Buick LaCrosse sales reach 100,000 units in China

Buick says it has hit a critical milestone: Less than a year after its launch in China, sales of the new LaCrosse sedan have reached 100,000 units.

The LaCrosse is the fastest-growing member of China's "premium upper-medium sedan segment." (The what? And you thought figuring U.S. car segments was confusing). In the first six months of 2010, the LaCrosse 3-liter model basically owned the segment, accounting for four out of five cars sold on it. And it doesn't come cheap in China, which is still considered a developing nation. The average upper-medium priced sedan went for the Chinese equivilent of $44,200.

LaCrosse was introduced as a redesigned model in the U.S. in 2009. Here, it is powered by direct-injected Ecotec 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine in the CX and CXL versions, good for 19 miles a gallon in city drive and 30 mpg on the highway. The 3.6-liter direct injected V-6 is available on the CXL and CXS versions gets 17 mpg city/27 mpg highway.

LaCrosse has received several prestigious awards in China, including 2009 China Car of the Year and 2009 Champion Car of the Year.