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What Exactly Is Buick's Design Language?

19K views 106 replies 66 participants last post by  Ammo 
#1 ·
All of the recent threads about the Opel Cascada and Adam have reminded me of something, Buick has no strong design language. Essentially Buicks carry Opel styling, which in general, in and of itself, is fairly mild mannered. Swap out the Opel grill for Buick's requisite "water fall" grill, bland it up some more so as not to upset Chinese sensitivities, and voila, a Buick.

The Regal GS is cool, (only the GS though), the new Enclave is fairly attractive and the Encore is sort of cutsie, but Buick simply lacks any designs which can literally take your breath away. Even the new LaCrosse seems softened up for the Chicoms.

While we're talking about Chinese tastes, it was the boldly styled Buicks of the '30's and '40's which turned them on to the brand in the first place. Just sayin'.

It's too bad Buick can't have a proper Riviera which could evoke the fantastic, drop dead designs of the '60's and early '70's. Or a bold Electra or Wildcat, or even a badass GNX.
 
#2 ·
Buick does have a distinct design language. Soft lines, water-fall grills, portholes, lots of bright-work etc is their design language. As for not "literally taking your breath away" can you please direct me to the vehicles in the Enclave, LaCrosse, Encore, Regal and Verano classes that do that. I'm very curious. Yes, its a damn pity Buick has no sports cars or raodsters, I'd love nothing more than a Kappa roadster with the Buick styling lanuage, I'm sure it would look really good. The point is that Buick does have a styling language, but it is applied to vehicle categories that cannot show it off to the best effect due to functionality requirements. They now need to introduce niche sporty cars that give them that opportunity.
 
#41 ·
Fair point on the "takes your breath away" comment. Few modern cars have that sort of expressive styling. That's too bad. With that said, I think the new Mazda 6 is a far more expressive and attractive car than say a Verano, for example.

When you look at the attached '68 Wildcat and '65 Riviera, you can almost feel the excitement of what entering a new car showroom felt like back then. People bought these cars to go to the grocery store, haul there families around and get home in a snow storm. The sense of style was a bonus. Not saying that they need to look like 45 year old cars, but at least GM design can reach a little bit. The guys who penned those cars years ago, weren't afraid of a little reach.




 
#4 ·
It's easy to say in hindsight that all these yesteryear cars were fantastic, drop dead designs. But that's just like saying that Casablanca or Citizen Kane is the greatest movie ever made or that Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player ever. You just can't compare.
 
#17 ·
The difference being that there are modern movies and athletes which can stand up to the classics. No one will ever compare a '13 Verano to say a '63 Riv.
 
#8 ·
I've been on Buick for some time now. I'd say the design language is "doughey", or "flaccid". They all look like the clay models were left in the sun too long. Bring back the Wildcat, the Riviera and the GNX, not the same soft, rounded sameness we've been looking at for too long.
Thanks for starting this thread. I hope the folks at Buick are paying attention.
 
#15 ·
Aside from a few bolted on accessories the GNX sheetmetal was pretty bland, square, boxy, '80s coupe
 
#16 ·
The problem is that there are 2 types of buicks, the ones that were designed to be Buicks (Lacrosse, enclave, Verano) and the ones that were designed to be opels (Regal, Encore)

That being said, I think that the Lacrosse, Verano and Enclave have more unique styling than any of their competitors and a very consistent look with each other.
 
#18 ·
I think Buick has a design language but it might be harder to define it without a name like Art & Science or Fluidic Sculpture by Hyundai.

The sweeping lines, flowing dash and boomerang LED treatment fit well on each model. It’s rare to see a design language from a German brand mesh so well with an American brand, even one with a Chinese appeal and influence. I think Opel actually helped give Buick a direction that they should build on.

Buick reminds me a lot of the classis elements like – water, earth and air. The water being the waterfall grill and blue ambient lighting, the earth being the earthy tones it uses for the interior, and the air being the sweeping lines. Dare I say that without jacking Hyundai’s tag, Buick’s design language be called something the “Elemental Sculpture”? They could even throw in fire which represents the powertrain.
 
#19 ·
Buick = leftover, dumbed-down, Oldsmobile (wink,wink).
 
#20 ·
I think some are looking for styling that doesn't exist anymore. We don't live in a time where putting enormous fins on the back of a car will fly, most modern day consumers want to fit in, not stand out. With that said, I'd love to see GM take a chance at being the style leader and put some of the chops MonarroSS has done come to life. Make them low volume halo vehicles for Europe and the USA, the Chinese don't have to get everything.
 
#24 · (Edited)
I was thinking about this earlier. With the new Riviera concept, Buick stated that it was showcasing their future design language and direction. Whereas this week now there is talk about adding the Cascada and Adam to the Buick line, and neither of them seem to really be even close to the Riviera concept.

Seems like they're just as confused.
 
#34 ·
Buick has long been a festering sore with a long history since the 1980's of having some of the ugliest iron to ever be slapped with a Buick nameplate. When there were nice Impalas being offered in the 1980's, you had ugly full-sized Buicks. Aside from the rear wheel drive Regal that climaxed with a shared Buick GNX variant, Buick has really sold garbage.

And now Buick is selling vehicles from different daddies. Some are really Opels that are cross dressing with chrome accents that is actually quite revolting. Then there are some Buicks that are really Chevrolets and then there are other Buicks that look like old Nash models with high beltlines and gunslit windows.

You have some Buicks that have some hint of coke bottle styling - others with just dents in the doors - others that are whale like in bulbous ugliness - but most receive the JC Whitney catalog with fake ventiports and that horrific caricature Buick grill that is easily translated as "vomit inducing" in every know language - including Klingon.

So if there was one way to crystallize the Buick design language it would be "tasteless". There is nothing more or less that can be said about something that is so wretched that you just can't hesitate hurling looking at one.
 
#37 ·
All of the recent threads about the Opel Cascada and Adam have reminded me of something, Buick has no strong design language. Essentially Buicks carry Opel styling, which in general, in and of itself, is fairly mild mannered. Swap out the Opel grill for Buick's requisite "water fall" grill, bland it up some more so as not to upset Chinese sensitivities, and voila, a Buick.



The Regal GS is cool, (only the GS though), the new Enclave is fairly attractive and the Encore is sort of cutsie, but Buick simply lacks any designs which can literally take your breath away. Even the new LaCrosse seems softened up for the Chicoms.

While we're talking about Chinese tastes, it was the boldly styled Buicks of the '30's and '40's which turned them on to the brand in the first place. Just sayin'.

It's too bad Buick can't have a proper Riviera which could evoke the fantastic, drop dead designs of the '60's and early '70's. Or a bold Electra or Wildcat, or even a badass GNX.
Hmmm, Chicoms! Bet I know where you got that from! But don't worry, I won't give you away! Lol
 
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