Does this Buick concept point to the next big Holden?
IS THIS the next-generation Holden Commodore? Or perhaps it is the replacement for the Holden Caprice.
One of the brightest stars at this year’s Detroit motor show, the Buick Avenir is certainly a relevant car for Australia, winning the Best Designed Concept Vehicle award.
That’s a big deal because it was styled as well as built in Fishermens Bend, Port Melbourne, at General Motors Design Australia.
Initially just a sketch by designer Warrack Leach, the drawing came to life at Holden over the past 12 months or so, to become a strong pointer to what’s coming up.
It’s worth noting that GMDA is one of just two studios in the GM world capable of carrying a design from sketch to the production-ready prototype stage.
So what exactly is the Avenir? Meaning ‘future’ in French, the slinky three-box silhouette lives up to its name by being a full-size rear-drive sedan concept that mixes contemporary styling cues with classic Buick design elements.
Created especially for the Buick brand, it is a preview of what could replace the Holden WM Caprice-based Buick Park Avenue built and sold in China from 2007 to 2012.
Measuring in at over five metres in length, it is understood that the Avenir is built on GM's Omega platform that will also underpin the 2016 Cadillac CT6 flagship sedan. As a result, the proportions are classic ‘cab backward’, reflecting the sedan’s strong rear-wheel drive bias so beloved by large-car buyers globally. In this regard, it is not too dissimilar to the current generation VF Commodore.
True to the Buick heritage, the Avenir’s distinctive “Sweepspear” profile kink and “Boat Tail” rear styling motifs pay lip service to the century old brand’s famous Riviera series, particularly the third-generation coupe from 1971 to 1973.
“Simply put, Avenir is a beautiful piece of sculpture, delivered on a premium proportion that acknowledges the Buick design heritage in a very progressive way,” GM International vice-president of design, Mike Simcoe, said.
Under the sculpted bonnet of the Avenir is a “next-generation direct-injected V6" offering cylinder deactivation tech, idle-stop, a nine-speed automatic transmission, a dual-clutch all-wheel drive system, and driver selectable suspension damping.
Meanwhile, the Avenir’s cabin is the work of GM’s North American Design studio in Michigan, highlighting the project’s truly international effort.
Offering four luxuriously appointed seats, the concept includes Art Deco-inspired elements, contrasting against more modern motifs such as large multimedia screens and rear-seat video. Ambient lighting plays a vital part in creating the necessary opulence, with the striking exterior design themes flowing through to the cabin. GM says it sought to evoke “nature and sea waves receding on the beach”.
GM's vice-president of international design, Ed Welburn, called the Avenir a showcase for the very best of GM’s advanced design talent and capabilities.
“Developing a concept between studios on opposite sides of the earth is challenging and the Avenir demonstrates how Buick’s strong design heritage linked the teams with a singular vision,” he said.
Mr Welburn said designers on opposite sides of the globe – separated by 16 time zones and 16,000km – shared their renderings and communicated via live conference in the middle of the day in Detroit and the beginning of the next day in Melbourne.
“As a brand with one the richest histories of design, Buick’s legacy is recognised and revered around the world,” Mr Welburn said.
“The designers in Australia understood the essence of Buick’s design language just as well as those in America, which fostered a more cohesive collaboration between teams, with seamless integration.”
While the Avenir may not actually directly preview the next-generation Commodore due by 2018, it does strongly hint at where GM’s global large car design language is going, particularly in terms of luxury sedans.
That’s relevant to Australia because, along with the Cruze small car and Commodore, the current Caprice will also be phased out when Holden’s local manufacturing operations cease in 2017.
The Avenir is proof that the Australian design centre is one of the most capable in the GM world, according to Simcoe.
“The team in Australia is our most mature studio in the region and frankly one of the most mature studios in ability in the global GM design network, and this is just a proof point around that,” he said.
As either a Commodore or a Caprice, would you like to see the Avenir concept come to life as a production Holden?
Byron Mathioudakis goauto.com.au
