Buick - Skylark

Automotive News, Articles, Auto Industry News, Forum, Articles, Events, Latest Car News-Radical new wedge-shaped styling appeared in 1992, with a sharply-pointed grille reminiscent of the 1960s model, although the grille may have been inspired by that of the 1939 Buick. The Skylark's new aerodynamic body had a low 0.319 coefficient of drag, compared to 0.374 for the previous version.

It was initially offered in two- and four-door sedan bodystyles and in base and Gran Sport versions. The base engine was the 2.3 liter Quad 4, which produced 120 hp at 5200 rpm. The optional 3.3 liter V6 (standard on the GS) produced 160 hp at 5200 rpm. All Skylarks came with the three-speed automatic transaxle.

For the 1993 model year, the base model was replaced by Custom and Limited trims. For 1994, a new 3.1 liter V6 (160 hp at 5200 rpm) replaced the previous 3.3 liter V6 as standard on the GS and optional on the others. The Limited coupe was dropped for 1994, but returned for 1995.

Mechanical changes for the 1995 model year included the upgrading of the standard 2.3 liter Quad 4 engine from a SOHC design to a DOHC design, increasing horsepower to 150 at 6000 rpm. The three-speed automatic transaxle continued to be standard with the base 4-cylinder engine, but a new four-speed automatic (electronically-controlled 4T60-E) was optional with the 4-cylinder engine and standard with the V-6.

Skylark received a minor facelift for the 1996 model year in the form of a more conventional-looking grill. The previous 2.3 liter 4 was replaced by a new 2.4 liter DOHC 4 that produced 150 hp at 6000 rpm. The previous three-speed automatic transaxle was discontinued and the four-speed automatic became standard on all Skylarks. An on-board diagnostic system (OBD II) was standard. Buick offered an "Olympic Gold" edition of the 1996 Skylark to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Olympic Games. It featured gold USA/5-ring badging on the fenders, gold "Skylark" badges, gold-accented wheel covers, and gold accent trim.

There were only minor changes to the lineup for the 1997 model year, which was the last year that it would be available to the public in showrooms. A single-model 1998 Skylark sedan was produced for fleet-only sales, mostly to auto rental companies. Most of these 1998 models, the last year that Buick used the Skylark name and produced a compact car, were eventually resold to the general public as used cars. Buick never provided a direct replacement for the car and potential buyers of an entry-level Buick were directed to the mid-sized Century.

The Skylark production line in Lansing was retooled to build the 2000–2003 Chevrolet Malibu.