Buick News: Buick Introduces Sport Touring Trim to 2016 LaCrosse, Regal, and Verano

[William Maley]

---

Buick has announced a new trim for the LaCrosse, Regal, and Verano for the 2016 model year. Called the Sport Touring, all of these models get distinctive exterior styling cues such 18-inch, dark-finish alloy wheels and a rear spoiler.

 

Along with the sporty touches, each models get a few more standard features.

• Verano Sport Touring: Dual-zone climate control, eight-way-adjustable power driver’s seat, and heated front seats
• Regal Sport Touring: Backup camera, heated front seats, and leather-trimmed front and rear seats.
• LaCrosse Sport Touring: Remote start, eight standard air bags, leather seats, and heated front seats.
  

“Buick is reaching an all-new generation of customers by reinventing itself in terms of design, function and capabilities. These new ST models underscore the importance of design choices, while complementing the safety, refinement and connectivity technologies that are drawing new customers to Buick dealerships,” said Duncan Aldred, vice president of Buick.

 

Source: Buick

 

Press Release is on Page 2

---

 

DETROIT – Buick unveiled 2016 LaCrosse, Regal and Verano Sport Touring (ST) models today – sedans with distinctive exterior cues designed to set them apart from the pack.
Each features special 18-inch wheels with machined faces and black “pockets,” and a rear spoiler. They join the Enclave Tuscan Edition and recently announced Encore Sport Touring as special models expanding Buick’s lineup with more design-focused choices.
“Buick is reaching an all-new generation of customers by reinventing itself in terms of design, function and capabilities,” said Duncan Aldred, vice president of Buick. “These new ST models underscore the importance of design choices, while complementing the safety, refinement and connectivity technologies that are drawing new customers to Buick dealerships.”
The new Sport Touring sedans – and Encore Sport Touring – go on sale this fall.
LaCrosse Sport Touring includes Buick IntelliLink with Apple CarPlay capability, OnStar 4G LTE connectivity with Wi-Fi hotspot, remote start, eight standard air bags (including rear-seat thorax air bags) and leather-trimmed seats – with heated front seats.
Regal Sport Touring includes a standard rear-vision camera system, heated front seat and leather-trimmed front and rear seats. It also comes with Buick IntelliLink with Apple CarPlay capability and OnStar 4G LTE connectivity with Wi-Fi hotspot.
Verano Sport Touring includes dual-zone climate control, eight-way-adjustable power driver’s seat and heated front seats, along with Buick IntelliLink and OnStar 4G LTE connectivity with Wi-Fi hotspot.
Experience Buick Protection on all 2016 Buick models includes the first two visits of scheduled maintenance services for two years/24,000 miles, whichever occurs first. It complements Buick’s four-year/50,000-mile bumper-to-bumper limited warranty and six-year/70,000-mile powertrain limited warranty.

View full article

[cp-the-nerd]

I want to see more pics, sounds like a nice exterior package. Too bad it's light on "sport" equipment.

[Drew Dowdell]

These trims don't seem that different from existing trims, except for the Verano which adds the 8-way power seat

[smk4565]

ST sounds like a Ford.  Lexus puts dark finish allow wheels and a spoiler on a car and calls it F-sport, so Buick might as well too. 

[ocnblu]

Drew you might be interested in knowing the 2016 Encore Sport Touring has the new 1.4t engine from the new Cruze with 153 hp and 177 ft/lbs torque.  Have you seen it?  I saw it on Buick's media page.

Edited August 14, 2015 by ocnblu

[William Maley]

Drew you might be interested in knowing the 2016 Encore Sport Touring has the new 1.4t engine from the new Cruze with 153 hp and 177 ft/lbs torque.  Have you seen it?  I saw it on Buick's media page.

 

I have! I haven't written anything about it since I have a huge backlog of news and unfortunately it get lost in the pile. I do want to drive since it should solve the power problem I have with it.

[regfootball]

I thought leather and heated seats was already standard on Regal, so where is the 'sport' stuff

[ocnblu]

Could have been just "T-Type".

