Buick surprised us on the eve of the 2015 Detroit Auto Show with a handsome new luxury sedan concept named Avenir, which is French for ‘future’.

The full-size sedan was created by a global team of Buick designers and sculptors who were said to be inspired by historic Buick concepts such as the Riviera.

“Avenir embodies Buick design, which centers on effortless beauty and presence without pretense,” commented Ed Welburn, vice president of General Motors Global Design. “It demonstrates the growing international reach of Buick and offers an exciting vision of where it can go.”

One of the most interesting features of the study is a new grille design that combines the traditional waterfall blades with wing-shaped elements, while also marking the return to three-color – red, silver and blue – Buick tri-shield insignia. The face could very easily work for Opel too, if you’re wondering.

“The new grille is a modern interpretation of a design introduced on the landmark 1954 Wildcat II concept, which shattered expectations of what a Buick was supposed to be,” said Michael Simcoe, vice president of design, GM International Operations. “On the Avenir, it represents a break from convention and progressiveness in technology.”

The Avenir stretches 204.5 inches (5,195 mm) in length and 76 inches (1,931 mm) in width, with power coming from a “next-generation” direct-injected V6 engine with Active Fuel Management (cylinder deactivation) and stop/start technology, connected to a nine-speed automatic transmission driving all-four wheels.

We’ll have more on the Buick concept on Monday from the Detroit Motor Show floors.

Photo Gallery

Video