2012 Buick Verano
03/01/2012
Buick
Buick Verano delivers key luxury features and characteristics found in the Buick LaCrosse, in an efficiently packaged, right-sized vehicle for the compact luxury market. It is the brand's third all-new model in the past two years and the first in the compact luxury segment.
Verano is the latest model in a Buick product renaissance that began with the Enclave and continued with the LaCrosse and Regal. Like them, Verano is distinguished by luxury and technology, including 10 standard air bags, an available heated steering wheel and a Buick IntelliLink radio system with Bose Premium Audio and OnStar-powered connectivity that enables seamless communication between the Verano and the driver's smartphone.
The all-new Buick IntelliLink system uses Bluetooth or USB to connect the driver's smartphone to a seven-inch, LED high-resolution, full-color touch screen display radio. IntelliLink expands on Buick's current Bluetooth and USB capabilities to allow smartphone control via voice activation and steering wheel-mounted controls. It also enables streaming stereo audio from the phone through services like PANDORA(R) Internet radio and Stitcher SmartRadio(R).
Most importantly, Buick IntelliLink enables seamless integration of stowed portable devices with each vehicle's infotainment system, allowing drivers to keep their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.
Verano is designed to be the quietest compact sedan on the road, while delivering a responsive driving experience. An Ecotec 2.4L direct injected with six-speed automatic powertrain combination is standard and delivers 180 horsepower (134 kW), enabling 0-60 mph performance of 8.6 seconds and an EPA-estimated 32 mpg on the highway. A 2.0L turbo engine will be offered in the future.
Verano design
Verano carries the modern Buick design cues introduced on the Enclave and carried through on the LaCrosse and Regal. Elements include:
An arching roofline connects a steeply raked windshield and fast-sloping rear pillars to give the car a beautiful and elegant appearance.
Calligraphy-like strokes of chrome accent the Buick Verano, including signature features such as the black chrome waterfall grille and portholes.
Blue translucent projector beam headlamps.
Standard 18-inch multi-spoke, forged alloy, polished machine face, sterling silver-finish wheels in the United States, with a premium 18-inch split spoke wheel design available on the 1SL model. Eighteen-inch wheels are available in Canada.
Premium exterior colors include: Crystal Red Tintcoat, White Diamond Tricoat, Black Onyx, Summit White, Quicksilver Metallic and Mocha Bronze Metallic (later availability).
Verano interior
Verano's interior is marked by exceptional seat comfort and support, design and craftsmanship, as well as premium soft-touch materials, including ice blue ambient lighting inspired by the LaCrosse. Rich leathers, warm woods, metallic accents and soft ambient lighting make the cabin an inviting environment.
Neutral and medium titanium colors are offered on interiors with leatherette/fabric seating surfaces.
Ebony, Cashmere and Choccachino are offered on the available leather-trimmed interiors.
The instrument panel blends with an integrated center stack that houses the infotainment display, climate controls and radio controls.
Flush-mounted components within the center stack have a gap tolerance of less than 1 mm, while the instrument panel-to-door panel gaps are less than 5 mm.
Verano's headliner cover is made of a knit material that is one of five layers of an acoustically designed headliner to help quiet the passenger compartment. Recycled cardboard is one ingredient.
The interior pillar and other moldings are color- and grain-matched to the headliner.
The A-pillars are fabric-wrapped.
Push-button engine start is available (standard on uplevel leather-equipped model).
Automatic climate control is standard.
Available heated steering wheel and heated leather-appointed seating.
Electronic parking brake.
Console armrest that slides to suit the driver's seating position and locks.
Power windows with express up/down on the front driver and express down on the front and rear passengers. (Leather model adds front passenger, express up.)
Steering wheel radio controls are standard.
Uplevel front and rear reading lamps are standard.
Remote starter system is standard.
Verano's heating and cooling, rear defogger and heated outside mirrors and seats on the leather model are linked with the remote start feature. In temperatures below 45 F (7 C), the seat heaters automatically activate, along with rear defogger on all models and heated outside mirrors.
Verano Quiet Tuning features
Quiet-tuning systems, processes and components are built into every facet of the Verano's architecture. All are designed to block or absorb sound and dampen or eliminate vibrations.
The steel front-of-dash panel is sandwiched between two damping mats.
Nylon baffles are used in various hollow portions of the body structure and filled with sound-absorbing foam that expands when the body enters the paint oven.
The headliner comprises five layers of thermal fiber acoustic material, including a premium woven fabric on the visible outer layer.
Liquid applied sound deadener is robotically applied throughout the body structure to both deaden and dampen unwanted noises and vibrations.
Sound insulation material between rear-body structural components is made from recycled denim.
