Meet the All New Buick LaCrosse with eAssist

The eAssist system will be paired with all 2012 LaCrosse models fitted with GM's 2.4-liter I-4, which is mated with the company's six-speed automatic transmission. According to GM, the LaCrosse with eAssist returns an estimated EPA rating of 25/37 mpg (city/highway), up from the 19/30 mpg raiting attained by the current 2.4-liter/ six-speed pairing. eAssist promises to further improve fuel economy.

As previously reported, the eAssist system is an evolution of the belt-alternator-starter -- or, as GM puts it, "light electrification" -- system previously used on the likes of the Saturn Vue Hybrid, Saturn Aura Hybrid, and Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid. GM has since upgraded the battery pack from nickel-metal-hydride to lithium-ion chemistry, while simultaneously upgrading the electric motor. The company claims the electric motor can provide a 15-horsepower boost during acceleration (bringing the system's net output to 182 horsepower), and can recover 15 kW of electricity through regenerative braking. In contrast, the last-generation BAS system could only add 3 horsepower and recover 5 kW of energy.

Unlike full hybrids, the BAS system isn't designed for full-fledged electric driving. Although the system is capable of EV propulsion at very low (i.e. single-digits) speeds, GM views the system as an assistant to the gasoline engine.

"The battery system is designed to provide power assistance to the internal combustion engine, rather than storing energy for all-electric propulsion," Steve Poulos, global chief engineer of the eAssist system, said in a prepared release. "It's really an extension of the conventional internal combustion engine, not a replacement for it."

In order to maximize the potential fuel economy gains produced by eAssist, GM added a number of tweaks to the LaCrosse. MPG-conscious revisions include a revised, low-friction automatic transmission; underbody panels designed to smooth airflow underneath the car; low-rolling reistance tires; and electrically-controlled grille shutters that close at highway speeds to reduce drag.

You can find the 2012 Buick Lacrosse with eAssist at Grossinger Buick in Lincolnwood today.

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