Buick just can’t seem to let go of the Riviera nameplate. Since its arrival in 1963, up until its demise in 1999, well over a million Rivieras were produced. Then in 2007 it popped up again on a sporty looking coupe concept introduced at that year’s Shanghai Motor Show. Then in 2013 it came back, finding itself attached to a concept car which was unveiled in Shanghai.
Yet despite sharing the same name as the 2007 concept, and the same 2-door coupe layout, the 2013 Buick Riviera concept was an all-new car. “Riviera is a design study of the future expression of Buick design with its elegant athletic shape, sculptural beauty, and precision execution,” said Ed Welburn, GM vice president of global design. “It is a great opportunity to share Buick’s future design language and technology strategy.”
The interior of the 2013 Buick Riviera concept features Buick’s signature 360-degree integrated design theme. The luxuriously trimmed interior features materials such as sand-blasted aluminum alloy, lava suede and ebony used in a style reminiscent of traditional Chinese jade-inlaid wood. Mobile internet offers real-time traffic information, weather updates, and news and entertainment while communicating with other vehicles. The concept’s voice commands and controls, along with touch and gesture recognition, activate a range of the vehicle’s systems.
Powering the 2013 Riviera concept is GM’s all-new, dual-mode W-PHEV (wireless plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) propulsion system. With this drivetrain the can either be driven in electric mode only, or for higher performance, in hybrid mode. In addition, the vehicle can be charged with a traditional cable or wirelessly via a sensory recharge panel located on the car’s chassis.
The 2013 Riviera concept was also equipped with intelligent four-wheel steering and an electromagnetic-controlled suspension system.
