Production Buick "Business Concept" spied and interior revealed

civilzues · 11-02-2009, 02:44 PM

http://www.leftlanenews.com/buick-business-concept.html

Quote:

A new round of spy photos shows the production version of Buick’s “Business” MPV, complete with images of the nearly finished interior, plus some new exterior views. Monday’s snapshots follow 6 weeks after we published the first ever images of the prototype people-mover.

In April, Buick presented its “Business” Concept to a global audience at the Shanghai Motor Show. Five months later, prototypes began undergoing testing in the United States. Although first impressions may scream “minivan” – show-goers who saw the concept have referred to it as a tall-roof luxury limo.

civilzues · 11-02-2009, 02:45 PM

Not that wonderful!

mgescuro · 11-02-2009, 02:48 PM

Interior is unique and compelling. Nice to see GM can actually make a car with air vents that are aligned in the same direction.

Nice steering wheel hub too.

Good for Buick.

cad1cts · 11-02-2009, 03:02 PM

I like it too mgescuro. Very nice job Buick.

rueben44 · 11-02-2009, 03:07 PM

On the outside I will have to wait but the inside is a no go.

t-rex · 11-02-2009, 03:09 PM

It's a shame that this vehicle isn't already on the market — and I hope it's coming to North America. My mother is shopping for a replacement for her well-worn, yet loved, Buick Rendezvous. She purchased her 'vous specifically because it offered minivan versatility (she's a consummate collector of antique furniture and other sundry large items) without the minivan stigma. It's well past time for replacement, and the only vehicle on the market today that meets her parameters is the Ford Flex, which she's interested in, but my Ford-hating father is loathe to purchase. If the "Business Concept" were on the market today, GM would have at least one eager customer willing to sign a cheque for one. The Rendezvous sold well in its tenure and GM should consider bringing this model to market as soon as possible as an indirect replacement.

And despite what many may believe, not all MPV customers will gravitate to a crossover. The Enclave is not a Rendezvous alternative; it's much too large, with a higher load sill, and a too-SUV-like stance to appeal to a customer who referred to her erstwhile Volvo 740 wagon as "a tank".

If the Enclave and LaCrosse are any indication of Buick's new direction, the brand will have no problems wooing customers like my parents — well-heeled types with long histories of preferring imports. If GM would give any indication of an "if" and "when" regarding this model's arrival in North America, Momsypoo might be willing to hang on to the 'vous until this arrives.

Quickening · 11-02-2009, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mgescuro

Interior is unique and compelling. Nice to see GM can actually make a car with air vents that are aligned in the same direction.

Nice steering wheel hub too.

Good for Buick.

Agreed. Especially when you consider its basically a minivan.

K-1 · 11-02-2009, 03:47 PM

Interior is weak sauce, exterior looks okay so far. PATAC and SGM have a thing or two to learn.

mgescuro · 11-02-2009, 03:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quickening

Agreed. Especially when you consider its basically a minivan.

Exactly.
Smartly placed push button start.
No more dated column shifter.
Modern and contemporary interior.
Brightwork isn't over-wrought.
Steering wheel is stylish.
No major design quirks.

It's a very compelling interior. Looks to me like Buick is on a roll.

BerettaZ · 11-02-2009, 03:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mgescuro

Exactly.
Smartly placed push button start.
No more dated column shifter.
Modern and contemporary interior.
Brightwork isn't over-wrought.
Steering wheel is stylish.
No major design quirks.

It's a very compelling interior. Looks to me like Buick is on a roll.

Agreed. Simple, yet modern.

Not sure I care for the big red button on the passenger side dash, though..

megeebee · 11-02-2009, 04:11 PM

So it's not been decided whether this will be sold in NA or not yet?

I suppose if GM wanted a minivan of some kind it may as well have one of the most luxurious on the market.

Personally, I don't care one way or the other.

CrunkedRL · 11-02-2009, 04:13 PM

Since seeing the initial Business Concept I've often wondered whether the design was influenced by the Capybara...

