Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, China, Buick, Shanghai Motor Show



It's nighttime in China, and Buick has just concluded an evening event the day before the first - and only - press day of the Shanghai Motor Show. The star of this evening's party was the Buick Riviera concept vehicle, a plug-in electric hybrid coupe that the automaker says gives a glimpse at its future design direction, not to mention resurrecting some nomenclature from the brand's history that includes a similarly named concept from 2007.

The shape of the Riviera is said to be inspired by water. While the traditional Buick "waterfall" grille is present, the front end gains a more aggressive note thanks to what appear to be vertical air inlets below each headlight.

As for the concept's drivetrain, Buick says it uses General Motors' new dual-mode wireless plug-in hybrid electric vehicle propulsion system, or W-PHEV for short. The keyword there is 'wireless,' as the Riviera can charge its onboard battery packs with a traditional cable or wirelessly via a "sensory recharge panel" underneath the car.

The car's other features include 10 high-res cameras and 18 micro high-precision sensors for image and distance monitoring of objects in the vehicle's path, which are then displayed on the inside of the windshield for the driver as a holographic image. Other electronic goodies include baked-in 4G LTE internet connection, night view assist, eagle view (like Nissan's Around View Monitor), full-range adaptive cruise control, an autopilot system and something Buick calls "transparent" A-pillars. A lot of this sounds like concept car hokum, but buried there somewhere beneath all that future-tech is an aesthetic Buick hopes will resonate with buyers, and maybe a production coupe it can sell in both China and the US.Continue reading Buick Riviera Concept debuts in China

Buick Riviera Concept debuts in China originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 19 Apr 2013 10:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.



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