Buick Somerset

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Buick
Buick Somerset (1985-1987)
Buick Somerset (1985-1987)
Somerset
Production period: 1985-1987
Class : Middle class
Body versions : Coupe
Engines: Petrol engines :
2.5-3.0 liters
(68-99 kW)
Length: 4572 mm
Width: 1410 mm
Height: 1323 mm
Wheelbase : 2626 mm
Empty weight : 1113-1223 kg
Previous model Buick Skylark
successor Buick Skylark

The Buick Somerset was a series of passenger cars manufactured by Buick in the United States between 1985 and 1987 . In the early 1980s, Buick used the name for an equipment package for the Regal range .

The Somerset was one of the scaled down vehicle types that GM built on the N platform. The Somerset was supposed to replace the Skylark , but the name didn't go down well with the public. In 1985 the car was released as Somerset Regal , but the following year the name was shortened to Somerset and a four-door sedan called Skylark was added.

Buick's strategy for using the Skylark name was nothing new. As early as 1975, a two-door coupe with the original name Chevrolet Nova was renamed Buick Skylark, the four-door sedans were offered under the name Buick Apollo . In the 1988 model year, the Somerset name was dropped and all models were renamed Skylark.

The Somerset wasn't as big a sales hit as the Pontiac Grand Am , which was based on the same platform. Despite its small size, the Somerset had some interesting equipment details, such as digital instruments and a particularly luxurious interior.

Engines

The Somerset was powered by an in-line four-cylinder engine with 2.5 l displacement and 92-135 nhp (68-99 kW) or by a six-cylinder V-engine with 3.0 l displacement and 125 nhp (92 kW).

Problems

One reason for complaints was the audio system that was mounted above the center console between the driver and front passenger seats. Since the system was not installed in a standard slot usually provided for it, there was no space for additional audio systems from the accessory trade. If you wanted to install a better music system, extensive and expensive modifications had to be made to the dashboard.

The all-digital instrument panel created a number of electrical problems. The digital speed step display, for example, proved to be much less durable than the corresponding analogue display and only lasted about three years on average.

The grille could easily break from engine vibration or on poor roads. The plastic component broke out at the fastening points because there were no flexible connections that could have dampened the vibrations.

Web links

Commons : Buick Somerset  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

source

  • James M. Flammang, Ron Kowalke: Standard Catalog of American Cars 1976-1999. Krause Publications, Iola 1999, ISBN 0-87341-755-0 .