[Guest Z064ever]

Tell you what to me sport means more hp, torque, and better suspension.  Not trim and heated seats, but that's just me.

[smk4565]

"sport" packages are what marketing types do to appeal to younger buyers. Except younger buyers don't want a Camry Sport or Buick LaCrosse Sport. And younger buyers have this thing called the internet and they can look up horsepower ratings on it.

[FAPTurbo]

In fairness, haven't 'sport' trims always been something along these lines? In my dad's day, a Super Sport package on a Chevy meant you got bucket seats. 

[Drew Dowdell]

Sport also means you got the short wheelbase version of whatever Crossover you just bought.

[Guest Wings4Life(BANNED)]

Buick PR fluff perhaps?

 

I mean, that's what is said when Ford introduces minor changes.

[Drew Dowdell]

Buick PR fluff perhaps?

 

I mean, that's what is said when Ford introduces minor changes.

 

I see you still don't understand.  The "PR Fluff" was not the minor changes.  The "PR Fluff" was describing those minor changes, in that case a transmission Sport Mode, as brought to you by "crazy smart powertrain engineers"

 

PR Fluff - "Best ever!!!!!"

Not PR Fluff - "We sold 10% more than last year"

 

PR Fluff - "Crazy smart powertrain engineers thought up a Sport mode for your truck"

Not PR Fluff - "Ford adds sport mode shifting to F-150 automatic transmission"

 

This Buick intro, while rather thin on features, doesn't really have any PR Fluff in it. It's just a trim level announcement. 

 

 

Edit: Also, if you've ever stood in front of the firehose that is the Ford Press Release email stream, you'd understand why a lot of Ford's announcements generate a bit of an eyeroll.

[Guest Wings4Life(BANNED)]

Thanks for your opinion.

 

My opinion that a sportier shift mode actually INTRODUCES some Sport.....as opposed to color changes and such.

[smk4565]

I think if a model is called "sport" then you can pretty much be sure that it isn't sporty.  They don't make a Porsche 911 "sport" or Nissan GT-R "sport" yet they do make a Hyundai Sante Fe Sport and a Ford Fusion Sport. 

[Drew Dowdell]

Thanks for your opinion.

 

My opinion that a sportier shift mode actually INTRODUCES some Sport.....as opposed to color changes and such.

 

Again, the addition of the feature isn't the PR Fluff. In Ford's case, it was the way in which it was described that was the fluff.

 

I'm kinda side-eyeing Buick for this trim name... for one it is rather unoriginal.  However, the description they use is downright conservative. They are not claiming any actual "sport"... only "sportish".  The Touring bit, well, Buick and Oldsmobile have used that as a trim level for their better appointed cars for years.  No fluff in this one.

[Guest Wings4Life(BANNED)]

My Explorer Sport is very sporty, considering it's heft.

[Drew Dowdell]

I think if a model is called "sport" then you can pretty much be sure that it isn't sporty.  They don't make a Porsche 911 "sport" or Nissan GT-R "sport" yet they do make a Hyundai Sante Fe Sport and a Ford Fusion Sport. 

 

In the case of the Santa Fe, it is actually the shorter version. Ford did the same with the old Explorer.

 

In the case of Cadillac, V-Sport does get you a substantial boost in performance over the lesser model. 

[Guest Wings4Life(BANNED)]

 

Thanks for your opinion.

 

My opinion that a sportier shift mode actually INTRODUCES some Sport.....as opposed to color changes and such.

 

Again, the addition of the feature isn't the PR Fluff. In Ford's case, it was the way in which it was described that was the fluff.

 

I'm kinda side-eyeing Buick for this trim name... for one it is rather unoriginal.  However, the description they use is downright conservative. They are not claiming any actual "sport"... only "sportish".  The Touring bit, well, Buick and Oldsmobile have used that as a trim level for their better appointed cars for years.  No fluff in this one.

 

 

 

Everyone fluffs.

Everyone.

