Once the circuit board overheats, it can cause the cars’ 12-volt battery to drain and one of several indicator lights to turn on on the instrument panel, which means that owners will be aware of the issue when it happens. However, if drivers ignore the warning lights (which we all do sometimes, right?), the engine could eventually stall and start a fire in the trunk.

Thankfully, though, the issue doesn’t affect the rechargable lithium-ion battery that’s a part of the cars’ electric hybrid system. If you’re curious to know whether your specific car is or will be affected, General Motors says that most of the incidents reported have happened within the first 1,000 miles of driving with the cars. No accidents or injuries were reported.

We actually took a look at Buick’s latest LaCrosse and Regal hybrid models during the New York Auto Show back in March. These new models aren’t a part of the recall, as they’re the 2014 models. The new cars come with the company’s next-generation IntelliLink infotainment system, which we got our hands on as well.

[via LA Times]

According to USA Today, the goal was to create a car design that invokes thoughts of a vibrant river in motion and the rolling waves of the ocean. That’s the exterior, anyway, with the interior aiming to take inspiration from classic Chinese styles using ebony, wood inlaid with jade, suede, and aluminum. Also present are LED running lights and the familiar Buick grille.

While interpretation of design is up to the viewer, the concept is beautiful regardless of whether you see the influences of water in it. The interior is illuminated by soft blue LED lights, as are the LED headlights. Beyond the design is a hybrid powertrain, with consumers being able to charge it via either a standard charging cable or by going wirefree with a wireless charging panel under the car.

The concept also utilizes what General Motors refers to as an autopilot safety system that provides driving assistance – despite its name, you won’t be able to kick back and let the Buick doing the driving for you. Says President of General Motors, Shanghai: “By seamlessly integrating advanced technologies, flexible functions and contemporary aesthetics, the new Riviera heralds the start of a new chapter for the 110-year-old Buick brand.”

[via USA Today]

Buick’s next-generation IntelliLink infotainment system works with wireless connectivity for your mobile devices, customizable options galore, and an easy-to-use user interface from start to finish. And it’s all builds on a hearty connection of both safety and security with OnStar. If you’re an OnStar user, you’ll be able to access city-by-city weather reports and ultra-simple embedded navigation using their “traditional Blue button” – rather handy.

You’ll be working with connectivity to a selection of apps for music, starting with Pandora. With Pandora you’ll have a collection of custom-built radio stations with new music coming in by the day – you’ll also be working with a set of 60 “favorites”, starting with radio stations outside of Pandora. These stations can be AM, FM, or XM, and you’ll have plenty of space left over to store “favorites” in contacts, destinations, and music from media aside from radio.

You’ll be able to connect with your media and your apps for control of the many various things IntelliLink works with using your touchscreen or by controlling your system with your voice. IntelliLink employs natural language voice recognition allowing you to control most anything you’d be able to control with your finger. You can enter destinations, browse media, safely place calls, play music, and control a variety of other functions as well.

If you’re a fan of using your touchscreen interface, you’ll find the controls to be rather familiar. You can do what Buick calls a “fling” through your lists, swipe up and down, and drag all around – basic control cues you’ll have learned well by now due to your everyday use of your smartphone or tablet devices. You can also control your music, set destinations, and more with IntelliLink’s connection to your smartphone – this done with a USB cord or Bluetooth wirelessly.

Of course the audio experience you’re going to have with the output this IntelliLink system is controlling depends entirely on the vehicle you’re driving. With the 2014 Buick Regal you’ll be working with a new nine-speaker Bose sound system including “strategically placed” tweeters and a fabulous subwoofer – you’ve got an acoustically optimized interior as well. With the 2014 Buick LaCrosse you’ve got seven standard speakers including the, again, “strategically placed” tweeters as well as a subwoofer all coming together to complement a quiet, acoustically optimized interior – with optional 11-speaker Bose Centerpoint Surround Sound being available as well!

