The 2012 Buick LaCrosse eAssist comes in four different trims including the Base, Convenience Group, Leather Group, and Premium 1 Group. This is three fewer trim levels than the non-hybrid sedan so deciding which one to get is actually much simpler with the eAssist model. With the base variety you get cruise control, keyless entry, climate zones for front and back seat passengers, power seats, OnStar, Bluetooth, 17 inch allow wheels, satellite radio, rear seats that fold for increased storage, tilt and telescoping steering wheel with controls for audio, and a sound system with CD player, USB and iPod jacks, and an auxiliary jack as well. The next upgrade is to the Convenience Group. It adds a rearview mirror that dims automatically when needed, remote start, and a motorized lumbar adjustment feature for the driver seat. If leather seating is on the wish list then it comes as part of the Leather Group along with fog lamps, power front passenger seat, heated front seats and mirrors, and mirror mounted turn signal indicators. The final trim option for the LaCrosse eAssist is the Premium 1 Group. It includes a few more goodies like a parking assistance feature, memory driver seat, and auto dimming side mounted mirrors.
The 2012 Buick LaCrosse eAssist sedan comes with a total of 197hp and 251 pound feet of torque when you combine both the gas and electric motors. The 2.4 liter four cylinder gas motor has 182hp and 172 pound feet of torque on its own and the electric motor adds in the rest. The result is a slightly better off the line speed and of course an uptick in fuel economy which is the whole point of the electric addition by Buick. The system uses regenerative braking to capture electrical power for the battery which is actually stored in the trunk and therefore cuts into some cargo space. Once the driver stops at a light the gas engine shuts off until the brake pedal is released and then it turns back on and offers a seamless transition. The only way anyone will realize what is going on is by sound alone. In addition to this nice touch, the new transmission will also be a crowd pleaser thanks to its better shifting abilities.