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Buick’s new subbrand Avenir (French for “future”) is doing for Buick what Denali did for GMC. It’s moving the brand further upmarket and increasing the average transaction prices of the vehicles they sell. Typically, the more luxury an automaker stuffs into an existing car, the higher the profit margins.
You might not associate Buick with high-end luxury, but the brand is out to change that and the effort is going great so far. The first Buick to wear an Avenir badge was the freshly updated 2018 Enclave crossover which debuted in fall of 2017. Since the Enclave Avenir’s debut, it’s accounted for about 35 percent of all Enclave sales. That’s a lot of fancy Buick crossovers.
The next in line to get the Avenir treatment is the LaCrosse, Buick’s flagship sedan. The LaCrosse was already one of the best values in premium sedans and now the pricing has been announced for the Avenir variant to start at $45,795. It’s not exactly a loaded E-Class, but it’s a roomy, stylish, legitimately luxurious sedan that delivers a lot of bang for the buck. The all-wheel-drive version starts at $47,995 (both prices include destination charges).
The LaCrosse Avenir will come generously appointed with standard features including navigation, Bose Centerpoint Surround Sound audio, a panoramic moonroof, wireless charging, and a lovely interior you’d expect to find in a much more expensive luxury car. The Avenir also comes with a special appearance package with a 3D mesh grille and of course, Avenir badging. Don’t expect a performance upgrade as the LaCrosse Avenir will be powered by the same 310-horsepower 3.6-liter LGX V6 and nine-speed automatic transmission already available in the LaCrosse and shared with the new Regal GS.
Who, you might ask, is demanding such fancy Buick sedans? Apparently, the majority of Buick’s clientele. “The LaCrosse trim mix usually runs fairly rich. 87% of LaCrosse buyers purchase one of the top two trim levels and we’ve seen the average transaction price increase 12% within the last year,” said a Buick representative in an email to The Drive.
Between the seriously luxurious new Avenir models and the exciting (no, really) new Buick Regal GS, this isn’t your grandpa’s Buick.
