Avant Concept: Buick's new look at the small premium market [w/VIDEO]
Buick Avant Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery
Need further proof that the premium car market is looking to downsize? General Motors' latest entry on its recently-launched Lab website is the Buick Avant, which the automaker developed to study the future of scaled down models for its upper-level brands.
Innovative ideas abound with the Buick Avant Concept, including doors that can both swing and slide open, a driver's seat that moves laterally to customize interior packaging, a luggage shelf that brings packages to you and a so-called micro pergola roof that can be either opaque or transparent depending on the driver's wishes.
All told, Buick came up with six exterior themes and four interior concepts that it hopes to get feedback on. Check out the image gallery below and click past the break to watch the video. Then, click here to let GM know what you think of its ideas for the small premium market. Thanks for the tip, Ryan!
Gallery: Buick Avant Concept
[Source: GM Lab]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Laurens 9:20AM (9/23/2009)
In the past small premium produced excellent cars like MG Midgets, Triumph GT6'es etc., fun to drive with a huge fan-base. The cars are still able to make excellent MPG!
Reply
Mark Kiernan 9:35AM (9/23/2009)
Does the Mini Cooper count as a small premium?
Reply
Richard 9:39AM (9/23/2009)
I like the forward sliding door concept. It would work in any condition. The second concept is very nice, but unfortunately I'm positive it would not make it to market because it would sell. Just like the concept Volt was much better looking than the production version, this concept will face the same bait and switch. Too bad.
Reply
Mark Kiernan 10:33AM (9/23/2009)
I wish Apple teamed up with some company to design an Icar or something, it would sell really well.
Reply
Throwback 10:59AM (9/23/2009)
What does Apple know about making cars? If you are talking about in car music players, then yeah they could help.
alex 12:04PM (9/23/2009)
it would look cool, but you'd have to buy your gas/electricity/hydrogen/whatever powers it only from apple, you'd only be able to drive it in ways and on streets that have met apple's approval process, you wouldn't be able to buy any non-apple replacement parts (ie tires, air filters, etc), it would be made in China and it would cost 3x times too much.
but it would look cool.
mike 12:57PM (9/23/2009)
You look at the euro small car concepts and how they maximize the look of the cabin space - making you feel like it will be plenty roomy and useful despite it's being only 3 feet long total, or whatever.
Then you look at this poorly thought out uber-matchbox-muscle-car.
Which, despite them telling me is it's going to be small, they still decided to make a bloated steroid induced freak show of a body with a tiny, wee little crunched cabin on top.
It doesn't look roomy enough for six year old to be comfortable no less an adult or two.
In summation, it sucks.
Reply
Woodenbee 5:11PM (9/23/2009)
so your one of those people whose never actually been in a compact car and imagines their smaller inside than your silly suv, well let me educate you most cabins are the same, the exterior is just packaging whatever your objections are, they are wrong, I heard a very large fat man say the best car he knows for space and getting in and out is a new beetle! I drive a new beetle its huge inside, and everybody who gets in it says the same thing, open your mind, you know nothing, and what you think you know is wrong, that should worry you, unfortunately you comprise roughly half of the US population!!
mike 10:00PM (9/23/2009)
@Woodenbee
WTF are you talking about!?
I did not, at all, say I dislike small cars.
What I said was this is not a good design for a small car.
I don't own and have never owned an SUV.
My daily commuter right now is actually a honda del sol... so I think I know a little bit about small cars.
Let me educate you, all cabins are not the same. Packaging a small vehicle for more interior space is an art the americans came late to class for and are still catching up.
Aesthetics sell cars.
If you are trying to convince somebody to try a smaller car, coming from a larger one then the way to do it is not to design something which looks like it is going to be small and uncomfortable.
I say again, this design kinda sucks.
Shock Me 7:21PM (9/23/2009)
Drop a VOLTEC drive-train in it and I'm sold.
Reply
brett 6:08PM (9/25/2009)
I think GM is on the right track here. I personally would love to downsize to a greener/better fuel economy car, but I don't want to sacrifice comfort and luxury. Why are there so few small fuel efficient luxury cars with plenty of creature comforts? Maybe I'm an oddball but it seems to me cars like the Acura TSX, Lexus IS250, and the older BMW 3 series seamed like they were and are popular because they are somewhat fuel efficient while maintaining a level of luxury. Other cars like the mercedes c230 coupe, the BMW 318ti, and the cadillac cimarron were hugely unsuccessful due to the fact that all the luxury was stripped out of them and if you wanted the luxury put in them, they became ridiculously expensive. If Buick can produce a small luxury car with good fuel economy, ample creature comforts, and a respectable price, it may point a new direction in the auto industry
Reply