You’ll have to look really hard to see what’s conceptual about Buick’s latest study that’s based on the 2012 LaCrosse sedan and which will go on display at the Los Angeles Auto Show on November 16 through 27.

That’s because the LaCrosse GL Concept is more of a luxed-up version of the standard model than anything else.

David Lyon, Buick’s executive director of design explains: “The design cues that already distinguish the production LaCrosse – such as the premium leather-upholstered seats, ice blue ambient lighting and soft touch surfaces – are amplified in the GL and serve as inspiration for future Buick models.”

On the outside, the GL Concept is dressed in a cabernet red paint complimented by brushed and tinted chrome accents on the grille, door handles and deck lid, as well as around the windows, taillights and headlights. The machine-face 20-inch rims with a satin-finish round out the exterior upgrades.

Most changes take place inside where Buick’s designers came up with French-stitched leather surfaces in contrasting dark cocoa brown and caramel chocochino colors for the seats, doors and instrument panel.

The GL also gets a chocochino suede headliner, metal accents on the instrument cluster and center stack controls, and bespoke wood trim on the steering wheel, dashboard and door panels.

“Every surface in the interior of the LaCrosse GL has been crafted with the knowledge that Buick customers enjoy the finer things in life, but don’t need to flaunt it,” said Magdalena Kokoszynska, creative designer on LaCrosse GL.

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