World Auto News & Reviews

General Motors is hard at work developing a new premium small car for its Buick division, with ambitions of rivaling BMW’s 1-Series and perhaps upping the ante a few notches while they’re at it. The automaker has released a handful of sketches depicting seven possible exterior designs for a vehicle it calls Avant.

While the 1-Series is a premium small car that focuses on performance, Buick’s aim for the Avant is to offer, above all else, world class luxury in a compact package.Some of the design sketches depict a hatchback configuration, while others show a coupe-like roofline. It’s possible the Avant will be available with multiple body styles, though ultimately only one of these designs will be picked as the basis for all variants.

Three interior concepts all share Buick’s design language, albeit with slightly different interpretations. Proposed innovations include a luggage rack that automatically slides cargo out the back of the hatch when the tailgate is open, plus a sliding door design to improve ingress and egress in tight parking spaces.

Due to Buick’s strong following in China, the Avant is being designed with that market in mind. However, U.S. availability is also in the cards for this global car.

leftlanenews.com