2008 Buick Enclave By Jim McCraw, New Car Test Drive .com

Buick plans to launch an all-new crossover utility vehicle in the spring of 2007. Though billed as a concept, the vehicle revealed at the 2006 North American International Auto Show in Detroit is expected to be very close to what's expected to be called the 2008 Buick Enclave.

The Enclave will join a wave of new crossover utility vehicles, or CUVs, that combine the smooth ride and responsive handling of a car with the cargo capability and high seating position of a traditional, truck-based sport utility vehicle.

The exterior design is contemporary, with bulging front and rear fenders and organic shapes. Buick added its trademark portholes and strips of chrome surround the glasshouse and tail lamps and brighten the bumpers, roof rails and door handles. The rear roof tapers down toward the rear.

The Enclave features six bucket seats in three rows. Measuring 202 inches, the Enclave is longer overall than the upcoming seven-seat Mercedes-Benz GL 460.

Inside may be the coolest Buick interior ever, trimmed with liberal amounts of brushed metal and wood trim. The designers dropped the bottoms of the instruments into their surrounding panels, as BMW does with the bottoms of its headlamps. The center console goes all the way back to the third row of seats. The six bucket seats are heavily bolstered. An optional rear bench seat will be available for seven-passenger use.

A 3.6-liter V6, one of GM's so-called high-feature engines, rated at 270 horsepower will power the Enclave. This will be combined with a six-speed automatic transmission and a computer controlled part-time all-wheel-drive system. The concept features independent front and rear suspension, which should make it to production and offer a smooth ride over most surfaces. The concept also features 21-inch wheels, which probably will not make it as far as mass production. Enclave will be built on GM's new Lambda platform.

We're guessing the price range will fall somewhere around $28,000-$40,000, depending on equipment and options.

The Enclave will replace the Buick Rainier and the Rendezvous and, frankly, we won't miss those somewhat dated designs. The Enclave is a much more sensible, stylish way to go into the future.

The Enclave concept is a precursor for a completely new family of crossover vehicles from GM, which is expected to include the Saturn Outlook and the GMC Acadia. No word yet as to whether there will be Chevrolet or Pontiac versions of this crossover platform, but there may also be a Cadillac version by the time the Enclave comes out. Enclave and its siblings will all be built at a new assembly plant near Lansing, Michigan.