Buick Rendezvous has proven popular for uniquely combining the versatility of a minivan, the capability of an SUV and the ride and comfort of a luxury sedan. With its Rendezvous Mobility offering, Buick makes its successful crossover vehicle available to millions of Americans with disabilities.
"There are 54 million Americans with disabilities – many leading very active lives – who need vehicles that are engineered or adapted to meet their special needs. Whether it’s a parent, a child or a spouse with a disability, Rendezvous enables families to maintain that active lifestyle," said Elliott Benson, assistant brand manager, marketing for GM Mobility.
In developing this special Rendezvous version, General Motors worked with upfitter View Point Mobility, in Kalamazoo, Mich., to create the first crossover vehicle capable of being converted for wheelchair access.
All adaptations to the Rendezvous Mobility were designed to make entering and exiting the vehicle more convenient for persons with disabilities, as well as to make transporting passengers more secure. To facilitate vehicle entry and exit, Rendezvous Mobility features a kneeling rear suspension that minimizes the ramp angle, a hydraulic rear-entry wheelchair ramp and a power-operated liftgate. To more conveniently transport passengers, the floor in the second and third rows has been lowered, quad seats are mounted in the second row, providing an open center architecture, and a folding, two-person bench seat is incorporated into the third row.
"What makes Buick Rendezvous an ideal vehicle for mobility upfitters is its versatility and its array of standard and optional security and confidence features," Benson added.
Providing a wealth of assistance with just the push of a button is OnStar, while the EyeCue head-up windshield display presents critical vehicle-operation information in the driver's line of vision, minimizing the time necessary to refocus sight between the road and the instrument panel. Rendezvous Mobility also features Rear Parking Assist, which uses four ultrasonic sensors to warn the driver of obstacles in the blind spot immediately behind the rear bumper. The sensors alert the driver by a chime and warning lights if the car nears an obstacle while backing at low speeds.
"At General Motors, we have a history of displaying vehicles at SEMA that have been modified to meet the needs of people with disabilities. The Buick Rendezvous with the View Point Mobility conversion is just one example of GM’s commitment to creating personal transportation solutions that can be easily adapted to meet the diverse needs of people with disabilities," Benson concluded.
Vehicle Highlights
* Driver and front-passenger dual-stage air bags
* Driver and front-passenger side air bags
* Safety-cage construction
* Four-wheel disc ABS
* OnStar
* EyeCue head-up windshield display (optional)
* Driver information center
* Steering wheel mounted audio controls
* SLA independent rear suspension
* Automatic rear level control
* Battery rundown protection
* Ultrasonic Rear Park Assist
* Traction control (FWD)
* Lowered-floor in 2nd and 3rd row "center aisle" area
* Hydraulic rear entry wheelchair ramp
* Kneeling rear suspension to minimize ramp angle
* Power rear liftgate opener
* Wireless remote control
* Quad seats remounted in 2nd Row
* Folding two-person bench seat in 3rd row