{"id":29291,"date":"2022-06-03T08:49:27","date_gmt":"2022-06-03T12:49:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=29291"},"modified":"2022-06-03T08:49:27","modified_gmt":"2022-06-03T12:49:27","slug":"payne-wildcat-concept-leads-buick-into-an-all-ev-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2022\/06\/payne-wildcat-concept-leads-buick-into-an-all-ev-future","title":{"rendered":"Payne: Wildcat concept leads Buick into an all-EV future"},"content":{"rendered":"

Warren<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 Buick is going all-electric, and a Wildcat will show the way.<\/p>\n

General Motors\u2019 premium brand Wednesday unveiled the gorgeous, low-slung Wildcat 2+2 coupe, an electric-vehicle concept that previews coming attractions from Buick as its lineup goes all-EV by 2030. Buick is the second GM brand to go all-electric following luxury sibling\u00a0Cadillac.<\/p>\n

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While phasing out its current lineup of four gas-powered SUVs \u2014 the subcompact Encore, compact Encore GX and Envision, and three-row Enclave \u2014 Buck will resuscitate its Electra name as an EV badge, beginning with a new model in 2024. Expect a compact SUV like Cadillac\u2019s electric Lyriq targeted at the premium market\u2019s biggest segment.<\/p>\n

\u201cElectric vehicles suit the Buick brand. With our QuietTuning philosophy of a quiet cabin, smooth ride, and comfortable seats, we have made a quiet-ride experience,\u201d said Buick marketing boss Rob Peterson at a Wildcat media sneak peek at GM\u2019s Research and Development Center. \u201cThe industry is moving to where Buick has been.\u201d<\/p>\n

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With the federal government forcing auto manufacturers to battery-power beginning with draconian regulations in 2026, GM has made a commitment to go fully-electric by 2035. China, Buick’s No. 1 market by sales volume (it is the fourth best-selling brand there), also figures prominently in the company’s plans as the Chinese government is also encouraging EVs with a target for battery-vehicle sales of 20% by 2025.<\/p>\n

Though EVs have been in the US market for more than a decade, consumer acceptance has been low (just 3% of sales in 2021) with the exception of luxury-maker Tesla, which has become the darling of Wall Street investors.<\/p>\n

GM has been eager to replicate Tesla\u2019s success, but the Detroit automaker’s first EV, the much-hyped Chevrolet Bolt, has been a sales disappointment. GM hopes its premium brands will be more appealing to Tesla\u2019s upscale demographic.<\/p>\n

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The Wildcat concept, said\u00a0Peterson, is critical to Buick\u2019s vision. Following in the footsteps of past Buick concepts like the 1953\u00a0Wildcat and 2016 Avista, Wildcat is a comprehensive remake of the brand\u2019s design language, from logo to sheet-metal to interior. Like the Avista coupe concept that inspired recent production models, Wildcat is unlikely to make it to production.<\/p>\n

\u201cBuick\u2019s quiet luxury theme is a good, basic fit with electrification. The EV characteristics line up well, and it allows them to recapture the Electra badge,\u201d said veteran iSeeCars.com analyst Karl Brauer, who nonetheless sees big challenges for a Buick lineup defined by its Enclave and Encore utes. \u201cA three-row, road-trip SUV doesn\u2019t translate well into an EV, and the attraction for the Encore was how much value you got in a small SUV. The question with EVs is can you make them affordably?\u201d<\/p>\n

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Look for Wildcat\u2019s DNA in forthgoing EVs \u2014 as well as in current model design updates like the 2022 Enclave. The Enclave\u2019s new, high-mounted front blade\u00a0running lights are taken right off the Wildcat.<\/p>\n

Wildcat remakes Buick\u2019s three-shield logo with\u00a0the first significant\u00a0change since 1990. The logo\u2019s outer circle is gone, allowing the shields to float above the Wildcat\u2019s front waterline. Where gas-powered models feature a prominent shield grille, Wildcat\u2019s front end is lower, more sportscar-like. Think the Kia EV6 or Tesla Model 3. Unlike the Model 3, however, the facia still contains a low-mounted, trapezoidal, grille-like element along the lower chin to create the semblance of a face.<\/p>\n

