It’s difficult to make a profit by selling a coupe because the segment has been steadily declining over the past couple of years. However, four-door coupe sales have remained relatively steady, and designers in Michigan have already sketched out what an Avista with two additional doors would look like. The concept will remain a secret for the foreseeable future, but an insider familiar with the project told Motor Trend that the Avista’s head-turning look and sporty silhouette have been retained. Simply put, it looks like Buick’s version of the Mercedes-Benz CLS.
There are already rumors about what form the yet-unnamed production model will take. It will be underpinned by the same Alpha platform that’s found under the Chevrolet Camaro and Cadillac’s ATS and CTS, meaning it will launch with rear-wheel drive. Base models will come with an evolution of the concept’s 400-horsepower, twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 engine, and more expensive models will receive an ATS-V-sourced 3.6-liter V6 with 464 ponies on tap. Enthusiasts nostalgic for the days of big-bore Buick coupes are out of luck, because a V8 won’t fit in the engine bay.
If it’s approved for production, the Buick Avista will become a truly global model that will join the Holden lineup in Australia, wear an Opel emblem in mainland Europe, and join the Vauxhall lineup in the U.K. Executives haven’t commented on the rumor, so we’ll have to wait to find out if Buick is on the verge of launching its first-ever four-door coupe.
