2012 Buick Regal eAssist

Buick is certainly keeping up by providing the latest in technology to improve fuel economy without giving up performance. The Buick Regal eAssist will be available in the fall of 2011. The eAssist will lend Buick the opportunity to appeal to a market that is looking to keep more money in their pockets when pulling up to the pumps, but still longing for a luxury sport sedan. Customers wanting Style and Fuel Economy will be able to get them in the Buick Regal eAssist. The eAssist system is a $2000.00 option on the Regal base model, mated to a 2.4L Ecotec engine.

     The Regal with eAssist uses advanced technologies and other enhancements to deliver an EPA rated 25 mpg city and 37 mpg highway. The highway mpg is unsurpassed by the higher priced Lexus Hybrid, Acura TSX and Lincoln MKZ Hybrid. This fuel saving technology improves fuel economy by 25 percent over the 2011 four-cylinder/six speed powertrain. With fuel prices closing in on $4.00 per gallon, the eAssist option should pay for itself in a little over 3 years.

     The 2.4L four-cylinder Ecotec engine paired with a state of the art lithium-ion battery system and electric motor generator that enables regenerative braking capability is the technology that makes it all happen. To understand watch the video, which explains how this system works. The eAssist system uses power stored in the battery to provide needed electrical boost in various driving scenarios, optimizing engine and transmission operation. 

Standard features include:

Driver selectable, fuel economy-optimizing mode for the a/c system, enabling more frequent and longer duration engine stop periods.

ECO gauge on the instrument panel that continuously responds to driving behavior, enabling the driver to drive with greater efficiency.

Powerflow readout in the color infotainment or driver information center that shows the flow of energy through the electric assist system, such as battery charging and electric power directed to the engine. 

      The eAssist will have a next generation six speed automatic powertrain combination (Hydra-Matic 6T40). Changes were made to improve performance. The added electric power by the eAssist allows for higher gearing to improve steady efficiency without impacting acceleration performance or durability. 

An auxiliary, electric driven transmission oil pump is added to the 6T40, to keep the transmission primed and fluid flowing when the engine shuts down at a stop. This keeps the transmission ready to perform when the driver accelerates.

Specification overview:

Four door, five passenger, FWD, midsize vehicle. Engine is 2.4L DOHC I-4 145 cu inches/2384 cc, cast aluminum, 4 valves per cylinder, 182 horsepower. Independent MacPherson strut type in front and four-link independent rear; hollow stabilizer bar, four wheel disc w/ABS (w/ESC). Wheel base-107.8 inches, overall length-190.2 inches, overall width-73.1 inches. Headroom-38.8 inches (front), Legroom-42.1 inches (front), Shoulder room-56.7 inches (front), Hip room-55.4 inches (front) and fuel tank capacity-18.5 gallons

This new eAssist option will also be available on the 2012 LaCrosse.

      Come see and test drive the newest addition to the Buick lineup at Biggs Cadillac Buick GMC. Visit us at www.biggscadillac.com or download our new Mobile App on the Android market, also available for your iPhone and iPad.  

http://www.flickr.com//photos/egmcartech/sets/72157625876965259/show/

Cadillac ELR ( Converj Plug-In Concept Car ) is Confirmed for Production.

The Cadillac Converj Coupe was just a concept car when it was first shown at the 2009 Detroit motor show. Now it is officially going into production. The Cadillac ELR will be Cadillac's first electric car. The technology will be borrowed from the power plant that is currently in the Chevrolet Volt.
     The difference will be a "1.5" version of the Voltec platform, a more powerful version of the Volt system with a 181kg, T-shaped lithium-ion battery, an electric motor driving the front wheels and a four cylinder gas engine driving a generator. The battery will be the primary source to drive without using gasoline or producing tailpipe emissions , with a range (at this time) of approximately 40 miles. When the battery runs low it will switch to an extended range mode, using the generator to power the electric drive-train (which is powered by the fuel in the tank).This will give the Cadillac ELR a more powerful electric motor and increase performance. The ELR is planned to go into production in 2013 so it can hit the showroom floors by 2014.

     The ELR's arrival will return the Detroit-Hamtramck factory to its roots: GM opened the plant in 1985 specifically for Cadillacs, but the factory stopped building luxury cars in May, when GM discontinued the Cadillac DTS.

The plant, which currently runs on one shift, will add two shifts, worth 2,500 jobs, over the next couple of years to build the new vehicles.

