That may not seem impressive at first – but look at a Buick – it’s HUGE and usually not that fast. Traveling 30 miles to the gallon is quite the feet in a LaCrosse. You can go from Cleveland to Philadelphia on about one tank of gasoline.

Look for the 2.4-liter Buick LaCrosse Ecotec with a base price of $27,085. Full details in the GM Press Release below:

A fuel-efficient, direct injected Ecotec 2.4L four-cylinder engine will be the third engine offered in the 2010 Buick LaCrosse luxury sedan. Backed by a fuel-saving six-speed automatic transmission, the new powertrain combination is expected to deliver fuel economy of 30 mpg highway and 20 mpg city*– making LaCrosse one of the most fuel-efficient cars in its segment.

“Buick LaCrosse customers will have the fuel-efficient option of the Ecotec 2.4L direct injection engine, a four-cylinder that is not available by key competitors, such as the Lincoln MKZ and Acura TL,” said Susan Docherty, Buick-Pontiac-GMC vice president. “Features such as a rear-seat entertainment system and remote starting are other technologies that are segment exclusives, contributing to LaCrosse’s balanced package of design, performance and intelligent technology.”

The Ecotec 2.4L four-cylinder joins the lineup later this year as the standard engine in the LaCrosse CX. Direct injection technology helps it deliver 182 horsepower (136 kW) and 172 lb-ft. of torque (233 Nm). Buick expects about 25 percent of customers will opt for 2.4L-equipped models.

The 2.4L’s injection of fuel directly into the combustion chamber enables a higher compression ratio to increase efficiency and horsepower. That means more power is made with less fuel and lower emissions. In fact, cold-start emissions are reduced by up to 25 percent with direct injection. Engineers tuned the Ecotec 2.4L engine to deliver greater torque at lower rpm and build it smoothly toward its peak at 4,900 rpm, giving the Buick LaCrosse excellent performance in all driving conditions.

“Direct injection is a key component of GM’s ongoing strategy to use advanced propulsion technology to help us deliver more fuel-efficient cars today and in the future,” said Tom Stephens, vice chairman, Global Product Development. “GM is using multiple technology pathways to achieve increased efficiency and to diversify energy sources – and we’re applying them where they make the most sense for customers when it comes to efficiency, performance and cost.”

Every engine in the LaCrosse lineup is direct injected and matched with a fuel-saving six speed automatic transmission. Along with the Ecotec 2.4L, a new, direct injected 3.0L V-6 is offered and a larger-displacement, more powerful 3.6L V-6 is standard on the LaCrosse CXS model.

Quiet, low-maintenance performance

As with the 3.0L and 3.6L V-6 engines, the Ecotec 2.4L is designed to deliver exceptional quietness with low maintenance requirements and minimal environmental impact – including 100,000-mile service life ratings for the spark plugs and accessory drive belt. It is also equipped with GM’s Oil Life system, which uses a sophisticated algorithm to determine when it’s time for an oil change. The system calculates the oil life based on a variety of closely monitored variables, such as engine speed, temperature, load and others, allowing fewer oil changes over the life of the vehicle for a significantly reduced amount of used oil that must be recycled.

LaCrosse and Buick’s renaissance

The 2010 Buick LaCrosse luxury sedan is the newest example of the globally influenced product renaissance at Buick. It offers all-wheel drive, a suite of advanced intelligent personal technologies and safety features, and great styling that blends heritage cues with modern design.

“The new LaCrosse builds on the success of Enclave as the next step in Buick’s renaissance,” said Docherty. “It will attract a whole new type of buyer to our dealerships, as Buick strengthens its position as one of GM’s core brands.”

In a recent article by CNN Money, it was pointed out that GM cars, specifically Buick vehicles, are selling like hot cakes still overseas, throughout Asia…mostly in China. This isn’t news to anyone who follows GM with a close eye – Buick has been GM’s Asian brand for years. Only about a quarter of GM’s vehicle sales worldwide were made in the U.S. during the first part of 2009. Where GM is losing money hand over fist on US soil, the company actually made a profit in China, the rest of the Asia-Pacific region, and Latin America.

Experts believe it’s important that GM keeps overseas operations linked with North American units as it goes through restructuring . GM is hopeful their current efforts will also leave them as competitive at home as it has been abroad. “Their success overseas demonstrates that they have the capability of succeeding here,” said Tom Libby, president of the Society of Automotive Analysts. “The stuff they’re being forced to do now, it’s stuff that should have been done a long time ago.”

It’s hard times in the world of General Motors, and it shows. First, they spoke of layoffs, next, they canceled the debut of a convertible 2010 Camaro. Now, Buick is suffering from the financial stress hitting America’s automotive industry. According to GM via NPR news – “General Motors is scaling back its plans for next week’s Los Angeles Auto Show. Originally, the company was going to unveil a new Buick. Executives were going to meet reporters. But reporters are already writing about GM. The company has lost more than $20 billion this year. It’s asking for an emergency government bailout. So, executives figured, maybe they should wait to unveil the new Buick. They’re saving it for Detroit’s auto show in January.”