The new 2017 Buick LaCrosse will borrow design cues from the Avenir concept

Buick’s biggest sedan will move up slightly on the market, and it will get a brand new design inspired by the Avenir concept car to reflect its premium ambitions. The dark teaser shot published by the General Motors-owned firm hints that the LaCrosse will boast an elegant-looking grille with vertical slats and a colored rendition of Buick’s shield emblem positioned in the middle of a single horizontal slat.

The LaCrosse will earn the honor of ushering in Buick’s new design language. By 2018, every member of the company’s lineup will get its own version of the new grille.

The Avenir influence will fade beyond the front fascia, and the new LaCrosse’s silhouette will be characterized by a gently sloping roof line, muscular haunches as well as a small spoiler built into the trunk lid. The sedan is being designed with the Chinese market in mind, so it will boast a slightly longer wheelbase in order to offer as much leg room as possible.

Official technical details are vague at best, though Buick promises the LaCrosse will be stronger yet lighter than the current model because it will be built on a brand new chassis. A five-link rear suspension setup will help make the LaCrosse both more responsive to drive and quieter than the current model.

Rumors indicate the LaCrosse will follow the industry’s downsizing trend and gain a turbocharged four-cylinder engine. However, buyers who adamantly believe that there is no replacement for displacement will be able to order a V6 at an extra cost. Front-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission will come standard regardless of how many cylinders are under the hood.

Full details about the 2017 Buick LaCrosse will be published in early November, and we’ll bring you live images of it straight from the City of Angels.