Buick Avista concept received the EyesOn Design Award for Design Excellence – Concept Car at a ceremony today at the North American International Auto Show.
The Design team poses with the Buick Avista Concept after winning the EyesOn Design Award for Design Excellence – Concept Car, Tuesday, January 12, 2016 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan. It was the second consecutive year Buick received the award, which was bestowed on the Avenir concept in 2015
It was the second consecutive year Buick received the award, which was bestowed on the Avenir concept in 2015. EyesOn Design – a benefit for Henry Ford Health System’s Detroit Institute of Ophthalmology – recognizes the best production and concept vehicle designs making their worldwide debut in Detroit.
“Design has always played a large role in Buick's rich history and recent success,” said Bryan Nesbitt, executive director, Buick Global Design. “The Avista concept has been a labor of love by the team of designers, sculptors, engineers and talented craftspeople, including our UAW partners, who created this beautiful statement of Buick design. Avista represents the future essence of Buick design.”
A sleek, sweeping proportion is the foundation for this vision of a contemporary grand tourer, with a 400-horsepower twin-turbocharged V6 driving the rear wheels. The Avista’s uninterrupted body lines stretch front to rear, suggesting motion – resembling Buick’s design language introduced on the Avenir concept and carried into production on the 2017 LaCrosse.
Like the exterior, the Avista’s 2+2 interior is defined by flowing, uninterrupted lines conveying elegance through simplicity – with intense technical and surfaces details, in everything from 3D-printed door and seat trim to a future vision of Buick’s IntelliLink, with touchscreen controls on a widescreen instrument panel display.
Exposed carbon fiber and aluminum accents throughout reinforce the precision of the performance-oriented driving experience.
Design elegance, performance heritage conveyed in turbocharged 2+2 coupe
2016 Buick Avista Concept
Ahead of its public debut at the North American International Auto Show, Buick today revealed the Avista concept – a 2+2 coupe that pushes the brand’s contemporary design ethos and rekindles its historic performance roots.
A sleek, sweeping proportion is the foundation for this vision of a contemporary grand tourer, with a 400 horsepower twin-turbocharged V6 driving the rear wheels and a driver-focused cockpit offering a comfortable, connected center of control.
“The Avista embodies the dynamic soul of Buick,” said Duncan Aldred, vice president of Global Buick Sales, Service and Marketing. “It is a modern expression of the brand’s heritage of sophisticated performance, communicated with beautiful elegance.”
The Avista’s uninterrupted body lines stretch front to rear, suggesting motion – resembling Buick’s design language introduced on the Avenir concept and carried into production on the 2017 LaCrosse. The absence of conventional B-pillars between the doors and rear side windows enhances the flowing profile.
“There is elegant simplicity in the Avista’s surfaces, which speak to the purity of the car’s performance, and a timeless beauty that’s a hallmark of Buick design,” said Bryan Nesbitt, executive director Global Buick Design. “It was designed to capture the spirit of the perfect drive.”
Marking the front and rear, Buick evolves its signature wing-shaped lighting with “soft curtain” elements that create illuminated “halos” around lamps’ edges, suggesting a three-dimensional shape and sculpture. Their design forecasts the evolution of Buick’s production lighting features, while the Avista’s grille features the brand’s new winged tri-shield insignia set against a three-dimensional mesh background.
Additional exterior features include:
A 110.7 inch (2,811 mm) wheelbase and 63 inch (1,601 mm)
front/62.9 inch (1,598 mm) rear tracks for sporty proportions and an
aggressive stance
Twenty-inch aluminum wheels with color-toned accents match the car’s Dark Sapphire Jewel exterior
Front fender vents with chrome accents evolve Buick’s signature fender ports.
Performance-oriented, modern cockpit
Like the exterior, the Avista’s 2+2 interior is defined by flowing, uninterrupted lines conveying elegance through simplicity – with intense technical and surfaces details, in everything from 3D-printed door and seat trim to a future vision of Buick’s IntelliLink, with touchscreen controls on a widescreen instrument panel display.
The center console also incorporates touchscreen controls and extends to the rear seating area. Open side storage compartments built into the front of the console are enabled by the new Electronic Precision Shift, similar to the 2017 LaCrosse.
