Yesterday, Bloomberg reported that Buick jeffe Susan Docherty promised to “restrict” supplies of the new LaCrosse to a 75 to 90-day dealer inventory. As we pointed out in our blog, that’s 15 to 30 days above the industry ideal. We also highlighted the lunacy of Docherty’s comparison to the slow-selling Acura TL. As PFC Pyle used to say, surprise, suprise, surprise! Docherty’s spinning and backpedalling furiously. What’s worse: Autoblog has appointed itself apologist-in-chief. Make the jump to span the “plausibility gap.”

Tags: Acura, Buick, Chrysler, video

2010 Buick LaCrosse – Click above for high-res figurative expression art gallery

Now that the fresh General Motors has been born out of the remains of what’s now Motors Liquidation Corp., management wants to avoid some of its past mistakes. One of those was letting inventory get out of superintend, requiring huge incentives to move the metal. That necessary evil was needed generate enough income to pay the bills every month, something that became impossible to do over the past year. This time around, GM plans to proactively limit production to prevent oversupply.

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What is Susan Docherty smoking? At the unveiling of the new Buick LaCrosse, the VP of Buick, Pontiac and GMC (which one of these things is not like the other) told Bloomberg that GM aims to keep a “75-day to 90-day” supply of the model on dealer lots. A 60-day supply is considered ideal. But, apparently, a 15 to 30-day overage would be OK, ’cause the supply would be “consistent with similar premium models such as Honda Motor Co.’s Acura TL.” And there we were thinking the LaCrosse was aimed at something in the Lexus portfolio (48-day supply). Docherty’s comparison to the Acura TL is, shall we say, invidious. The TL is a dog, with a 100-day supply on the ground. Also worth noting: Acura dealers have a 62-day supply of RLs and a 32-day supply of the TSX. And if you figure-in Acura’s SUVs, the wayward Honda brand’s total dealer inventory represents a 58-day supply.

Tags: Acura, Buick, Gmc, Honda, Lexus, new, Pontiac, video

The new 2010 Buick Lacrosse has made waves with its magnetical design and overall build quality since its unveiling at the Detroit Auto Show in January. Soon after that General Motors increased the appeal of the car by announcing that it will be available with not only a 3.0L and 3.6L V6, but also a new Ecotec 2.4L direct-injection four-cylinder.

According to a new report, a hybrid model is also expected in the near hereafter.

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GM is walking away from its Saturn Vue and Pontiac Torrent Theta-based CUVs, bringing its Thetan, uh, Theta CUV levels to just the Equinox and the SRX. And the just released GMC Terrain. And the forthcoming Saab 9-4x. And now, a clay model of a Buick Theta CUV has surfaced on CBS’s Early Show, along with rumors of a 2012 launch. Assuming the Saturn Vue is sold for a few more years by the Penske boyz, and the Suzuki XL7 soldiers on a bit longer, we’re looking at the prospect of  seven versions of the same platform in one market.  Re:invention or déjà vu?

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Can someone please straighten me out here? What is a Buick? I mean, what’s the point? I’m serious. I don’t get it. The brand’s manager, Susan Docherty, is no bloody help at all. “We’re working hard to change the perception of the brand and to let people know Buick may not be what they think it is,” Ms. Dohery pronounced in a recent web chat. May not be, but might? How do we parse the fact that the brand is sticking a four cylinder engine into its forthcoming sedan? Sure the Honda Accord has one. A mighty fine four pot, in fact. But how does this engine option square with Buick’s “entry level luxury” schtick? AutoWeek is forced to go for the historical angle. ”The four-banger is thought to be the first in a Buick since the 1998 Skylark,” AW reports. “It’s from GM’s Ecotec family and makes 182 hp and 172 lb-ft of torque. It’s an inline setup and employs direct injection; look for it to get an estimated 20 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway.” So who’s looking?

Tags: Buick, Honda, video

With General Motors set to delve into smaller, in addition fuel efficient vehicle segments following its restructuring, evidence of this change has emerged with some all-new small sedan prototype spied near the Nurburgring.

Revealed as the new Buick Excelle, it will slot below the mid-size Lacrosse sedan in both size and price mainly for the US and Chinese markets when it launches sometime in 2012.

The Excelle will use GM’s of the present day Delta II platform what one. also underpins the highly anticipated Holden Cruze and new-generation Opel Astra.

Tags: Buick, Opel

2010 Buick LaCrosse – Click above for high-res effigy gallery

During a recent online media event, Buick announced a new addition to the powertrain lineup for the 2010 LaCrosse. When we first heard about the LaCrosse in January, it was to be powered by the 3.0-liter and 3.6-liter direct injected V6s. Around the end of the year, Buick will add the new direct injected 2.4-liter four cylinder for example a base option. Like the V6s, the 182 hp engine will be paired up with a 6-speed automatic transmission although the four will use the smaller 6T40 under which circumstances the sixes use the larger 6T70. Buick expects the four-cylinder LaCrosse to achieve 20 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway. GM points out that its main competitors, the Lincoln MKZ and Acura TL are not available with four cylinder engines. As gas prices are on the rise once more, Buick expects about a place of totality LaCrosse sales to be four cylinders.

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2010 Buick LaCrosse – Click too magnanimous for for a high-res image corridor

General Motors has announced that its starting anew 2010 Buick LaCrosse will be make use of with its fuel-sipping 2.4-liter Ecotec four-cylinder. Equipped with the direct injected engine and paired with the sedan’s standard six-speed self-moving, GM says the combination should give forth 30 mpg on the public road and 20 mpg in town.

It will be interesting to see if the 182 horsepower, 172 pound-foot of torque inline-four be inclined be able to effectively motivate a car of the LaCrosse’s greatness, no more than either way, plugging the capable implement in the Buick ought to give GM a unique selling point against V6-only competitors analogous the Lincoln MKZ.

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The new 2010 Buick Lacrosse has made waves with its attractive design and overall erect quality since its unveiling at the Detroit Auto Show in January. Today General Motors went into more detail on the car with a web-based launch presentation, revealing that the powertrain lineup will include not only the 3.0L and 3.6L V6s previously announced, but in like manner a new Ecotec 2.4L direct-injection four-cylinder.

Tags: Acura, Buick, Lincoln