And everyone knows this.

 

Do we really need to emphasize one in particular.

[Drew Dowdell]

Yes everyone fluffs, some more than others... some waaaay more than others.   Toyota, Ford, and Hyundai/Kia are notorious for their eyeroll inducing fluff. Sometimes we make fun of them for it.   Inside the Automotive Media inner circle which Willam and I have a bit of an eye into, Ford gets mocked for the volume of their press releases which come out at a rate of sometimes 100 a day.

[Guest Wings4Life(BANNED)]

100 news fluffs per day huh.

 

 

okeedokee

[Drew Dowdell]

100 news fluffs per day huh.

 

 

okeedokee

 

Up to 100 Press releases per day... especially during auto show season. Usually it is a lot fewer than that, but the flood of press releases from Ford has been a topic of discussion.

[Guest Wings4Life(BANNED)]

^

 

I suspect it would be a topic....in a mostly GM site.

[Drew Dowdell]

*sigh* you really need to stop taking things personally.

1. This hasn't been a "GM Site" since 2009.

2. The conversation happened on Facebook.

3. I was only an observer of the conversation, not a participant.  I don't think either myself or William actually replied in that thread.

4. It was between other members of the media in an automotive media related discussion group.

[El Kabong]

As far as PR crap goes: I don't mind it in magazines, or on TV or the interwebs. But when you have human spambots spraying it around a forum worse than a Tiajuana toilet it gets old REALLY fast.

As far as a sporty Verano goes: a good idea, maybe. But it won't help the Regal any.

Edited August 15, 2015 by Drew Dowdell

[Guest Wings4Life(BANNED)]

*sigh* you really need to stop taking things personally.

1. This hasn't been a "GM Site" since 2009.

2. The conversation happened on Facebook.

3. I was only an observer of the conversation, not a participant.  I don't think either myself or William actually replied in that thread.

4. It was between other members of the media in an automotive media related discussion group.

 

"up to a hundred PR fluffs per day"

Repeated mentions of how it is a " topic of discussion "

 

Your point was clear, thanks.

And trust me, it was hardly "personal" as much as obvious.

[El Kabong]

These trims don't seem that different from existing trims, except for the Verano which adds the 8-way power seat

Every little bit detracts from the Regal though. It would appear they have all but given up on the car, at least until the next, more-differentiated Verano debuts.

[Drew Dowdell]

I've cleaned up multiple recent off-topic posts. Back to the Buick trims.

[El Kabong]

I've cleaned up multiple recent off-topic posts. Back to the Buick trims.

Good stuff.

...so what have you heard, if anything, about the timeline for the new Verano?

[Drew Dowdell]

 

I've cleaned up multiple recent off-topic posts. Back to the Buick trims.

Good stuff.

...so what have you heard, if anything, about the timeline for the new Verano?

 

 

I'm actually kinda surprised that this announcement included the Verano.  I thought we were getting a new Verano so soon it wouldn't matter. This is going to be a one-year only trim on the current body Verano at best.

[Drew Dowdell]

I've cleaned up multiple recent off-topic posts. Back to the Buick trims.

and I've cleaned it up again.

[Guest Wings4Life(BANNED)]

Thank you

[daves87rs]

Would actually like to see the Verano sport.....though they should add a bit more boom.....could appeal to the younger crowd.

[oldshurst442]

OCNBLU mentioned T-Type...that would not be a bad trim name for what Buick wants to do here.

 

Or maybe resurrect  and steal from Oldsmobile "International Series"  and further the "sport trim" package...

 

Because I kinda find "ST" and "Sport Trim" kinda lame...

Like... on the level of Taylor Swift-Ariana Grande "spat", lame.

 

You cant get more lame than that actually.

[regfootball]

Go to Buicks website. They have listed the equipment for these packages. And pictures. They added really ugly lip spoilers to the rear decks of these cars. Hideous! Particularly on the Regal. Ruins the car. This is old GM at its finest.