Have a peek at our Buick tag portal for more information on the IntelliLink system as it appears in more vehicles through the future, and don’t forget to check the rest of our Car Hub for auto action from here until forever!

This vehicle line works with Adaptive Cruise Control as well as – for the first time – all-wheel drive. With Adaptive Cruise Control your vehicle will be able to sense traffic ahead of it, adjusting speed and stopping the vehicle automatically while in heavy traffic. This vehicle also introduces a set of new technologies in the radar- and camera-based safety features category:

• Rear Cross Traffic Alert
• Lane Change Alert
• Side Blind Zone Alert
• Lane Departure Warning
• Forward Collision Alert
• Collision Mitigation Braking

In the 2014 Buick Regal you’ll also find the next generation of IntelliLink integration – that’s natural speech recognition as well as a set of controls more intuitive than ever before! The new Regal works with a more “expressive” look both inside in out – starting with new front and real styling, signature wing-shape LED daytime running lamps as well as LED taillamps, you’ll also find a fully redesigned central instrument panel and console with new fashion interior trim.

Under the hood you’ve got a new 2.0L turbo engine (as noted above) with 18 percent more horsepower than with what’s found in the Regal Turbo. The first all-wheel-drive system you’ll be working with here goes by the name Haldex. In addition to rolling out with superior use of the traction you’ve already got, this Haldex all-wheel-drive system will enhanced cornering with the Regal GS when driving in GS mode. That GS mode comes straight from your Interactive Drive Control System – and you’re going to love it!

You’ve also got the option to work with a 2.4L engine with eAssist light electrification technology on this 2014 Regal model. You’ll be working with six-speed automatic transmissions that are matched with both of your engines and you’ll have a six-speed manual with your Regal GS as well – and electric power steering is featured on all models here and into the future, too.

This all-new Regal is making its debut this week at the New York International Auto Show 2013. We’ve got our eyes on it and will be pushing more information – and more up close and personal action – to you soon! Stick with SlashGear in our Car hub as well as our New York Auto Show 2013 tag portal all week long!

With this full-size LaCrosse you’ll be working with Buick’s next-generation integration of IntelliLink, their infotainment system for entertainment and voice-activated control of your vehicle. You’ll have a newly upgraded, even more intuitive than in past iterations, user interface and control, complete with natural voice recognition – speak as you normally would! This vehicle also works with a collection of camera-based safety features including:

• Side Blind Zone Alert
• Lane Change Alert
• Lane Departure Warning
• Forward Collision Alert
• Rear Cross Traffic Alert
• Automatic Collision Preparation

These features each work with GM’s patented Safety Alert Seat – that’s a vibration from the seat from the direction of a potential crash threat. Quite helpful when you need more than a half-moment’s notice of impending doom.

This vehicle has been enhanced with some fabulous new design cues both inside and out, starting with new front and rear styling – signature wing-shaped LED daytime running lamps as well as LED wraparound tail lamps are in place to, as they say, “complement [the 2014 LaCrosse'] sculpted exterior design.” Inside you’ll find new seats, a redesigned central instrument panel and console, and enhanced materials used throughout.

The Ultra Luxury Interior Package is one you may be lusting after. Included is a sangria seating color, ebony accents, all work semi-aniline leather (both seats and trim), with Shadow Tamo Ash wood decor. This package’s semi-aniline leather covers the seats, console armrest, door armrests, and is complemented with a bit of synthetic suede in both the headliner and door pillars. This color and material combination is exclusive to the LaCrosse and this Ultra Luxury package.

The Buick 2014 LaCrosse is being offered in front-wheel-drive as well as all-wheel-drive models and will have two powertrain options available. The first is a 2.4L engine with eAssist light electrification technology. The second is a 3.6L engine with direct-injected V-6. Both models are paired with a six-speed automatic transmission, and both will have Adaptive Cruise Control available as well. With Adaptive Cruise Control, the system is able to sense traffic in front of the vehicle and adjust vehicle speed in real time, stopping the vehicle when traffic is especially heavy, and accelerating when traffic becomes light once again.