A Superior Blue foundation color echoes the exterior and is complemented with Mist Gray leather seating inserts, console trim and door trim. Exposed carbon fiber and aluminum accents throughout reinforce the precision of the performance-oriented driving experience. The fading pattern on the seats, console and doors were inspired by waves receding at a beach’s edge.
“Waves, whether from the sea or in the sand, are all about motion and flow,” said Nesbitt. “That’s exactly what this concept is all about – flowing design and the purity of the driving experience.”
Buick designers enhanced the passengers’ sensory experiences with next-generation QuietTuning and air-quality control, including advanced noise cancellation technology, ionic air purifiers and aromatherapy.
The Avista also advances Buick’s legacy of turbocharged performance, which carries forward in the 2016 Regal GS and other models. Similar to the 2017 LaCrosse, the concept twin-turbocharged 3.0L V6 features fuel-saving Active Fuel Management (cylinder deactivation) and Stop/Start technology to complement its power with efficiency. The engine is backed by an eight-speed automatic transmission and Magnetic Ride Control delivers more precise body motion control.
Award presented at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit
Stars in Detroit: Opel Group CEO Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann (left) receives the Connected Car Award from Tomas Hirschberger, deputy editor-in-chief of Auto Bild, in front of the new Buick Cascada.
For the second year running, Opel Group CEO Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann was able to accept a Connected Car Award for the digital connectivity of the company’s vehicles. Opel won the Pioneer Award for especially trendsetting innovations with OnStar, the comprehensive carefree package of connected safety, high-class mobility services and progressive information technology. Opel will initially introduce OnStar in selected European markets by the middle of the year. Each vehicle will be fitted with 4G LTE, the car becomes a powerful, mobile Wi-Fi hotspot, giving easier access to apps and services that require a high-speed cellular or data connection, for up to seven mobile devices. “Presently, internet is normally a premium topic but Opel have made an expensive technology mainstream,” explained magazines Auto Bild and Computer Bild in the reasoning for the award. Opel already won a Pioneer Award last year for the IntelliLink infotainment system in the Opel ADAM.
Opel ADAM: IntelliLink infotainment system
“OnStar and Opel will make driving in Europe safer and more relaxing,” said Karl-Thomas Neumann at the award presentation in Detroit. “With OnStar 4G/LTE, Opel drivers will enjoy high-speed mobile connectivity. With this, we take a major step towards realizing our vision of connectivity.”
Award presentation: Opel Group CEO Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann (left) receives the Connected Car Award for Opel OnStar from Tomas Hirschberger, deputy editor-in-chief of Auto Bild.
In addition, OnStar will offer automatic emergency services after an accident, it will allow for remote diagnostics in case of breakdown, can open accidentally locked doors via a mobile app and can locate a stolen vehicle. Drivers can also contact the call center at the touch of a button.
New design proportion, device integration, rejuvenating interior push brand forward
The Avenir is distinguished by its premium sports proportions and all-new interpretations of traditional Buick cues.
The Avenir – French for future – is distinguished by its premium sports proportions and all-new interpretations of traditional Buick cues. It is the creation of a global team of Buick designers and sculptors who were inspired by historic Buick concepts, which pushed traditional boundaries, shaped future Buick models and influenced the entire auto industry.
2015 Buick Avenir Concept
“Avenir embodies Buick design, which centers on effortless beauty and presence without pretense,” said Ed Welburn, vice president of General Motors Global Design. “It demonstrates the growing international reach of Buick and offers an exciting vision of where it can go.”
The Avenir’s sculptural surfacing, expressive proportion and Buick’s signature sweep-spear bodyside visually cue an exceptional driving experience that awaits inside.
“The interior is designed with the driver and passengers’ comfort and well-being in mind,” said Welburn. “Technology is seamlessly integrated and builds on the features that have become hallmarks for today’s production models – helping drive a new generation of customers to Buick.”
Additional vehicle highlights:
Personal seating for four
Full light-emitting diode (LED) exterior lighting
Twenty-one-inch wheels
Next-generation direct-injected V-6 engine with fuel-saving Active
Fuel Management (cylinder deactivation) and stop/start technology
Nine-speed paddle-shift automatic transmission
Driver-selectable suspension damping
Twin-clutch all-wheel-drive system
Next-generation Buick IntelliLink infotainment with large, 12-inch-diagonal color touch screen
Driver-recognition features that automatically sync infotainment preferences
Ionic cabin air filtration
Mobile device wireless charging
OnStar 4G LTE with Wi-Fi hotspot
A new design direction with a nod to the past
A long hood, wheels-at-the-corners stance and a sloping, rear deck that pays homage to historical models, such as the Riviera, distinguish the Avenir’s proportion.
