Buick is giving the LaCrosse sedan some notable
updates and changes for the 2018 model year in the U.S. market. According to
GM’s own dealer order guides, the 2018 LaCrosse is getting GM’s new 9TXX
nine-speed automatic transmission, a new hybridized powertrain, plus new
exterior colors and accessories.
The 2018 LaCrosse replaces four
existing exterior colors with four new ones: Satin Steel Metallic, Black Cherry
Metallic, Dark Slate Metallic, and Red Quartz Tintcoat.
The biggest change is the deletion of the
eight-speed automatic transmission and its 3.08 axle found in the 2017
LaCrosse. In their place are GM’s new 9-speed transmission (M3G) with a 2.90
axle.
What’s more, the premium full size sedan gets an
addition to its powertrain in the form of an optional hybrid drivetrain. The
hybrid system consists of three components: a new 2.5L four-cylinder engine
with direct injection and variable valve timing (LHN), a 6-speed automatic
transmission (MNH), and a parallel hybrid electric propulsion system rated at
20 kW (HP5).
The powertrain is available exclusively on the
front-drive Preferred (1SB), Essence (1SB) and Premium (1SP) trims and brings
with it a 2.64 axle and brakes that are an inch smaller in the front (16″ front
and rear) compared to non-hybridized models. What we don’t know is how Buick
will refer to models with this powertrain, with some obvious choices being
LaCrosse eAssist, which it used on the second-gen LaCrosse, or LaCrosse Hybrid,
a name used in China.
There’s also a host of new LPO-level
(dealer-installed) accessories, including a cargo net, body-color grille, wheel
lock kit and tire inflator kit. The 2018 model year represents the second year
of the third-generation Buick LaCrosse, which launched for the 2017 model year.
