Buick Wildcat Design Study Looks Better Than The Concept

The General Motors Design studio shared a short behind-the-scenes look at the first iteration of the modern Buick Wildcat, which made its debut a little over a year ago. Buick built the Wildcat EV Concept to provide a glimpse of where it's heading design-wise, and we can already see it starting to filter through on new models like the 2024 Envista.

Buick also uses the intro of the video to symbolically state that it's moving away from antiquated sedans like the LaCrosse and Regal and into a new world of electrified crossovers. It even has an all-new logo to prove it.

The strange thing is that the animated car - used to persuade Buick's management that it needed to build the concept - looks more production-ready than what Buick ended up with. To our eyes, it's more handsome than the fairly radical concept.

We'll start with the digital car's orange hue, which makes a big difference. Buick went for a rather dull gray when it unveiled the Wildcat, and we weren't blown away. It looks much better in the flesh, as we later found out. Still, orange would have been better.

The design study's front end is also more reserved compared to the concept. For a company that wants to move away from its past, Buick sure went all-in on the old-school chrome on the front and the turbine wheels.

The most significant changes were made to the rear of the car, where taillights were originally incorporated into what appears to be a flat horizontal element, likely meant to double as a spoiler. These lights were subtle, with another slim LED brake light incorporated at the top of the rear window.

For the concept, Buick went more aggressive, making the taillights wider. They were also extended, running up the sides of the rear windshield.

The animation also includes the Wildcat on the open road, where it looks sublime. If Buick had any intention of building the Wildcat, it would have been a viable alternative to the Cadillac Celestiq.

To be fair, Buick is at least making some progress. It was easy to forget it even existed a year ago, but since then, it has introduced the new Envista and the Chinese-built Electra is expected to arrive in the USA next year. It also filed an exciting trademark, hinting at a new performance car, but the brand has a long way to go before it becomes the de facto choice for the well-heeled American.