ Reader’s Choice award for “Best Future Concept,” just days after it received the EyesOn Design Award for Design Excellence – Concept Car at the North American International Auto Show.

Bryan Nesbitt, executive director of global Buick design; Elizabeth Wetzel, director of Buick interior design; and Holt Ware, director of Buick exterior design, accepted the award from Nolan Finley, the paper’s editorial page editor. The Detroit News panel comprised about 100 readers who attended the auto show.

“This award is special because this is the Motor City and it was decided by people who reside here – alongside many of the men and women who poured their hearts and souls into this concept,” said Nesbitt. “Because Avista represents the future essence of Buick design, an award decided by consumers is a great vote of confidence.”

The ceremony, held at the Detroit Athletic Club, was part of the annual meeting of the Big Four, featuring the heads of Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties; and the mayor of Detroit.

Last week, the Avista concept won the EyesOn Design Award for Design Excellence – Concept Car – the second consecutive year Buick received the award, which was bestowed on the Avenir concept in 2015.

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DETROIT – The Buick Avista concept received the EyesOn Design Award for Design Excellence – Concept Car at a ceremony today at the North American International Auto Show.

It was the second consecutive year Buick received the award, which was bestowed on the Avenir concept in 2015. EyesOn Design – a benefit for Henry Ford Health System’s Detroit Institute of Ophthalmology – recognizes the best production and concept vehicle designs making their worldwide debut in Detroit.

“Design has always played a large role in Buick’s rich history and recent success,” said Bryan Nesbitt, executive director, Buick Global Design. “The Avista concept has been a labor of love by the team of designers, sculptors, engineers and talented craftspeople, including our UAW partners, who created this beautiful statement of Buick design. Avista represents the future essence of Buick design.”

A sleek, sweeping proportion is the foundation for this vision of a contemporary grand tourer, with a 400-horsepower twin-turbocharged V-6 driving the rear wheels. The Avista’s uninterrupted body lines stretch front to rear, suggesting motion – resembling Buick’s design language introduced on the Avenir concept and carried into production on the 2017 LaCrosse.

Like the exterior, the Avista’s 2+2 interior is defined by flowing, uninterrupted lines conveying elegance through simplicity – with intense technical and surfaces details, in everything from 3D-printed door and seat trim to a future vision of Buick’s IntelliLink, with touchscreen controls on a widescreen instrument panel display.

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Design elegance, performance heritage conveyed in turbocharged 2+2 coupe

DETROIT – Ahead of its public debut at the North American International Auto Show, Buick today revealed the Avista concept – a 2+2 coupe that pushes the brand’s contemporary design ethos and rekindles its historic performance roots.

A sleek, sweeping proportion is the foundation for this vision of a contemporary grand tourer, with a 400-horsepower twin-turbocharged V-6 driving the rear wheels and a driver-focused cockpit offering a comfortable, connected center of control.

“The Avista embodies the dynamic soul of Buick,” said Duncan Aldred, vice president of Global Buick Sales, Service and Marketing. “It is a modern expression of the brand’s heritage of sophisticated performance, communicated with beautiful elegance.”

The Avista’s uninterrupted body lines stretch front to rear, suggesting motion – resembling Buick’s design language introduced on the Avenir concept and carried into production on the 2017 LaCrosse. The absence of conventional B-pillars between the doors and rear side windows enhances the flowing profile.

“There is elegant simplicity in the Avista’s surfaces, which speak to the purity of the car’s performance, and a timeless beauty that’s a hallmark of Buick design,” said Bryan Nesbitt, executive director Global Buick Design. “It was designed to capture the spirit of the perfect drive.”

Marking the front and rear, Buick evolves its signature wing-shaped lighting with “soft curtain” elements that create illuminated “halos” around lamps’ edges, suggesting a three-dimensional shape and sculpture. Their design forecasts the evolution of Buick’s production lighting features, while the Avista’s grille features the brand’s new winged tri-shield insignia set against a three-dimensional mesh background.

Additional exterior features include:

• A 110.7-inch (2,811 mm) wheelbase and 63-inch (1,601 mm) front/62.9-inch (1,598 mm) rear tracks for sporty proportions and an aggressive stance
• Twenty-inch aluminum wheels with color-toned accents match the car’s Dark Sapphire Jewel exterior
• Front fender vents with chrome accents evolve Buick’s signature fender ports.

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Milestone vehicles that established and advanced the brand’s performance heritage

DETROIT – Performance has been part of Buick’s DNA since its earliest days, when stripped-down chassis and powerful Buick engines pushed the pioneers of motorsports to victory. Racing success helped forge the brand’s reputation for durability. Now, more than a century later, that legacy of performance complements the refinement for which Buick has always been known.

Here’s a look at 10 milestone models that helped establish and advance Buick’s performance heritage:

1. 1909 Buick racecar
In 1909 – two years before the first Indianapolis 500 – the 2.5-mile-long oval at Indy was inaugurated with the Prest-O-Lite Trophy. The 250-mile race was won by Bob Burman, driving a Buick and averaging more than 53 mph. Of the nine cars that finished the race, three of them were Buick models.

2. 1910 Buick 60 Special “Bug”
The 60 Special, or “Bug,” was built by the Buick racing team and had a unique nosecone – a feature designed more for aesthetics than aerodynamics. A huge, 10.2L (622 cubic inches) four-cylinder engine propelled the Bug to 110 mph. Buick built two 60 Special racecars, one for Prest-O-Lite Trophy winner Bob Burman, and a second for another racer of note: Louis Chevrolet.

