Buick’s 2012 LaCrosse Hybrid

[xcel]

GM renames the hybrid eAssist.

Wayne Gerdes - CleanMPG - Mar. 25, 2011

Sharp looking 2012 Buick LaCrosse Hybrid will provide its owners with a 29 mpgUS combined rating per the 08 EPA.

Between the 12 Regal and 12 LaCrosse Hybrids, GM has a pair of winners from an interior/exterior point of view. On the marketing front however, repackaging a belt-driven IMA with a small Li-Ion pack and calling it e-Assist vs. a hybrid sounds so Machiavellian?

Between 2011 and 2012, Buick updated the LaCrosse with an external hybrid drivetrain mated to the 2.4L ICE providing a slight boost in performance, much improved fuel economy and another $3,000 USD tacked onto the asking price. Please keep in mind that hybridization is not free no matter how minor or major and I will let you the reader decide if the additional $'s is worth the price of entry.

Comparisons

Not only is the luxury sedan expected to be more fuel efficient than competitors like the Acura TL, Lexus ES350 and Lincoln MKS, it also expects to beat smaller hybrids, including the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid, Toyota Camry Hybrid and Lexus HS Hybrid on the highway, while offering more rear leg room than any of them.

Looking over some of the specs however revealed some glaring omissions and interesting comparisons with vehicles not discussed in Buick’s own PR

Midsize Segment Comparisons

Year	Make	Model	MSRP ($USD)	EPA passenger volume (cu. ft.)	EPA cargo volume (cu. ft.)	EPA total volume (cu. ft.)	mpgUS (city/highway/combined)
2012	Buick	LaCrosse Hybrid	$29,990*	99	10.9	109.9	*25/37/29
2011	Ford	Fusion Hybrid	$28,340	99.8	11.8	111.6	41/36/39
2011	Toyota	Camry Hybrid	$26,675	101.4	10.6	112.0	31/35/33
2011	Hyundai	Sonata Hybrid	$25,795	103.8	10.7	114.5	36/40/38
2011	Hyundai	Elantra LTD.	$20,195	95.6	14.8	110.4	29/40/33

* Estimated

The 2012 Buick LaCrosse is the first in its segment with HiPer Strut suspension for improved ride and handling and includes the Hybrid drivetrain as standard equipment. Is it not about time all manufacturers follow Buick’s lead?

Tony DiSalle, U.S. VP, Buick Marketing:

“LaCrosse with eAssist is an excellent value, costing thousands less than competitors with similar technologies, and its fuel-efficient powertrain comes standard on four-cylinder-equipped models.”

Maybe Tony was misquoted or was only considering the Lincoln MKZ full hybrid possibly?

GM’s e-Assist Hybrid Drivetrain Detail

GM improved the fuel economy of last year’s LaCrosse by 25 percent by hybridizing the direct injected 2.4L and tweaking the six-speed AT with taller ratios.

The eAssist add-on hybrid system uses a 115V Li-Ion battery pack and belt driven 15-kW electric motor-generator to enable Start/Stop and regenerative braking.

Steve Poulos, Global Chief Engineer of the eAssist System:

“The additional 15 hp provided by electric assist allowed us to lower LaCrosse’s gear ratios without sacrificing reserve acceleration and performance.”

eAssist also enables LaCrosse’s 2.4L engine to more aggressively enter fuel cut including all the way to a stop which as we all know, results in a nice bump in fuel economy

Other LaCrosse enhancements can be found with new underbody aero panels, LRR Tires and an electronically controlled shutters in the lower grille that close at higher speeds improving aerodynamics and enhancing fuel economy during engine warm-up.

The eAssist system will be standard on the 2012 Buick LaCrosse Hybrid this summer.

[ALS]

I would have rather seen this technology put into the Regal than the land yacht.

[xcel]

Hi Al:

The 2012 Regal receives Hybridization as std. equipment late this year as well.

Wayne

[MaxxMPG]

Next step, squeeze it under the hood of the Verano with the 1.4T out of the Cruze Eco.
I still don't know how they're going to sell the Verano with a 2.4L engine and EPA estimates similar to the current Malibu (22/33-ish) when the Regal/Lacrosse eAssist cars will be wearing 25/37 stickers. Smaller Buicks never sold well, and if the Verano has to sell on "cheaper" and "smaller" because the bigger cars are doing 15% better on the EPA, who will buy it? Nobody wants a car that begs the question, "You couldn't afford the higher payment on the E-Regal?" Is there still time to change the name from Verano ("Summer" in Spanish) to Carburanto Chupando Cochinillo?

[herm]

Good news!

Motorcross works out the eAssist cost premium: $1372

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...ive/index.html

Good discussion here:

http://www.gminsidenews.com/forums/f...1/#post2287965

"Swapping aluminum rear suspension knuckles for the standard iron ones and reducing the fuel tank capacity from 18.4 to 15.7 gallons offsets the 65-pound weight of the battery and powertrain control pack that resides in the trunk (it blocks the 40-percent side of the split-folding seat), so that overall the car weighs just 10 pounds more than a 2011 LaCrosse 2.4. The last trick was to swap from a 3.23:1 final drive ratio to a super-tall 2.64:1 gearset, letting the BAS motor's robust low-end torque cover for the engine's lack thereof."

and a dig at our Wayne:

"So how does it drive? The tall gearing is immediately evident when trundling around at small throttle openings like a green-weenie rolling road-blocker. "

[herm]

interesting tidbits:

"The BAS can charge the battery at a rate of 15 kilowatts -- enough so that one good 3/4-mile-long stretch nearly topped the battery off, but not so strong as to make braking feel strange."

"No changes were made to the hydraulic braking system, but the small bit of free travel at the top of the pedal summons regen."

"Lift completely off the throttle with eAssist and fuel is shut off, the torque converter is locked, and the engine spins while the BAS unit regenerates electricity. "

Is this saying that just lifting off the throttle will put the system in a glide with fuel shutoff?..

[xcel]

Hi Herm:

I guess they do not know what the various lanes are for but of course that is C&D, right? It is always fun to pass those guys when the light turns green because they won the race to the red in the first place. The best part is when they are still filling up while you pull into your drive to catch Sports Center

Regarding the glide, it sounds like std. regen vs. a glide.Remember that in this vehicle, the engine has to spin over to regen. If the engine is spinning over with fuel cut, you are throwing away momentum and that is nothing like a glide.

Wayne

[herm]

but it wont regen if you dont touch the brakes, and fuel shuts off when you let go off the throttle.. does the engine stop turning if you are not in regen?

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

Originally Posted by herm

but it wont regen if you dont touch the brakes, and fuel shuts off when you let go off the throttle.. does the engine stop turning if you are not in regen?

As you copied:

"Lift completely off the throttle with eAssist and fuel is shut off, the torque converter is locked, and the engine spins while the BAS unit regenerates electricity. "

Yes, it has fake engine drag. Presumably because people can't handle gliding.

[herm]

again, if you dont touch the brake pedal it WILL NOT REGEN, will the engine eventually stop turning?.

My guess is that it will stop turning, until you touch the brakes and then the torque converter locks up and spins the generator along with the engine to recharge the battery.

I like this easy way of controlling regen, I believe the Tesla Roadster does it this way but in the Volt and Leaf you have to feather the throttle to disable regen.

GM may be restricted by liability issues from doing this.