CamaroCrazy · 11-02-2009, 04:14 PM

I like that interior. Its simple yet elegant without looking cheap. Imagine that in the Encore/baby Enclave that's coming to NA. I don't dig the traditional minivan box style of this thing, but if the clay model we've seen from those screen shots is any indication of the Encore/baby Enclave, we'll get the better exterior design. Buick really is on a roll.

FenwickHockey65 · 11-02-2009, 04:16 PM

Looks good to me...only thing I'm not too fond of is the gauge cluster, but I'm hoping that will look better with a production part.

F14CRAZY · 11-02-2009, 05:26 PM

Is this still on the U platform?

11-02-2009, 02:45 PM	#2 (permalink)
civilzues 4.4 Liter Supercharged Northstar Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 2,846	Re: Production Buick "Business Concept" spied and interior revealed Not that wonderful! __________________ I live in Detroit, the only place in the world where you have to head south to get into Canada. I was born 40 miles from Buick City-thankfully

11-02-2009, 02:48 PM	#3 (permalink)
mgescuro R2-D2 Astromech Droid Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: San Francisco Bay Area Posts: 28,218	Re: Production Buick "Business Concept" spied and interior revealed Interior is unique and compelling. Nice to see GM can actually make a car with air vents that are aligned in the same direction. Nice steering wheel hub too. Good for Buick. __________________ 2000 Saab 9-5 Aero 1995 Mercedes C280 1994 Jaguar XJ6 ...when all hope is gone, you know sad songs say so much... GMReinvention.com Cadillac: The Art of Irrelevancy *SAN FRANCISCO 2020!!*

11-02-2009, 03:02 PM	#4 (permalink)
cad1cts 3.0 Liter SIDI V6 Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: birmingham, al Posts: 571	Re: Production Buick "Business Concept" spied and interior revealed I like it too mgescuro. Very nice job Buick.

11-02-2009, 03:07 PM	#5 (permalink)
rueben44 5.3 Liter Vortec V8 Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Houston, TX Drives: 2006 Mazda 3 2003 CTS - Sold Posts: 1,352	Re: Production Buick "Business Concept" spied and interior revealed On the outside I will have to wait but the inside is a no go. __________________ 2006 Mazda 3 Car Domain Page

11-02-2009, 03:09 PM	#6 (permalink)
t-rex 6.2 Liter LS9 Supercharged V8 Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: New Orleans Drives: 2005 BMW 325i. Posts: 7,524	Re: Production Buick "Business Concept" spied and interior revealed It's a shame that this vehicle isn't already on the market — and I hope it's coming to North America. My mother is shopping for a replacement for her well-worn, yet loved, Buick Rendezvous. She purchased her 'vous specifically because it offered minivan versatility (she's a consummate collector of antique furniture and other sundry large items) without the minivan stigma. It's well past time for replacement, and the only vehicle on the market today that meets her parameters is the Ford Flex, which she's interested in, but my Ford-hating father is loathe to purchase. If the "Business Concept" were on the market today, GM would have at least one eager customer willing to sign a cheque for one. The Rendezvous sold well in its tenure and GM should consider bringing this model to market as soon as possible as an indirect replacement. And despite what many may believe, not all MPV customers will gravitate to a crossover. The Enclave is not a Rendezvous alternative; it's much too large, with a higher load sill, and a too-SUV-like stance to appeal to a customer who referred to her erstwhile Volvo 740 wagon as "a tank". If the Enclave and LaCrosse are any indication of Buick's new direction, the brand will have no problems wooing customers like my parents — well-heeled types with long histories of preferring imports. If GM would give any indication of an "if" and "when" regarding this model's arrival in North America, Momsypoo might be willing to hang on to the 'vous until this arrives.

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11-02-2009, 03:47 PM	#8 (permalink)
K-1 4.4 Liter Supercharged Northstar Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan Drives: 2008 Saturn ASTRA 5dr XR 2009 Saturn AURA XE Posts: 2,581	Re: Production Buick "Business Concept" spied and interior revealed Interior is weak sauce, exterior looks okay so far. PATAC and SGM have a thing or two to learn. __________________ 2008 Saturn ASTRA 5-door XR - Sandstone - Me 2009 Saturn AURA XE - Quicksilver - Wife 2009 Maclaren Quest Sport Stroller - Black/Champagne - Son 2008 Radio Flyer Sport Trike - Classic Red - Son 2008 Fisher-Price Power Wheels Lil' Kawasaki ATV - Green/Yellow - Son Last edited by K-1 : 11-02-2009 at 04:01 PM.

