GM's Buick unveils high-performance line

New, upscale versions of the LaCrosse and Lucerne will have more powerful engines to court more youthful buyers.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Ahead of next week's opening of the New York Auto Show, General Motors unveiled two new Buick models at a press lunch here. The Buick LaCrosse Super and the larger Lucerne Super represent the start of GM's push to revive the company's understated luxury brand.

With these models, which have more horsepower coupled with slightly nicer interior touches, Buick says it is not trying to appeal to a younger audience - even though that's what many outside GM insist the brand needs to do to survive.

Instead, Buick is trying to appeal to a new generation of older buyers. The average age of a Buick sedan owner is 65, but today's 65-year-old doesn't fit the stereotype of the shuffling white-shoed retiree once seen as the brand's typical owner.

Indeed, Buick is not embarrassed by its appeal to a demographic that it refers to simply as "grown-ups," said Steve Shannon, GM's general manager for Buick. "They pay cash, they're not credit challenged," he said. "So these are virtuous, wonderful consumers. They can appreciate nicer things, they can afford nicer things."

And many of them wouldn't mind a little more power under the hood.

The "Super" name will be used on some Buick models to designate performance-oriented versions with upgraded powertrains and suspensions. The cars will have distinctive exterior markings to differentiate them from other Buick cars.

The Buick LaCrosse, the brand's lowest-priced model, will also get a slight makeover with some subtle exterior changes.

Both the Buick LaCrosse Super and the Lucerne Super will have larger, more powerful engines as well as upgraded interiors.

The LaCrosse Super will have a 5.3-liter, 300 horsepower V8 engine. To conserve fuel, the engine will shut off four of its cylinders during highway cruising when their power is not needed. The car's suspension and steering will also be tuned for improved handling and road feel.

The Lucerne Super will have a more powerful, 292 horsepower, version of the 4.6 liter V8 engine that is currently available as an option on the base Lucerne. The Lucerne will also get an upgraded interior with a leather-wrapped instrument panel and other touches.

"These are not the GS's and GNX's of the '70s and '80s," said Shannon. "There's a significant amount, still, of refinement and sophistication."

Both the LaCrosse and Lucerne are front-wheel-drive sedans, and the Super versions will also be front-wheel-drive.

"These vehicles really represent where we're headed," said Shannon.

The LaCrosse Super goes on sale this summer, while the Lucerne Super will hit showroom floors in the spring of 2008.

While GM has not announced pricing on the cars, Shannon said the price premium over an ordinary LaCrosse or Lucerne would be modest.

Sticker prices for the LaCrosse currently go up to about $30,000, before options, and prices for the Lucerne go up to about $35,000.

Buick has been the low-key, sister-brand to Cadillac for General Motors almost since GM was formed in 1909. In the 1950s and '60s, Buick was considered a car for those uncomfortable with the flashiness of a Cadillac.

As part of its current turnaround strategy, GM is again attempting to better differentiate its various brands, including Buick.

Cadillac, which is still the company's premier luxury brand, has returned to edgier vehicle designs with more chrome and sparkling lights in recent years, while Saturn vehicles have gotten a more European look and driving feel.

Pontiac will be shifting to a line-up of rear-wheel-drive cars, a configuration preferred by performance enthusiasts. And Chevrolet's more masculine design theme is evident in the redesigned Malibu, going on sale this summer, and the Camaro, slated for a 2009 introduction.

GM has begun moving its Buick, Pontiac and GMC brands into a single retail channel with all three brands for sale at Buick-Pontiac-GMC dealerships. This strategy, GM says, will free each brand from having to carry a full line of vehicles to meet every customer need.

"What the channel idea allows us to do is make real Buicks again," said Buick General Manager Steve Shannon at the New York unveiling.

The brand can continue to concentrate on relatively large cars with an emphasis on quietness and comfort. These performance models are designed add a little excitement while not impinging on those core brand values.

"Anything that gives Buick a younger more contemporary image right now is helpful," said Jack Nerad, managing editor of Kelley Blue Book's KBB.com Website.

But to compete in a broader market, Buick will have to do more, said Karl Brauer, a writer and editor with the automotive website Edmunds.com.

"A front-drive luxury sedan will only getting you so far," he said.

Buyers looking for a more sophisticated driving performance will want a rear-wheel-drive car like Cadillac's CTS and STS sedans.

While he wouldn't discount the idea of rear-wheel-drive Buicks, Shannon said there are no plans for it at this time. Buick buyers, he said, appreciate the sure traction of a front-wheel-drive car.

For those buyers looking for pizzazz and thrills, there's still Cadillac.

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