The details will continue here on SlashGear as we see more of the 2014 Buick LaCrosse at the New York International Auto Show 2013. We’ll be seeing more IntelliLink, more of the innards and surroundings of this and other Buick vehicles – and whatever else you’d like us to check out! Have a peek at our Car Hub for more information, and stick to the New York Auto Show 2013 tag portal as well!

On the outside, Buick describes the car as having a refreshed exterior with a wing-shape LED lighting package. The car also gets new advanced safety technologies as standard including the eight-inch color display instrument panel, camera and radar-based safety features, and the next generation IntelliLink. The LaCrosse is a full-size sedan and the car gets new seats, enhanced materials, a redesigned central instrument panel and console, and an available Ultra Luxury Interior Package.

The safety systems that are radar and camera-based include Side Blind Zone Alert, Lane Change Alert, Lane Departure Warning, Forward Collision Alert, Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Automatic Collision Preparation. The vehicle also features adaptive cruise control that can stop the vehicle in heavy traffic and accelerate the vehicle again.

The vehicle can be purchased in front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive models with two available powertrains. The vehicle can be had with a 2.4-liter engine featuring eAssist light electrification technology or a 3.6-liter direct-injected V-6 engine. Both of those engines are paired with a six-speed automatic transmission. The public debut of the 2014 LaCrosse will happen at the New York International Auto Show running from March 29 through April 7. The vehicle will be available on dealer showrooms this summer.

[via Media]

The car has rather attractive styling on the outside and a very nice interior. The car is equipped with the Buick IntelliLink allowing drivers to place calls and more using their voice. The problem for many voice control systems is that excessive noise from outside the vehicle can make it difficult for voice control systems to understand the command being said. Buick has turned to making the interior of the LaCrosse quieter to help the voice command system better understand what is being said.

Buick used various engineering processes to reduce, block, and absorb interior noise. The car has laminated window glass, triple door seals, and liquid applied sound deadening all in an attempt to make the interior of the vehicle as quiet as possible. The IntelliLink system is standard on every 2013 Buick and allows drivers to use voice commands for controlling things like navigation and audio functions and smartphone applications.

Using the voice control system drivers can control Pandora Internet radio stations and even “like” a song. The Buick system has a microphone hidden in the headliner of the car, optimally placed to pick up spoken commands. The system is also trained for different accents and dialects. The system also remembers the driver’s speech patterns when the car is turned off allowing it to respond more quickly and accurately the next time the driver is in the vehicle. The system is capable of learning accents and dialects of more than one driver.

[via GM]

General Motors also operates Buick, which has cars and a couple SUV models. General Motors has outlined its product scheduled for both GMC and Buick over the next 12 months. The two brands have six new brand models that are being teased at the same time that will be debuting sometime in the next 12 months.

The six new models include a new Buick Regal, a new Buick LaCrosse, a new GMC Yukon, a new GMC Sierra HD truck, a new GMC Sierra truck, and a new GMC Yukon XL. Those GMC truck models are copies of Chevrolets as I mentioned before.

GMC is also planning to bring the Canyon mid-size truck back as a new model, but it’s not listed among the new versions debuting in the next 12 months. The new GMC vehicles will mean that the oldest GMC and Buick models will only date back to 2010 making both brands full of new designs. I wish Buick would bring back an exciting car like the Grand National from the 80s.

[via Motoward]

Buick is also working to get tech into the cars that younger and more tech savvy drivers demand. One of the tech items that Buick is adding to its cars is Pandora radio. Pandora will be featured in the Verano, Regal, and LaCrosse in 2012 and all 2013 models will have Pandora. The web radio service will be available to drivers using connectivity to their own smartphone.

The Buick cars have a 7-inch or 8-inch touchscreen inside with high resolution. The driver can connect the smartphone to the screen and car via Bluetooth or USB. Once connected, the driver can access Pandora stations and music using the touchscreen, voice control, or the steering wheel buttons for control the content.