Cadillacfan

I agree. Maybe a CTS styled makeover and a possible name change to partner it up with the CTS since it's essentially just a AWD tall-wagon version of the popular sport sedan.

Exterior: BLECH! Interior: Not bad. The Silver color, although still cheap looking, makes the center stack look like it actually belongs in the car and not added at the last minute like the current one does.

Full time means you can't turn it off. Which was a mistake on GM's part considering how heavy the vehicle is. The 4WD on the GM900 vehicles can be turned off so you're not using up more gas then you need to.

Ugh. There is no way GM can be blamed for this considering it cut off ties with Fuji Heavy a little while back. THANK GOD. What the hell were the Subaru designers thinking? First the Tribecca, now this? I'd hate to see what they'll do with their bread and butter vehicle, the Forester. Lesbians everywhere are waiting nervously.

Well, the difference with the H2 and the GMT900 trucks that offer the 6.2 litre is that they don't have full-time 4wd, which significantly reduces fuel economy no matter what. I wouldn't expect a huge increase.

I'd hate to respond again so soon, but isn't the Cobalt MCE out of the question now? Has GM changed its mind so close to the redesign of Chevy's future global compact sedan?

mid-cycle enhancement. We just call them updates. EDIT: Oops. Northstar beat me to the punch.... well, you get the idea. The H4 is a good bet since there were rumors that GM was going to show it during either the Detroit or Chicago shows but for some reason, didn't. Most likely, it wouldn't have helped GM show off its new eco-friendly image with the new Volt at NAIAS or it would've taken the emphasis off of the growing Saturn brand at Chicago. Those are, of course, rumors and pure speculation.

I'd hardly consider this a turd. It's very much a revolutionary vehicle that helped restart the large RWD sedan segment in the US and Canada. On top of that, it was pretty hot when it came out. We may see them everywhere and the styling is a bit outdated, but so is the styling of the current CTS and I don't see anyone here calling it a turd. Broaden your horizons people.

Why don't they just ban SUVs. That's the next step, right? It's fun telling people how to live. I have a bad feeling that New York State is already a few years away from implimenting their own SUV tax. Though, they won't do it to "save" the environment, they'll just do it to make an extra buck.

V12 is good enough. I don't think we'll see a V16 vehicle on our roads before the decade is out.. but don't think the luxury automakers aren't already developing their own. What Cadillac has to worry about is styling, luxury, technological goodies. They need to throw as much as they can into this baby in order to meet the needs of this class of buyer. It may sound over-the-top, but that's what GM needs to do to make this car a real player.

Thank you for that post. We have to remember the main reason why GM went to China in the first place. Not only do they have their fingers on the pulse of the future of the automobile industry, they love Buick just as much as the enthusiasts on this board do. They're not going to change it into some kind of Toyota, Hyundai wanabe. They love using large amounts of chrome and wood and classic design. All the things that made buick famous in the first place. They may not be the greatest at designing their own brands, but they do a heck of a job fixing the ones that the rest of the world neglect. Look at the future of MG. The new vehicles that will be built in the US look pretty hot considering that they're no longer under the control of the Brits.

I'd probably check off the Cobalt and the Vibe for now. They might be unveiled next december at the LA autoshow since they are trying to market them to the import capital of the country. If I were to guess or even hope... we'll probably see the HHR sport(no longer using SS moniker), the Aveo hatchback...er...5 door redesign, the Buick LaCrosse and Lucerne super editions like you had said, the Cadillac STS update, the Hummer H4 concept, and that Saab concept.

China, believe it or not, is becoming increasingly westernized(specifically... Americanized). With almost every company pushing in there to meet the demands of millions of wealthy and style-conscious Chinese individuals.. they are quickly becoming the trend setters of the world. Remember though, the next LaCrosse is being designed by American designers in Michigan while the interior is being left to the Chinese, who had a better grasp at what GM is trying to accomplish with the brand. Even with the Chinese team designing the vehicle, they are under the guidance of an American of chinese descent. He handpicked designers from all across China who had the right chops. They aren't some average blokes pulled off the street. They are as qualified as the US teams.

It may have been someone who just imported it to the states to drive. Probably no one special. It would be very interesting though if GM was testing it because this sold as a Saturn would scare the crap out of USA VW dealers trying to sell the Eos.

Sexy. I've always liked the G35 coupe. This keeps a lot of the same styling themes that made the first one popular but looks modern enough that people would notice.... just like the new CTS. I think Infiniti and Cadillac are both on the right track and BMW and Mercedes should start getting nervous about the North American luxury market.

If you read the article, then you'd find out. They had a design competition with the other design centers, I'd say that it means they've proven themselves.

Again, Read the article. New Buicks, such as the LaCrosse are being designed by Americans... as well as Chinese. The interior will be designed by the Chinese team and the exterior will be designed by the American team with some input from the Shanghi design center. Nowhere does it say that Americans aren't involved in the designed process. Maybe the title threw you off. Not my fault.. that's the title Fast Company used for this article. GM is selling more buicks in China then in America (its main market) Why wouldn't they let the Chinese have some say in how the brand progresses globally. They've proven themselves, don't discredit them before they are even given a chance.

