Buick today revealed its elegant WildCat EV Concept, which is poised to dictate the design scheme of the GM sub-brand’s upcoming models. Though all the brand’s cars currently on the road belong to the SUV category, the Wildcat concept that it revealed suggests its future sitting in a low, wide, four-seat fastback coupe. And it would stay that way, as indicated by Buick.
Wildcat: a blueprint for future models
Bruited as an EV, neither the design nor the size of Wildcat is something that can accommodate GM’s Ultium battery pack. In fact, it is doubtful if it can contain within it any battery pack at all. But, neither the Wildcat or anything resembling it is touted to go for production. According to the executive director of global Buick-GMC design, the concept has been sketched to act as a guideline for the brand’s designers in defining the design of the brand’s future production vehicles. The team that worked out the concept design is the same that’s working on these future models. So, the concept is already started to be implemented in the brand’s studio.
The sub-brand’s executives confirmed that all that the brand would produce by 2030 would be electric vehicles that will fall under a brand-new sub-brand called Electra. The name may remind old fans of the brand’s largest gas-swilling models that plied the roads by this name for 30 years since 1959.
Wildcat: a design that offers a bold character to the future models
Wildcat is a four-seater fastback that has an aggressive, futuristic look thanks to its aerodynamic structure featured with sloping lines. The car has softly rounded body sides that are simply splendid. All future models, both gasoline and EV would feature these body-side shapes.
Unlike many of today’s EVs, the future Electras inspired by the Wildcat would have a well-defined face. These would sport thin, high-mounted headlights. Unlike most EVs that are given away on the traditional grilles, these would rather have a prominent one made of closely opposed horizontal bars (bright metal on some models).
Wildcat’s elegant taillights flanking the rear glass sides promise us some artsy taillight designs on Buick’s future models. The doors are semi-swung, and to make possible a comfortable entry within the car, the sloping roof rises exactly at the point of the door frame. The wheels have a jet turbine look.
Inside, the Wildcat features a floating centre console. Touch-enabled displays are seen on this console as well as the dashboard. The seats look like cockpits and have floating headrests. The first Buick EV is expected to be released in 2024 and will share the Cadillac Lyriq platform.
