The splashy debut of Buick's new Envision plug-in hybrid concept helped kick off the 2011 Shanghai Motor Show.
With an elaborately staged show worthy of a Las Vegas revue, General Motors unveiled a new Buick concept vehicle as Shanghai Auto 2011, China’s largest auto show, was getting underway.
The Buick Envision SUV is a plug-in hybrid concept vehicle merging Buick’s global design language with Chinese aesthetics – and a variety of high-tech features.
“The Envision has inherited Buick design DNA and taken the Buick global design language to a new height. It makes a significant statement for Buick styling and technology, and will influence upcoming models from the brand,” said Ed Welburn, GM vice president of global design, who was on hand for the official debut.
The resurgent Buick brand now sells more cars in China than the U.S., and that has led GM to rely more and more on the Asian nation’s designers and engineers when developing new products for the marque. Envision inherits the essence of Buick’s “fluid dynamics and peaceful comfort,” said Holt Ware, director of design at Shanghai GM’s PATAC technical center.
“It introduces the development direction for Buick’s future SUV products for the China market,” added Shi Hong, Director of Buick Marketing at Shanghai GM
An early GM rendering of the Buick Envision concept.
The concept’s design carries forward Buick’s tradition of “grandeur,” blending it with dynamic lines, sharp angles and curved shapes. It features a dynamic coupe-like body with butterfly doors that swing up to reveal a spacious multifunctional interior, Ware explained.
The Envision features a two-layer traditional Buick waterfall grille, which uses a shutter system to regulate air intake to meet the demand of the power system and achieve optimized aerodynamic performance when cooling needs are low. Headlamps and fog lights are inspired by traditional Chinese patterns. Porcelain-like daytime LED lamps house five “Chinese pillar-like” LED bulbs for a reserved elegance with bright illumination.
The interior of the Buick concept has the “aesthetic of a space craft,” the maker suggests. In addition to Buick’s classic ice-blue lighting, the cabin also features optional orange “casual” lighting and red “sportive” lighting, giving off a soft radiance that matches the mood of the surroundings.
The technology in the Envision introduces a number of people-oriented concepts and technology for convenience and comfort, GM designers said, including next-generation Bluetooth with Intelligent Internet system, allowing users to connect to the Web with their cell phones.
The traditional rearview mirrors have been replaced by three micro-cameras to catch and relay images of the road to the dashboard. When the car is moving, speed, fuel consumption and navigation details are projected onto the windshield in 3-D so that the driver does not have to take his or her eyes off the road.
The Envision is equipped with GM’s plug-in hybrid system, which offers a balance of performance and fuel economy. It uses a 2-liter SIDI intelligent direct injection turbocharged engine is complemented by a pair of electric motor generators in the Envision’s dual automatic/manual eight-speed transmission.
A high-performance lithium battery and a solar energy roof with optical equipment serve as an alternative energy source independent from the engine complete the package.
GM has been pushing into battery propulsion with the Chevrolet Volt, which will follow its U.S. launch with sales in China. The automaker also plans to add a battery R&D facility in Shanghai. That underscores the Chinese government’s demand that automaker rapidly expand the use of electric powertrain technology.