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Wildcat design manager Therese Pinazzo said buyers still want anthropomorphic features in their cars \u2014 even as EVs don\u2019t need prominent grilles for air. \u201cWe don\u2019t want to be faceless going into the EV era,\u201d she said pointing out the light blade \u201ceyes\u201d and lower grille \u201cmouth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Anthropomorphic features are also important to the Chinese market where buyers value\u00a0da qi<\/em>, or the element of \u201cgrand elegance.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cGlobal design is incredibly important for this brand,\u201d said designer Pinazzo. \u201cOur Chinese design studio were also involved. It\u2019s important to Chinese customers that the car have a face.\u201d<\/p>\n

The coupe\u2019s shape is cab forward \u2014 the wheels pushed out to the edges of the chassis \u2014 taking advantage of GM\u2019s skateboard battery platform to maximize interior space.<\/p>\n

The simple, rounded flanks are also a stark contrast to Cadillac\u2019s EV design language. In addition to having a more upright, angular stance, Lyriq\u2019s design is more technical with a complicated lighting signature that dances to life as the driver approaches the car.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Cadillac design has a lot going on,\u201d said Pinazzo. \u201cWith Buick, we are looking for subtle sophistication …\u00a0for timeless beauty.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Moving against its more organic shape, however, Electra EVs will each be assigned alphanumeric badging while Cadillac moves away from alphanumerics (CT4, XT4) to proper names like Lyriq and Celestiq. After less than two decades in the market, Buick will phase out its E-family of names \u2014 Encore, Envision, Enclave \u2014 that reintroduced customers to the brand. Almost forgotten as a geriatric sedan brand, Buick reigned its brand awareness with the Encore-Envision-Enclave SUVs and \u201cThat\u2019s not a Buick\u201d TV ads.<\/p>\n

Buick sales grew 7.6% in 2021, the lineup’s\u00a0best year to date. Meanwhile, the average buyer\u2019s age continued to decrease, by two years.\u00a0Pushing technology deemed important to younger-generation buyers, Buick’s EV brand\u00a0transformation will include a more seamless connectivity experience, with features like remote key fob, Wi-Fi data and OnStar safety services standard on new cars.<\/p>\n

Analyst Brauer said that going electric with low-volume brands like Cadillac and Buick is relatively low-risk, particularly since both brands have senior stigmas that electrification should help remedy. Still, he says, \u201cthere doesn\u2019t seem to be enough customers for all the brands that say they are going all-EV this decade. That includes Jaguar, Alfa\u00a0and Volvo.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Electra name was last seen on big Buick sedans from 1959-1990. A favorite of collectors, Electras are a favorite classic cruiser\u00a0at the annual Woodward Dream Cruise. Wildcat\u2019s interior tech is out of a sci-fi movie by comparison.<\/p>\n

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Wildcat concept is entered through a big opening \u2014 made possible by \u201csemi-swing\u201d doors paired with partial, gullwing roof openings. The idea, say designers, is to introduce a sense of space. The palatial interior embraces that latest, digital screen technology \u2014 anchored by a single screen stretching from the instrument display across the console. A smaller display on the doors is to display views from side camera mirrors.<\/p>\n

\u201cGetting inside will be a voyage of discovery,\u201d said designer Pinazzo. \u201cWe want it to be a calming experience. The vehicle gets to know you like a Fitbit or an Apple watch. Biometrics and AI will recognize your behavioral patterns. … For example, if you are feeling anxious, sensors in the seats will sense your anxiety and dim the cabin lights, disperse aromatherapy scents, and activate massaging seats.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Expect future Buicks to have the latest in driver-assist technology like GM\u2019s forthcoming UltraCruise \u2014 the next evolution of a SuperCruise system that allows hands-free driving on divided highways, including automatic lane changes.<\/p>\n

The Buick team gave no details on drivetrain technology, but expect the Buick to be quick. Production vehicles will sit on GM\u2019s Ultium battery platform that already advertises 500 horsepower and dual-motor drive from the forthcoming Caddy Lyriq.<\/p>\n

Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Warren\u00a0\u2014 Buick is going all-electric, and a Wildcat will show the way. General Motors\u2019 premium brand Wednesday unveiled the gorgeous, low-slung Wildcat 2+2 coupe, an electric-vehicle concept that previews coming attractions from Buick as its lineup goes all-EV by 2030. Buick is the second GM brand to go all-electric following luxury sibling\u00a0Cadillac. While phasing out […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29291"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29291"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29291\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29292,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29291\/revisions\/29292"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29291"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29291"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29291"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}