3. 1938 Buick Century
Buick introduced straight-eight engines in 1931, but it was the 1938 Century model that established a new performance benchmark. Dubbed Dynaflash 8, the 5.2L (320 cubic inches) inline engine featured new, domed pistons that contributed to an 11-hp increase over the 1937 engine. It was enough power to pass the “century mark” at 103 mph, making the Century one of the fastest cars of its day.

4. 1954 Buick Wildcat II concept
The Buick V-8 engine – nicknamed Nailhead for its unique valve arrangement – was introduced in 1953 and powered the Wildcat II concept vehicle a year later. Using a quartet of sidedraft carburetors, engineers coaxed 10 percent more horsepower from the engine than regular-production models, giving the Wildcat II the power to back up its sporty styling.

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DETROIT – The 2016 Envision is an all-new luxury compact crossover with segment-challenging driving dynamics, advanced technology, connectivity and Buick’s trademark interior acoustics. It is a global vehicle, designed from the ground up as a Buick luxury compact crossover. It goes on sale in the U.S. in the second quarter of 2016.

“The all-new Buick Envision is a modern, confident and responsive luxury compact crossover that combines the brand’s core characteristics with great performance features like our HiPer strut suspension,” said Duncan Aldred, vice president of Buick. “That dynamic experience behind the wheel is complemented by Buick’s signature luxury, whisper-quiet cabin and connectivity features to benefit drivers and passengers alike.”

Vehicle highlights include:

• 252-horsepower (186 kW) 2.0L turbo engine with stop/start technology, Buick’s first crossover vehicle application of HiPer Strut front suspension and Buick’s first active Twin Clutch AWD system
• LED daytime running lamps and rear LED accent lights
• Efficiency-enhancing features including active grille shutters and a structure incorporating mass-reducing high-strength steel, and an aluminum hood
• Standard heated front seats, rear seats, and steering wheel; available cooled front seats
• Sliding, 60/40-split rear seat, offering the flexibility of more legroom for second-row passengers
• Standard eight-way power-adjustable front seats and four-way-adjustable lumbar
• Kneeling cushions in the second-row seat enable a flatter load floor when the seat is folded
• Standard tri-zone climate control with rear-seat controls
• Programmable power liftgate with hands-free operation
• Active noise cancelation

·       Standard nineteen-inch aluminum wheels

• Passive entry and push-button start with standard remote start
• Standard Bose premium sound system
• Available panoramic moonroof.

The Envision is also designed to carry more than its competitors, with more rear cargo space than the Acura RDX and the Lincoln MKC. It’s also roomier for passengers, with more rear legroom, front and rear shoulder room, and overall Environmental Protection Agency-rated passenger volume than the MKC.

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Program offers $25,000 renewable scholarships for STEM students

DETROIT – The Buick Achievers Scholarship Program today opened the application period for 2016 scholarships. Applications are accepted now through 5 p.m. EST on Monday, Feb. 29.

This is the sixth year Buick Achievers scholarships will be awarded to students who have an interest in studying science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), excel in the classroom and give back to their communities. Special consideration is given to students who are female, minorities, first-generation college students, military veterans and military dependents.

“This scholarship has increased access and affordability of a college degree for thousands of students,” said Jackie Parker, president of the GM Foundation and director of GM Global Philanthropy and Corporate Giving. “And our country’s workforce is gaining qualified applicants who are prepared for the jobs of the future.”

For Adriann Wilson, Buick Achiever and 2015 mechanical engineering graduate from Tennessee State University, the scholarship has afforded opportunities like internships abroad in Germany and South Korea.

“I am honored to have been selected for the Buick Achievers Scholarship,” said Wilson. “Being a first-generation college student, earning this degree is not only an achievement for me, but also my entire family.”

Wilson now works as an engineer at the Naval Surface Warfare Center and is studying for her master’s in electrical engineering at Tuskegee University.

“Core to the Buick brand is a sense of well-being, and that includes a strong belief in the virtues of higher education,” said Duncan Aldred, vice president of Global Buick Sales, Service and Marketing. “Between the Buick Achievers Scholarship Program and our support of NCAA athletics, Buick is devoted to supporting students and colleges across the nation.”

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Momentum continues in advance of new product infusion

DETROIT –Buick will set a global sales record for the third consecutive year in 2015.

In mid-December, annual sales surpassed last year’s record 1,170,115 vehicles driven by record sales in China and record crossover deliveries in the United States. Yearend sales for Buick are expected to surpass 1.2 million vehicles.

“Buick’s momentum is undeniable as new customers worldwide discover Buick’s lineup of beautiful, approachable premium vehicles,” said Duncan Aldred, vice president of Global Buick.

“We think 2016 will be another watershed year for the brand with the global launch of the new 2017 LaCrosse, the North American launch of the Envision, the U.S. launch of the Cascada, and the Chinese launch of a new Verano hatchback. Our products and our customer service have never been better.”

In China, Buick sales have surpassed 100,000 units for two consecutive months and annual sales are expected to reach 1 million units for the first time.  The all-new Excelle GT launched this year is the country’s bestselling model.

The popularity of crossovers has significantly contributed to brand growth in all markets. In the U.S., Encore small crossover sales have grown for 23 consecutive months and are on track to become the best sales in eight years for a single Buick model. Combined with China, Encore sales will top 140,000 vehicles globally.

Crossover sales industrywide have increased 3 percentage points in the U.S. this year, accounting for 40 percent of all new vehicles sold. At Buick, Encore and Enclave crossover sales account for 60 percent of U.S. Buick sales so far this year.

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