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Quick Spin: 2012 Buick LaCrosse eAssist

Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, Technology, Buick, GM, Quick Spin

The TriShield’s Big Sedan Does The Electric Slide

2012 Buick LaCrosse eAssist

2012 Buick LaCrosse eAssist – Click above for high-res image gallery

It’s hard to talk about all of the good things General Motors is doing these days without referencing the Chevrolet Volt – it is perhaps the most talked-about car on the scene, green or otherwise. In showing the world that highly efficient, practical cars aren’t so far out of our reach, GM is preparing to launch a slew of fuel-sipping vehicles in the near term.

We’ve already spent time with the honest-to-goodness 42-mile-per-gallon Chevrolet Cruze Eco, but the next chapter of GM’s efficiency story lies in Buick’s eAssist mild hybrid system, coming to both its LaCrosse and Regal sedans later this year.

We recently had the chance to drive the 2012 Buick LaCrosse eAssist on the roads near GM’s proving grounds in Milford, Michigan, and while some hybrid systems vastly change a car’s overall driving experience, we walked away from our time in the Buick feeling as good as we ever have in a LaCrosse. The beauty of eAssist is that it functions in an almost entirely transparent manner, and that’s a very, very good thing.

Continue reading Quick Spin: 2012 Buick LaCrosse eAssist…

Gallery: 2012 Buick LaCrosse eAssist: Quick Spin

2012 Buick LaCrosse eAssist

Continue reading Quick Spin: 2012 Buick LaCrosse eAssist

Quick Spin: 2012 Buick LaCrosse eAssist originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chicago 2011: 2012 Buick Regal eAssist live in the Windy City

Filed under: Chicago Auto Show, Hybrid, Sedan, Buick, GM

2012 Buick Regal eAssist

2012 Buick Regal eAssist – Click above for high-res image gallery

We received the first details about Buick’s new Regal eAssist earlier today, but we’ve just returned from seeing the car in person before the Chicago Auto Show officially kicks off tomorrow. Visually, the more fuel-efficient Regal looks no different than the standard car, save the addition of eco-friendly 17-inch alloy wheels and low-rolling-resistance tires.

What’s most important about this car is what’s under the hood – a 15-kilowatt electric motor that offers 15 horsepower and 110 pound-feet of torque for initial acceleration thrust, matched with Buick’s 2.4-liter direct-injected inline-four. Combine that with regenerative braking and a start/stop system for the engine, and the end result is a Regal that’s capable of achieving 26 miles per gallon in the city and 37 mpg highway.

Buick’s new eAssist system first debuted on the larger LaCrosse sedan, where it will serve as the base powertrain for 2012 model year vehicles. With the Regal, however, the eAssist model will slot just above the base 2.4-liter car and below the Regal Turbo, which uses the automaker’s 220-horsepower 2.0-liter Ecotec inline-four. Pricing will be announced closer to the eAssist’s official launch later this year.

Gallery: 2012 Buick Regal eAssist: Chicago 2011

2012 Buick Regal eAssist

Chicago 2011: 2012 Buick Regal eAssist live in the Windy City originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 08 Feb 2011 18:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Officially Official: 2012 Buick Regal eAssist will get 26/37 mpg

Filed under: Chicago Auto Show, Hybrid, Sedan, Buick, GM

2012 Buick Regal eAssist

2012 Buick Regal eAssist – Click above for high-res image gallery

When General Motors debuted the 2012 Buick LaCrosse with eAssist technology at the Los Angeles Auto Show last year, the automaker told us that this new fuel-saving feature would quickly spread across many other models in its portfolio. Now, GM has taken the wraps off of the eAssist-equipped 2012 Buick Regal, which makes its official public debut at the Chicago Auto Show this week.

Most significantly, the addition of eAssist to the Regal’s 2.4-liter inline-four powertrain means that the sedan is now capable of achieving 26 miles per gallon in the city and 37 mpg on the highway. Like the LaCrosse, the Regal eAssist uses a small, 15-horsepower electric motor to give assistance during acceleration, and when combined with things like regenerative braking and automatic start/stop, it means a substantial increase in fuel economy. It’s not exactly Ford Fusion Hybrid impressive, but still quite good when you consider that the standard Regal only musters up 19/30 mpg ratings.

Unlike the larger LaCrosse, eAssist will not be the base powertrain for 2012 Regals. Buick has positioned the Regal eAssist to be part of larger family, which includes the Regal Turbo and upcoming GS. Model-specific changes over the base Regal include things like lightweight 17-inch alloy wheels (smaller than the standard Regal’s 18-inch set), an eco mode for the air conditioning system, an eco gauge on the instrument panel and a powerflow readout in the seven-inch infotainment screen.

We’ll be seeing the 2012 Regal eAssist live in Chicago this week, so stay tuned for more information. In the meantime, follow the jump to read GM’s official press release, and see the new electrified Regal for yourself in the high-res gallery below.

Gallery: 2012 Buick Regal eAssist

2012 Buick Regal eAssist

[Source: General Motors]

Continue reading Officially Official: 2012 Buick Regal eAssist will get 26/37 mpg

Officially Official: 2012 Buick Regal eAssist will get 26/37 mpg originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 08 Feb 2011 01:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LA 2010: 2012 Buick LaCrosse eAssist brings efficiency to the full-size luxury sedan

Filed under: LA Auto Show, Hybrid, Sedan, Buick, GM, Luxury

2012 Buick LaCrosse eAssist

2012 Buick LaCrosse eAssist – Click above for high-res image gallery

Full-size luxury sedans are typically guilty pleasures since they can be either coddling, comfort machines or all-out speed freaks. One thing they haven’t been is fuel efficient… until now. Making its debut at the 2010 LA Auto Show is the 2012 Buick LaCrosse eAssist.

Power for the LaCrosse eAssist is provided by a 2.4-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine with direct-injection. It gains an efficiency boost through the addition of a 115V lithium-ion battery pack, which allows the fuel system to take a nap during certain conditions. These two power systems working together, along with the six-speed automatic transmission, allow the Buick LaCrosse eAssist to achieve 25 miles per gallon in the city and 37 mpg on the highway – a 25% percent improvement compared to the 2.4-liter flying solo. Consider this the reinvention of GM’s long lost mild hybrid system.

Pricing for the 2012 Buick LaCrosse eAssist is expected to start around $30,000. What’s more, the hybrid system will be fitted standard to all LaCrosse models equipped with the 2.4-liter Ecotec engine. More green luxury information is sprouting just after the jump.

Gallery: LA 2010: 2012 Buick LaCrosse eAssist

2012 Buick LaCrosse eAssist

[Source: General Motors]

Continue reading LA 2010: 2012 Buick LaCrosse eAssist brings efficiency to the full-size luxury sedan

LA 2010: 2012 Buick LaCrosse eAssist brings efficiency to the full-size luxury sedan originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 21:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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