     Adding an electric vehicle brings Cadillac closer to its goal of having a full lineup like those at Mercedes-Benz and BMW. The brand kicks off a planned stretch of new product launches next year by adding the XTS large sedan and a compact sedan code-named ATS. Developers are also working on a big, rear-wheel drive flagship to compete with the BMW 7 Series or Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

GM confirmed today that the Converj concept car will go into production using the Volt's powertrain and will be dubbed the ELR. Here's the full press release:

DETROIT – The innovative Cadillac Converj Concept, a dramatic luxury coupe with extended-range electric vehicle technology, is moving forward as a production car that will be called the Cadillac ELR.   

Development of the ELR is just underway, so details on performance, price and timing will be announced later. 

The Cadillac ELR will feature an electric propulsion system made up of a T-shaped lithium ion battery, an electric drive unit, and a four-cylinder engine-generator. It uses electricity as its primary source to drive the car without using gasoline or producing tailpipe emissions. When the battery’s energy is low, the ELR seamlessly switches to extended-range mode to enable driving for hundreds of additional miles. 

 “The concept generated instant enthusiasm,” said Don Butler, vice president-Cadillac Marketing. “Like other milestone Cadillac models of the past, the ELR will offer something not otherwise present – the combination of electric propulsion with striking design and the fun of luxury coupe driving.” 

Cadillac selected the name ELR to indicate the car’s electric propulsion technology, in keeping with the brand’s 3-letter international model naming convention.

The Converj Concept sparked the idea of combining the desirability of a grand touring coupe with electrification, said Ed Welburn, GM vice president, Global Design.

“There’s no mistaking it for anything but a Cadillac, an aggressive, forward-leaning profile and proportion showcases a uniquely shaped, modern vision of a personal luxury 2+2,” Welburn said. 

Cadillac will reveal another new concept car on Thursday, Aug. 18, at a special event prior to the annual Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Cadillac also recently announced it will add two new vehicles to its product lineup in 2012, the XTS large luxury sedan and an all-new luxury compact sedan codenamed ATS.

    We will be following the development of Cadillac's ELR. 2014 is the date for Biggs Cadillac Buick GMC to start showing a new concept in electric.

Keep it between the lines
Happy Motoring

2012 Cadillac SRX - Coming in August to Biggs Cadillac Buick GMC

Cadillac has been a leading LUXURY auto brand since 1902

          The SRX is Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) 2011 Top Safety Pick with industry-leading active and passive safety and crash avoidance systems.

                Cadillac's 2012 SRX is on its way-to Biggs Cadillac Buick GMC here in Elizabeth City, NC, according to Cadillac they are being delivered this month.

                      It has been upgraded significantly for the new year. They have given it a new 308- horsepower 3.6L direct-injected V6 engine (DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder),which replaces the 3.0L V6, delivering 16 percent more horsepower. That makes it the most powerful standard engine in its class,  and includes a driver-selectable ECO Mode for optimal fuel economy.       

            While the new LFX engine has more horsepower it still has comparable fuel economy to its prior engine because of its mass-efficient design and the ECO Mode setting, which sets revised shift points in the 6 speed Hydra-Matic automatic transmission to maximize economy.       

                

                Other upgrades and changes to the SRX for 2012 include Bluetooth on all models, an optional heated steering wheel, a Blue Metallic exterior paint is a option and an all-ebony interior with contrasting French seam stitching on seats and doors, is also an option.

            If the feature on the interior looks like wood- it is, if it looks like metal- it is.

              The SRX is a 5-door,5-passenger front engine transaxle; front wheel drive/all wheel drive midsize luxury crossover and has plenty to offer- 4 Styles to choose from- Base, Luxury Collection, Performance and Premium, each offering the best in its class.

Key competitors are the Lexus RX; Acura MDX; BMW X3 and X5.

          A few core elements of the chassis and suspension include: Independent MacPherson strut suspension system
Power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering( standard on Base and Luxury Collection)
Power-assisted variable-effort and speed-sensitive rack-and-pinion steering system(standard on Performance and Premium Collection) 
A rear axle ratio of 3.39.
          Other features are:
New sound absorbing materials for a quieter ride
OnStar Turn-by-Turn directions
Improved voice recognition for phone activation, Navigation and Radio station changes

Cruise Control Buttons on the steering wheel

Memory Seat set-
Backlighting for map lights in the overhead console.

            Popular features returning to the 2012 model include movable cargo fence and large under-floor storage space in the rear,and the UltraView sunroof that cover 70 percent of the vehicle roof.

            As soon as The SRX hits our Showroom Floor we will let you know, So get ready to come See and Test Drive the 2012 Cadillac SRX at Biggs Cadillac Buick GMC

Keep it between the lines,

Happy Motoring