2013 Buick Encore Teased

Buick officially released the name and an initial teaser image of its upcoming compact crossover, which will be called the 2013 Buick Encore. The five-passenger model represents the Tri-Shield's first foray into the compact crossover category. The brand was meant to get a compact CUV based off the now-defunct Saturn Vue, but that model was canceled in 2009.

Judging from the initial photo, the Encore will have traditional Buick styling cues, including a chrome waterfall grille, porthole vents and almond-shaped headlights with xenon high-intensity-discharge headlights that feature a bluish hue.

We’ll have more information on the Encore when the model is unveiled at the 2012 Detroit auto show on Jan. 10.

2012 Detroit Auto Show: What To Expect, Updated

Twenty-five days separate us from the 2012 Detroit auto show. Of the more than 36 new cars coming to the show, we now can confirm at least 28 vehicles will be there.

Unlike the 2011 L.A. Auto Show, the Detroit show seems to focus heavily on concept cars. The most important production cars we know of now include the 2013 Ford Fusion, 2013 Dodge Dart, 2013 Acura RDX, 2013 Toyota Prius c and the 2013 Cadillac ATS.

This week we learned that the 2013 Fusion will be at the show and a Lincoln MKZ concept, as we previously reported. The Fusion will be introduced at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Jan. 10 and at the Detroit auto show on the same day. The next-generation Mercedes-Benz SL-Class will also be shown off (shown above).

There will be some thinly veiled concepts to look out for, too. They include the Acura ILX Concept, a compact car with a hybrid variant, and, more importantly, the 2013 Honda Accord Coupe Concept. If past Honda concepts are any indication, it will pretty much be the new Accord that will go on sale later next year.

For now, those are the major releases we know about. We’ll have more info once the 2012 Detroit auto show gets under way Jan. 9.

2012 Detroit Auto Show: What To Expect

Nearly a month from today will mark the return of America’s — and maybe the world’s — most important auto show. Thirty-six all-new vehicles are set to debut at the 2012 North American International Auto Show, according to the Detroit Free Press.

After a two-year hiatus, Nissan and Infiniti will be at the show. At the same time, Suzuki, Land Rover and Jaguar will be leaving.

New vehicles at the show will include the 2013 Toyota Prius C, which will be the most fuel-efficient and most affordable Toyota hybrid available, according to the automaker.

GM, Chrysler Offer 48-Month Buy-Back Program

Ally Financial, the preferred lender for GM and Chrysler, is launching a new program to buy your car back after four years if you have a five-, six- or seven-year loan. The program, called Buyer’s Choice, rolled out yesterday in California, Florida, Illinois, New York and Texas, with more markets "added over the coming months," Ally said in a statement.

To be sure, anyone can trade or sell their car before their payments are up through rollover financing or a sale payment to the lender, but it's a sticky process.

The Ally product gives the buyer a guaranteed value at the time of purchase, along with an amortization table of the loan. You'll know from the start what sort of equity you'll have at the end of 48 months, which should help anyone thinking about using Buyer's Choice to avoid being upside down at the four-year mark. There's no fee to enroll, and you don't have to buy or lease a Chrysler or GM vehicle with your Buyer's Choice cash. Wear and tear limits will be similar to that of a lease, but exact terms on mileage weren't given.

The program should offer a degree of assurance to shoppers wary of buying from GM or Chrysler, given each automaker's bankrupt past. Then again, Chrysler vehicles are moving up on the reliability chain, an earlier weakness for the company.

Ford Drops; Lexus, Mazda and Jeep Improve in Latest Consumer Reports Survey

Ford's dashboard doldrums persist. The automaker's buggy MyFord Touch multimedia system, rolled out in summer 2010, contributed toward a steep decline in J.D. Power and Associates' 2011 Initial Quality Study. Now it has become a sore spot for Ford owners responding to Consumer Reports' latest reliability surveys.

Problems with the dual-clutch automatic transmission in the Fiesta and Focus also tarnished the brand, which tumbled 10 spots in overall reliability to 20th among 28 major carmakers. Ford's Lincoln division, whose MKX SUV uses a variant of MyFord Touch, improved one spot to 14th place. Other movers included Lexus (up seven spots to second place), Mazda (up eight spots to third) and Jeep (up seven spots to 13th).

The survey, based on responses from the magazine's 1.3 million subscribers, covered cars from the 2002 to 2011 model years, from which Consumer Reports predicts reliability for 2012 models. Consumer Reports says other Ford models, most notably the Fusion Hybrid sedan, remain as reliable as ever. And Ford appears committed to MyFord Touch, with plans to introduce it in the 2013 Taurus.

All Buicks to Get Standard Multimedia System

Later this year, Buick will begin rolling out its IntelliLink multimedia system as standard across the brand’s entire lineup. Among other features, it will give owners access to Pandora internet radio.