Well, engineering is most likely not an issue since it will still be just GM-styled version of the Toyota Blade, which will be unveiled pretty soon. I'm guessing it may have more to do with the design. Perhaps the Vibe or G...whatever.. will be receiving style updates to match the new G8 concept such as the new angular grille. Who knows.. whatever the issue is, GM should drop this baby as soon as it can and push the Pontiac brand forward.

Read the article, your statement couldn't be further from the truth. Just because Americans aren't the only people influencing the brand doesn't mean it's doomed. Quite the opposite.

Made in China General Motors' next LaCrosse sedan is being designed right now … in China. That says a lot about GM, a lot about China, and even more about the future of creativity. From: Issue 114 | April 2007 | Page 70 | By: Fara Warner | Photographs By: Andrew Rowat Joe Qiu doesn't own a car. He doesn't even have a driver's license. His favorite vehicle, actually, is a go-kart with a top speed of 75 miles per hour. His distressed leather bomber jacket, which he rarely takes off, betrays his fascination with airplanes and all things military. His jeans, the hems unfashionably turned up, and a brushlike crewcut are pure 21st-century China. His TAG Heuer watch: a nod to the international uniform of designers. At 31, Qiu still lives with his parents. But he spends much of his time drinking in the vibes at the expensive high-end clubs, over-the-top shopping malls, and elegant, luxurious hotels where Shanghai's burgeoning middle class gathers. "I'm just a piece of white paper," he says, collecting insights into China's skyrocketing consumer culture. He has an uncanny knack for divining Chinese tastes and whims, what it is they'll buy.Qiu is, in fact, a car designer. He works for the largest automaker in the world, General Motors (NYSE:GM), at its outpost in Shanghai's Pudong suburb. Two years ago, he was part of a team that radically overhauled the Buick LaCrosse for the Chinese market. The original LaCrosse had a soft, rounded exterior and a plain-vanilla interior, meant to appeal to the brand's aging U.S. consumers. But Qiu and his boss James Shyr, an intense, fast-talking Chinese-American who learned his trade at Nissan (NASDAQ:NSANY) and Toyota (NYSE:TM), knew Chinese consumers would sneer at such frumpy wheels. "Our buyers are 36 and 37, half the age of buyers in the U.S. and much more discerning," Shyr says. So Qiu and a team of Chinese designers rethought and reshaped every piece of sheet metal, turning the LaCrosse into a glamorous, elegant sedan that turns heads even in fashion-conscious Shanghai. Their car features an oversized, chrome-laden front grill and large jewel-like, clear taillights to sate the bling-bling urges of China's status-conscious young buyers. Qiu was in charge of the interior. He patterned the soft buttery-colored ambient lighting, which glows from the instrument panel and from lights hidden in the rear, after the subdued world of Shanghai's trendy clubs. "I looked at where people lived, where they hung out, and then I tried to create that same feeling inside the car," he says. The result feels like a beautifully designed living room, a sharp contrast to the hard, blocky plastic interiors so common in other Buicks. He paid close attention to the backseats, adding padding and features such as front and rear power-massaging seats. continue reading...

Brougham, your concerns are valid but unfortunately, GM is only doing what the rest of the American manufacturing industry has been doing for decades. The American auto industry is one of the last sectors of manufacturing to really utilize its overseas aquisitions and factories like its counterparts in textiles, computers, and other sectors that produce goods that we, consumers, buy and use on a daily basis. Because of that failure to do so, and other major issues, is why the American auto industry is shambles. Now, GM and Ford are scrambling to close European and North American factories and open new ones in developing countries to counter-balance the new wave of foreign competition that shows no signs of slowing down. With Chinese auto manufacturers ready to pounce, American automakers are in panic mode and are speeding up the cost-cutting in order for them to focus more on the demands of what the customer needs and wants. Lots of people, including myself say that the US government should do something like give more tax breaks and possibly pay for the massive health-care and pension costs that are slowly destroying these companies, but the government has already shown us that it has no real sympathy for GM, Ford, or even Chrysler anymore. The Oil monopolies are raking in record profits and purposely limiting production to boost demand and ,consequently, prices, yet the Whitehouse, Democrats and Republicans in Congress, and various state and local governments, are instead focused on punishing the US automakers by forcing them to increase fuel efficiency without any assistance in order to keep the people happy. On top of that, very little has been done in order to assist any retirees with prescription drug costs or basic healthcare, placing more pressure on the automakers to foot the bill. Then, when GM opens a plant in thailand or vietnam, they get admonished by the media and by various politicians even though they still have hundreds of working factories in the US. When Toyota, Hyundai, or Nissan open a few plants, they're hailed as the saviors of the American working class and everyone buys it. GM and Ford are damned if they do, damned if they don't. My rant is over.

I never said that having similar characteristics as the TL was bad. I actually like that car.

This thread title scared me. I was expecting him to be in support of the American auto industry. Thank God he's not! I don't want this f***ing retard to be advocating for GM and Ford because I think that would turn me over to foreign cars. I hate him that much.

I don't see it. I do see a resemblance between the Jetta and the Corolla. Malibu, although it shares some styling cues with the Acura TL, Toyota Camry, Mitsubishi Diamante (rear), and the Impala, I still think it looks pretty unique overall.

Their first model should be called the Phil Collins and make it for pretentious a**holes who think they're better then people who buy cars from the rest of the line . They should eventually spin the car off into its own Phil Collins brand that will try its hardest to be popular but will end up always being in the shadow of the Genesis brand. Too much? Absolutely.