DETROIT MOTOR SHOW: Lion Hearted Avenir
Holden Design Centre delivers a large, rear-drive flagship concept for BuickThe Buick Avenir concept revealed ahead of the North American International Auto Show at a location in the market district of Detroit pushes the Buick brand in an entirely new direction.
The concept is built on General Motor's Omega large rear-wheel-drive premium platform and does more than express GM's desire to re-establish Buick as a legitimate premium brand in the United States and China. The Avenir concept foreshadows Buick's desire to return to rear-drive to deliver premium handling and ride dynamics.
"The Avenir reveals the future of Buick design," said Mark Reuss, Executive VP, global product development at GM. "The concept of a flagship sedan is what Buick should be."
Speculation, however, centres on the Omega platform as the potential foundation for a new generation of large rear-drive sedans from GM. More specifically, the Omega platform may spawn the new Chevrolet/Holden SS large sedan with a longitudinal front engine layout and rear drive with space amid its extended wheelbase to comfortably accommodate four bull-bodied passengers. Of course, GM executives remain quiet about future plans; however, Holden will soon need a large sedan capable of filling the void post 2016 when local production of Commodore and US-exported Chevrolet SS ceases.
China could be the deciding factor. Buick sales in China account for more than 75 percent of Buick's global sales, and if Avenir gets the production greenlight, China could give GM the needed volume to invest in right-hand-drive production in small volumes to satisfy markets such as Australia, New Zealand, the UK and growing markets in South East Asia.
Holden Design Centre played a major role in exploring and developing the Avenir concept. Responsibility for the overall design fell mainly to the Australians for exterior and to the Americans for interior. "The designers in Australia understood the essence of Buick's design language just as well as those in America, which fostered a more cohesive collaboration between teams, with seamless integration," said Ed Welburn, GM VP Global Design. "Design is the great differentiator," he claims, if the Buick brand is to compete in the large luxury segment.
In fact, Avenir's classic rear-wheel-drive proportion and exterior design theme originated within Holden's design studio, while the interior theme was penned in the United States, with elements and unique cues, inside and out, shared by both creative staffs.
"Time and distance were variables, but the two design teams' understanding of the project brief and the sculptural essence of Buick transcended the time zones," said Michael Simcoe, vice president of design, GM International Operations. "GM's global design studios are very well connected and we contribute to each other's projects all the time. There is a tremendous understanding of the brand's design language and passion for the future of the portfolio."
The concept began as a design study a few years ago. Richard Ferlazzo, Design Director GM Holden, said.
"The study was for a rear drive with classic proportions. Classic does not mean something retro. Classic means something enduring and stylish, and what I like about this car is that it is a really good modern interpretation of a brand that has classic proportions."
Ferlazzo and the 140 member design team at Holden studied Buick's design heritage from the first Buick design concept in 1938. There's no doubt that the Australians understood Buick's design identity then, now and for the future.
As Simcoe describes it, "Avenir is a beautiful piece of sculpture, delivered on a premium proportion that acknowledges the Buick design heritage in a very progressive way."
Sculptural surfaces, taught lines, short overhangs and a broad-shouldered stance stretch to 5195mm in overall length and 1931mm in width. In both measures it is longer and wider than the current VF Commodore.
And considering the Omega platform is engineered with extensive use of light-weight aluminium and titanium, a future production version of the Avenir concept could be surprisingly light and athletic. However, no one is talking production timing... not quite yet.
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