11-02-2009, 04:11 PM	#11 (permalink)
megeebee 6.2 Liter LS9 Supercharged V8 Join Date: Feb 2005 Drives: 2005 Cadillac STS 3.6L Posts: 5,316	Re: Production Buick "Business Concept" spied and interior revealed So it's not been decided whether this will be sold in NA or not yet? I suppose if GM wanted a minivan of some kind it may as well have one of the most luxurious on the market. Personally, I don't care one way or the other. __________________ 9. Controversial topics, such as retardation, racism, religion, sexism, illicit drugs/narcotic, etc., will NOT be tolerated. The posting of hate or racist comments will be grounds for an automatic 10-day ban.

11-02-2009, 04:13 PM	#12 (permalink)
CrunkedRL 5.3 Liter Vortec V8 Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Columbus,OH Drives: 1998 Saturn SL2 2004 Saturn Vue RL Posts: 1,269	Re: Production Buick "Business Concept" spied and interior revealed Since seeing the initial Business Concept I've often wondered whether the design was influenced by the Capybara... __________________ Current Fleet: 04' Saturn Vue RL 3.5L Honda V6 98' Saturn SL2 1.9L 16 Valve DOHC I4 Last edited by CrunkedRL : 11-02-2009 at 04:16 PM.

11-02-2009, 04:14 PM	#13 (permalink)
CamaroCrazy 3.0 Liter SIDI V6 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Cary, NC Drives: 1994 Camaro Z28 2000 Camaro Posts: 737	Re: Production Buick "Business Concept" spied and interior revealed I like that interior. Its simple yet elegant without looking cheap. Imagine that in the Encore/baby Enclave that's coming to NA. I don't dig the traditional minivan box style of this thing, but if the clay model we've seen from those screen shots is any indication of the Encore/baby Enclave, we'll get the better exterior design. Buick really is on a roll. __________________ Webshots: My Camaros, the Camaro Concepts, and the Sunoco Camaro in action at VIR The Typical Honda/Toyota driver: You are bland and boring and risk-averse. Not to mention you could care less about buying a foreign junk car. These are dependable cars, no doubt, but lack any substance or style. Crappy handling and worse styling. Screams "I have no style or class and live a boring, meager existence. Please let me get over into the exit lane." ~ Posted by Steve11115555 on Forbes.com

11-02-2009, 04:16 PM	#14 (permalink)
FenwickHockey65 News Contributor Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: West Chester, OH Drives: Chevrolet Malibu LS, GMC Envoy SLE, GMC Sonoma SLS Posts: 9,314	Re: Production Buick "Business Concept" spied and interior revealed Looks good to me...only thing I'm not too fond of is the gauge cluster, but I'm hoping that will look better with a production part. __________________ Proud to drive American. Proud to drive GM. Current Cars: 2007 Chevrolet Malibu LS: 2.2L ECOTEC I-4 2003 GMC Envoy SLE: 4.2L Vortec 4200 I-6 1998 GMC Sonoma SLS Ext. Cab: 4.3L Vortec 4300 V6 Former Cars: 1993 Saturn SW2 (1993-2006, 243,000 miles) 1989 GMC Safari SLT (1989-2003, 293,000 miles) Future Car: 2010 Chevrolet Camaro 2LT RS: 3.6L SIDI High-Feature V6

11-02-2009, 05:26 PM	#15 (permalink)
F14CRAZY 6.2 Liter LS9 Supercharged V8 Join Date: May 2006 Location: Dimondale, MI Drives: '89 Buick Reatta Posts: 6,232	Re: Production Buick "Business Concept" spied and interior revealed Is this still on the U platform? __________________ Owner of vehicles powered by a Buick even-fire V6, Chevy 60 degree OHV V6, a big block Buick V8, and a quadrozontal Triple-X08:take your hybrids and shove em up yer ass, i'll take my fuel injection and carburetors, and still make 30+ mpg. and i wont look like a douchebag driving it.

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