Park Avenue Comes to Auto Shanghai 2007

Shanghai General Motors is showing the newest member of its Buick lineup, the Park Avenue luxury sedan, on the GM stand at Auto Shanghai 2007. The Park Avenue made its global debut in Shanghai on April 10.

Like the affluent New York City boulevard of the same name, Buick's Park Avenue is trendy and luxurious. With its range of advanced technologies and high-grade amenities, not to mention a stylish design that conveys a sense of power and passion, it is representative of traditional American luxury sedans.

"The Park Avenue is the perfect blend of tranquility and power," said Shanghai GM President Ding Lei. "It shows Buick's ability to move with the times while continuing to leverage our global resources and local knowledge. Designed especially for business leaders and other elites, it is a component of our effort to maintain our leadership position in China by addressing the needs of all of our customers."

The Park Avenue is the first vehicle available in Asia that takes advantage of GM's new global rear-wheel-drive architecture. The precise and stable vehicle structure ensures a premium driving experience. At 5,175 mm in length, 1,899 mm in width and 1,480 mm in height, and with an impressive 3,009-mm wheelbase, the Park Avenue also offers a very spacious ride.

The Park Avenue's genuine leather seats, with eight-way power adjustment for the front seats, are designed to accommodate people of varying sizes. All seats incorporate a massage function. A high-quality entertainment system with LCD panels and an advanced heating, ventilation and air conditioning system offer the relaxation and comfort that one would expect of a luxury sedan. The Park Avenue's GPS navigation system contains road information for more than 300 cities in China. The Bluetooth mobile phone system is also available.

Like all Buick products, the Park Avenue offers a high level of safety and peace of mind. It is equipped with the GM Local Area Network (GM-LAN) high-speed communication system, which is based on the top-of-the-line 32-bit 500 kb/second engine control system. With a signal transmission speed approaching real time, information flow from various sensors is instantaneous, enhancing efficiency and safety. Further enhancing safety are six intelligent air bags for the driver and passengers.

The Park Avenue is powered by GM's smooth yet powerful AlloyTec V-6 engine, which accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.8 seconds. The engine control unit features the latest Bosch E77 32-bit ECM processor. With the Remote Engine Start (RES) function, the driver can start the engine up to 20 minutes in advance and within 60 meters of the vehicle. The RES function also can adjust the temperature inside the car.

Customers have a choice of two engine displacements. The Park Avenue's 3.6-liter engine generates maximum output of 187 kW (250 hp) @ 6,500 rpm and maximum torque of 340 Nm @ 3,200 rpm. Its 2.8-liter engine offers maximum output of 150 kW (201 hp) @ 6,000 rpm and maximum torque of 265 Nm @ 3,000 rpm.

Shanghai GM is offering five Park Avenue variants: the 3.6-liter Flagship, which is priced at RMB 498,800; the 3.6-liter Elite, which is priced at RMB 388,800; the 2.8-liter Luxury, which is priced at RMB 458,800; the 2.8-liter Elite, which is priced at RMB 368,800; and the 2.8-liter Comfort, which is priced at RMB 328,800.