Triple-sealed doors that feature fiberglass "blankets" serve as water, airflow and noise barriers. The doors are also beta-braced, meaning they close with a solid, precise sound and no resonance.
Optimized windshield and side glass for quietness, with 5.4-mm-thick acoustic laminated windshield and 4.85-mm acoustic laminated side glass.
The engine's intake and exhaust systems are tuned for quiet performance
Isolated brake and fuel lines prevent vibrations.
Verano powertrain
Ecotec 2.4L four-cylinder, with dual-overhead camshafts, variable valve timing and E85 capability is standard and is rated at 180 horsepower (134 kW) and 171 lb.-ft. of torque (232 Nm).
Each piston has its own directed jet that sprays oil toward its skirt, coating its underside and the cylinder wall with an additional layer of lubricant. The extra lubrication cools the pistons, reducing friction and operational noise, while also bolstering the engine's durability.
Direct injection technology helps the engine produce more power with less fuel and lower emissions - including up to 25-percent reduced hydrocarbon emissions when compared with a multi-point fuel injection engine.
E85 is a clean-burning, domestically produced alternative fuel, composed of 85 percent ethanol alcohol and 15 percent gasoline. Ethanol is renewable, biodegradable and produces fewer greenhouse gases in the combustion process.
Standard six-speed automatic transmission helps the Verano deliver an EPA-estimated 32 mpg on the highway.
Electric power steering eliminates the conventional hydraulic engine-driven steering system, which helps save fuel and improves reliability.
Verano chassis and suspension
The front suspension uses decoupled MacPherson struts for better isolation, providing greater separation of extreme road conditions - large potholes, for example - from everyday driving conditions.
The rear suspension features a Watts Z-link design that helps center the rear axle during cornering, which helps keep the Verano's handling responses symmetrical on both left-hand and right-hand turns.
The Z-link design is lighter and requires less space than a typical fully independent rear suspension, enhancing fuel economy and enabling more trunk space.
Steering inputs are handled by an electric power steering system, featuring a dual-pinion rack. Electric powering steering helps save fuel because it removes the conventional power steering pump from the engine's driven accessories.
The steering system has a ratio of 15.5:1 and requires only slightly more than two turns, lock to lock.
Stopping power is handled by a four-wheel disc brake system with standard anti-lock and electronic brake force distribution, as well as StabiliTrak electronic stability control with traction control.
Verano safety and crash avoidance features
The Verano is designed to help drivers avoid crashes, while protecting the occupants in the event a crash occurs.
Ten standard air bags, including frontal, head curtain side air bags, front and outboard rear-seat side-impact air bags and new knee air bags. The head-curtain side air bags deploy in a rollover crash
Collapsible pedal system, which allows the pedals to detach during a crash to reduce the risk of leg or ankle injuries.
StabiliTrak electronic stability control system helps reduce the risk of rollover crashes by keeping the vehicle in the driver's intended path by applying throttle, braking or a combination of both.
Power-assisted four-wheel disc brakes are standard.
Four-channel anti-lock braking is standard and incorporates electronic brake force distribution, which balances braking performance based on such factors as road conditions and the weight of passengers and/or cargo.
Pretensioners minimize forward movement during a collision, and are standard on the front safety belts. Load-limiting retractors cinch the belt more tightly.
LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren) child seat attachment system, which is included in all second-row seating positions.
Tire pressure monitoring system is standard on all models.
Strong body structure to absorb crash energy and provide a protective "safety cage" around occupants. More than 60 percent of the body structure is composed of advanced steels.
Front and rear passenger headrests: The front headrests are adjustable, the two outboard rear-seat headrests are adjustable and the center-rear headrest is integrated in the seat.
OnStar details
OnStar is standard on all Verano models. It uses GPS and cellular phone technology to automatically call for help in the event of crash. OnStar subscribers also can use the service to be Good Samaritans by sending help to other motorists, and to call for help in other non-crash emergencies.
OnStar is the leading provider of in-vehicle safety, security and information services in the United States and Canada.
Six months of complimentary OnStar Directions and Connections service with Turn-by-Turn Navigation for easier route guidance on all Verano models. The feature is easy to use because all directions are sent to the car by an advisor, without the need to stop. Turn-by-Turn can be cost-effective, since map updates and aftermarket navigation systems are not needed.
The Advanced Crash Response System uses vehicle sensors, GPS and digital cellular phone technology to summon emergency responders to a crash scene even when the vehicle's occupants are unable to do so.
Stolen Vehicle Location capability helps law enforcement officials find subscribers' vehicle in the event they are stolen.
Stolen Vehicle Slowdown technology allows an OnStar advisor to remotely cut off power to the vehicle in the event of a police chase.
OnStar 9.0 technology offers improved voice recognition capabilities for regional phrases and dialects.