“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,” said Michael Simcoe, vice president of design, GM International Operations. “The vehicle remains unmistakably Buick with a modern take on the traditional Buick cues such as the sweep spear and boattail. The result is a piece of artistry that is precise in its character, beautifully proportioned. It really takes your breath away.”
The most striking departure from contemporary Buick models is a new grille design that puts a new face on the brand. It features a large opening accented by a return to the three-color – red, silver and blue – Buick tri-shield insignia, accented by wing-shaped elements. The grille is flanked by bold headlamps featuring full LED lighting.
“The new grille is a modern interpretation of a design introduced on the landmark 1954 Wildcat II concept, which shattered expectations of what a Buick was supposed to be,” said Simcoe. “On the Avenir, it represents a break from convention and progressiveness in technology.”
Sculptural surfaces, taught lines, short overhangs and a broad-shouldered stance stretches 204.5 inches (5,195 mm) in length and 76 inches (1,931 mm) in width. Its reimagined sweep-spear element complements the long body lines and conveys a sense of motion, as does tapered rear-end styling.
Avenir’s sophisticated color palette, including a Crystalline exterior color and strained use of bright work accent the Avenir’s body lines and sets up the interior for a combination that takes Buick’s contemporary style to a higher level.
“It’s a sculpted design with a lot of snap in the character lines – with a classic long, low proportion,” said Simcoe. “Its length enables exceptional spaciousness inside, but just as importantly, a presence that speaks to luxury and the importance of style. In short, it’s the befitting proportion for a Buick flagship.”
A soothing environment with unprecedented integration
The Avenir’s four-place interior rewards the senses, makes managing technologies easier and enhances the feelings of personal space and well-being.
“A flowing, sculptural quality in the interior forms, deco trim, premium leather and ambient lighting, create an environment that is inviting and comfortable,” said Liz Wetzel, Buick interior design director.
The Avenir’s four-place interior rewards the senses, makes managing technologies easier and enhances the feelings of personal space and well-being.
Interior surfaces - inspired by nature and sea waves receding on a beach - flow seamlessly through the cabin. It is a motif featured on the seats and carried through in other trim components – even the carpet. In fact, a patterned insert for the carpet carries the motif in silk and bamboo.
“There’s an almost-three-dimensional or bas-relief effect to the design motif that adds depth and heightens the sense of place,” said Wetzel. “Layered and floating elements such as the center console enhance the perception of lightness, efficiency and dynamism.”
A color palette of light and natural tones blended with oiled and buffed wood trim, and Galvano satin-chrome accents, enhance the Avenir’s ambience.
“They’re rich, premium materials and warm colors innovatively executed to enhance the soothing effect of the interior environment,” said Wetzel.
Functionality is manifested in the Avenir’s device-integration technologies, which are designed to lift the user’s mood and make the details associated with daily life a little easier. It starts the moment the vehicle is started, synchronizing information and devices within seconds. The Avenir instantly configures gauge cluster and infotainment screen displays based on prior customization while also recognizing the user’s music preferences, calendar schedule and recently visited locations from a cellphone’s GPS. It can even pick up a podcast the user was listening to at the moment it was interrupted.
Buick’s user experience designers are also pushing the Avenir’s technologies for home integration, which would allow accessing home security cameras or the capability of turning on outside lights and closing a garage door that was inadvertently left open.
“The Avenir’s integration features build on the technologies already available or coming soon in smartphones and streamline them in a system that makes accessing and interacting with them easier,” said Wetzel.
Personal connectivity extends to rear-seat passengers, where USB ports and video screens allow occupants to plug in to their favorite media and slip into complete relaxation, arriving at their destination refreshed and rejuvenated.
“The use of color, material, form and amenities can affect a person’s mood and feeling,” said Wetzel. “The Avenir is a showcase of thoughtful and modern design with the capacity to anticipate and facilitate the personal needs of its occupants. It’s absolutely its own getaway destination.”
