Introduced in Beijing, the Buick Riviera embodies GM's new mentality : the world is nothing but a single global market. According to Chinese designer Cao Min, the upcoming Buick models will be identical no matter where they're sold on the planet. Traditional Buick design cues like the waterfall grille and the side portholes will remain trademarks. However, Buick wants to explore a new styling direction. Accented by natural light, the angles will be sharper, more aggressive and more modern. Incidentally, the visual ties between the Riviera Concept and the next-generation Buick LaCrosse/Allure are just as strong as those between the Velite Concept and the recently-introduced Enclave crossover. Min adds that Buick is shifting to more dynamic cars that could even compete with BMWs. Buick intends to become a major player in the GM family by employing every technology available in the short term, including the hybrid technology.
photo: Philippe Champoux, Alexandre Beaulne, Sébastien D'Amour