New Wildcat EV Is A Fastback Coupe Concept Made To Tease Buick’s SUV Design Language

GM is giving the North American public its first live look of the Buick Wildcat EV Concept at the Detroit Motor Show today. Check out our photo gallery below. (Updated 9/14/2022).

Buick’s new Wildcat EV is a fastback coupe concept conceived to establish the brand’s future design language. Oddly, that future will consists exclusively of SUVs with Buick having no plans for producing the study or any coupe, for that matter.

“The Wildcat EV concept represents the real design future for the brand,” said Sharon Gauci, executive director of Global Buick and GMC design. “Buick has always been forward-looking and this expression is a glimpse of where we’re going, and the optimism we have for the limitless possibilities of an electric future.”

The Wildcat EV concept introduces a new face for the brand. Buick describes it as having a forward-leaning front end with a low-mounted, trapezoidal grille, and sharp high-mounted check-mark-shaped lights that bracket it.

At the back, meanwhile, there are “blade-style” taillights embedded in the roof’s sail panels. There are also check-mark-style lights at the rear, mirroring those at the front.

As to the more concept-y design elements, the 2+2 coupe is described as having laid-back proportions complemented by a low, wide stance. The wraparound glass, meanwhile, tapers aggressively to match the roofline and accentuate the sleek profile. It also gets semi-swing doors and an external “state of charge” indicator that is visible in the hatchback glass. It sits on big 18-spoke “Jet Age-inspired” wheels.

“The more you look at the Wildcat EV concept, the more the details reveal themselves,” said Boniface. “Its timeless proportions acknowledge the brand’s rich design legacy, while our latest technology moves you forward.”

Contrasting the cool, metallic exterior, Buick wanted the interior to convey “balance, harmony, and a feeling of warmth.” The automaker, therefore, used Legato Green throughout the cabin, in the carpets and door cards. These elements play against polished aluminum trim, while orange elements (like the seatbelts) add visual intrigue.

The infotainment setup features a sweeping touchscreen that is paired to a screen in the console. Flowing out from the instrument panel, a center console extends out to the rear seats and uses unique graphic and color contrasts to make it look like certain elements are floating, highlighting the cabin’s lightweight and spacious character.

Photo Mike Gauthier / Carscoops

That will be further accentuated by technology designed to soothe and relax passengers. Buick says that the Wildcat EV Concept gets a Zen Mode that dims the cabin lights, dispenses aromatherapy scents, and activates the massaging seats.

“We are on the cusp of true change, and this concept is a tangible vision of it,” said Gauci. “It inaugurates the next chapter in Buick’s design heritage, as we make the crucial transition to our all-electric future.”

The concept’s unveiling coincides with Buick’s announcement that its entire North American lineup will be all-electric by the end of the decade. It will bring its first EV to market by 2024.