The new 2012 Buick Verano and 2012 Regal will come standard with a 7-inch touch-screen, while the LaCrosse will get an 8-inch screen. The 2013 Buick Enclave will get a touch-screen and IntelliLink standard, too.

Much like Chevrolet’s MyLink system, IntelliLink gives Buick owners access to Pandora and Stitcher internet radio streaming programs and a better voice-recognition system, which allows for simple voice commands. There’s also upgraded USB connectivity, including the ability to play music from a memory stick as well as an MP3 player. Those updates are on top of other recent OnStar enhancements that include hands-free texting and Facebook updates, along with navigation and traffic updates.

When the launch is completed, Buick will be one of the first automotive brands to offer a multimedia system as standard equipment. 

GM Introduces Industry-First Front Center Airbag

GM will add a front center airbag to its 2013 Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave vehicles. This industry-first airbag deploys from the right side of the driver’s seat and creates a barrier between the two seats in the front row.

Why create a barrier between the two seats? When far-side collisions — a front occupant is involved in a crash on opposite side of where they’re seated — occur, head, chest and spinal injuries can be severe. This happens because far-side occupants are either flung into the other seat or a passenger, if present, causing harm to both occupants, says the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Nearly 29% of fatalities for belted front occupants in side-impact non-rollover crashes are caused by these incidents, according to NHTSA.

The front center airbag is designed to restrain the driver and front occupant from colliding with each other or other objects in the cabin, and it acts as an energy-absorbing cushion to absorb the colliding vehicle’s reciprocal force.

The airbags will be standard on the 2013 Buick Enclave and standard on GMC Acadia and Chevy Traverse when equipped with power seats. The added airbag would give the large crossovers seven airbags, when equipped. All three crossovers already have top safety accolades from NHTSA and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The center airbag will also help improve roll-over safety, says GM.

Toyota said it’s also working on a center airbag, but it hasn’t released the safety system on a model yet.

Update: GM has cofirmed that the 2013 crossovers will debut a year from now, in the fall of 2012. 

2012 Buick Verano Priced at $23,470

The 2012 Buick Verano will go on sale for $23,470, excluding an $885 destination fee, GM said today. That starting price gets you fog lights, 18-inch alloy wheels, leatherette upholstery, a 7-inch touch-screen, automatic climate control, remote start, power accessories, steering-wheel-mounted controls, Bluetooth connectivity and a USB input.

The model gets a 180-horsepower four-cylinder engine, six-speed automatic transmission and 10 airbags standard, too.

The top-of-the-line version, which starts at $26,850, includes a heated steering wheel and genuine leather. A 2.0-liter turbocharged engine will be available later.

This Buick midluxury compact sedan has few competitors. The similarly sized Volvo S40 ($27,750) and Audi A3 ($27,270) cost about $4,000 more. A well-equipped 2012 Volkswagen Jetta GLI Autobahn — which has similar gas mileage and content to the base Verano — starts at $25,545. A similarly equipped Chevrolet Cruze LTZ sedan, which is the Verano’s sibling vehicle, comes in at $23,420.

Buick hasn’t detailed all the package levels yet — we know there are 1SG and 1SL packages — but we know there will be three packages in all. Starting with the 2012 model year, Buicks no longer have trim designators.

The Verano goes on sale later this year.

Recall Alert: 2012 Buick LaCrosse

GM is recalling 4,077 2012 Buick LaCrosse sedans because the electronic stability system may not be properly calibrated, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

In the affected vehicles, which were built between June 9 and July 2, the Stabilitrak system may not detect a sensor malfunction. As a result, the warning light indicating the system is not operating would not illuminate. You can check your car's assembly date on a label affixed to the driver-side doorjamb.

A malfunctioning sensor could cause the electronic stability system to falsely activate and cause sudden changes in vehicle handling, increasing the risk of a crash.

The recall is expected to begin this month. Dealers will reprogram the electronic brake control module for free. Owners can call Buick at 866-608-8080 or NHTSA’s vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236 for more info.

2012 Buick Regal GS, eAssist Priced

Buick's new high-mileage 2012 Buick Regal with eAssist will start at $28,670 and the performance-oriented Regal GS will start at $34,270 when the models go on sale later this year. Both prices exclude an $860 destination charge.

GM says the eAssist trim costs $2,000 more than the standard 2012 Buick Regal. Since the price of the latter hasn’t been formally announced, that would mean the base Regal will cost $26,670, up $310 from last year.

For those who don’t remember, the eAssist trim is the new name for GM’s mild-hybrid system. The powertrain combines a four-cylinder gasoline engine, small electric motor, regenerative braking and battery pack, and other fuel-saving measures to achieve EPA mileage ratings of 25/36 mpg city/highway.  The eAssist model also comes with dual-zone air conditioning, seven-speaker stereo, leather upholstery, heated front seats, rear parking sonar and push-button start standard. The Regal hybrid model has the same powertrain and fuel economy estimates as the Buick LaCrosse with eAssist, though the LaCrosse costs $1,290 more.