[cp-the-nerd]

Go to Buicks website. They have listed the equipment for these packages. And pictures. They added really ugly lip spoilers to the rear decks of these cars. Hideous! Particularly on the Regal. Ruins the car. This is old GM at its finest.

 

How can a lip spoiler be "hideous"? If I'm not mistaken that spoiler on the Regal is the standard GS spoiler that they've used since it came out.

[ocnblu]

Haha, don't get me started on rear spoilers.  HATE 'EM.  I rued the day GM made them standard on the current Camaro, and I never liked the 4th gen F-bodies because the rear spoilers were integral to the decklid.  I applaud Ford for giving us a "spoiler delete" option on the Mustang.  Back in the day, I would take an LX 5.0 notchback over a festooned GT any day of the week, just because of its low, sexy deck.

 

I feel the same about these Sport Touring Buicks.  To denote a sport trim, wouldn't you really rather have a Buick with darkened wheels and lights and black chrome trim... instead of a spoiler, which is hopelessly passe?

[oldshurst442]

Haha, don't get me started on rear spoilers.  HATE 'EM.  I rued the day GM made them standard on the current Camaro, and I never liked the 4th gen F-bodies because the rear spoilers were integral to the decklid.  I applaud Ford for giving us a "spoiler delete" option on the Mustang.  Back in the day, I would take an LX 5.0 notchback over a festooned GT any day of the week, just because of its low, sexy deck.

 

I feel the same about these Sport Touring Buicks.  To denote a sport trim, wouldn't you really rather have a Buick with darkened wheels and lights and black chrome trim... instead of a spoiler, which is hopelessly passe?

Neither...

A spoiler is nice on some cars...and the spoiler itself has to fit the image of the car...

A1969 Daytona NEEDS that huge spoiler...

A 2015 Buick Regal....does not...in fact,,,the 2015 Regal is sooooo sleek....it does not even need darkened wheels and black chrome trim....its welcomed in my book too, but I dont need those darkened wheels and black chrome to feel sporty in the Regal....what I do need though is that OPC version from Europe to feel sporty...

 

You mentioned the 4rth gen F-Body...

You see...the 4rth gen F-Body NEEDED those spoilers...and those flared nostrils and Ram Air ducts and vents...because boy racer...and it fit Pontiac's image to a tee...

 

1980s cars....needed those spoliers too...

 

A Lambo Countach could not have been THE poster car of the 1980s had it not been for that spoiler...in fact...some people even put front spoilers on that car...it was all about the excess free wheelin' 80s...

During the 1970s...the Countach was just a bland car...even with scissor doors...is what Im sayin'....those spoilers and plastic body panels is what made the Countach into a legend is what Im sayin'...

 

 

 

So they do have a place is what Im sayin'

 

 

Im sayin' a lot of things....is what Im also sayin'

Edited August 18, 2015 by oldshurst442

[El Kabong]

I used to think the Stingray spoiler was kinda dumb. Then I saw one on the road the other day without one.

Hmmmmm. Tastes change, is what I'm saying.

[ocnblu]

"Spoiler" is an apt descriptor, because that is what they do to the looks of 100% of the Buick Sport Touring lineup.  Now, the Encore with the new more powerful engine, THAT is worth the price of admission in a Buick S/T-Type.

[G. David Felt]

I would take an Encore with a more powerful engine for sure. 

[Drew Dowdell]

I need to contact the press fleet to schedule an Encore ST. I haven't had a press vehicle in a long while.

[ocnblu]

I hope this is just GM ramping up production of the new 1.4t, and that once they're all up to speed, it will become the standard mill.  Plus it needs to be optional on the Trax, STAT!

[Drew Dowdell]

I hope this is just GM ramping up production of the new 1.4t, and that once they're all up to speed, it will become the standard mill.  Plus it needs to be optional on the Trax, STAT!

 

Trax RS?

 

but I'm sure your hypothesis is correct.  The current 1.4T is from an engine family that is due to be phased out... so as models get refreshed, it will fade from production in favor of the new model.