As expected, Buick has announced that its new 2012 LaCrosse with eAssist is priced identically to its more powerful V6-powered sibling. $29,960 (*plus an $860 destination charge) will get the buyer either 25 city and 37 highway miles per gallon (along with about 180 horsepower) or 303 horsepower (along with fuel economy that’s not yet EPA rated but should be close to last year’s 17/27 mpg rating).

For what it’s worth, the new eAssist-equipped LaCrosse is thriftier on the highway than the smaller Lexus HS 250h (35/34) and Lincoln MKZ Hybrid (41/36 mpg) but not nearly as frugal as either of those competitors in the city.

The departing 2011 LaCrosse, you’ll remember, was available with either a 2.4-liter Ecotec rated at 182 horsepower or a 3.6-liter V6 rated at 280 horses. In other words, the standard four-cylinder has been replaced with the mild hybrid powertrain while the optional V6 (available for no extra charge) has received a 23-horsepower bump. Parsimony or performance at your prerogative.

So, buyers will have the option of significantly improved fuel economy or horsepower – two highly desirable traits. Of course, there’s a catch. Last year’s base LaCrosse, which carried with it an MSRP of $26,995, is no longer available. That means the least expensive LaCrosse for 2012 is about $3,000 more than it was in 2011. That said, at least buyers will clearly get more for their money. See the complete press release after the break.

This weekend, Buick is introducing a new ad the company calls its “brand anthem.” Car companies do this once in a while. It’s almost always a 60-second TV spot meant to illustrate a new idea of what the brand represents.

In Buick’s case, its new anthem, to paraphrase, is “luxury for regular folks.” The actual message the ad carries is, “Your Kind of Luxury.” Buick says this is not a permanent tagline or slogan, but that it is dropping “The New Class of World Class,” which it’s been using as a tag for more than a year. The brand will go without a consistent slogan in future.

Buick is the brand that, more than any other, is trying to tell the public that times have changed. “Quiet” luxury is in, the marketers say. Buick ad chief Craig Bierley says that Buick is going back to its image roots established in the 1950s and 60s. He describes Buick in those years as the perfect car for the doctor who made house calls. If the doc drove a Cadillac, he would be saying that his rates were to high, Bierley explained. If he drove a Chevy or Dodge, he wasn’t successful enough. Buick conveys authority and taste without showing off.

It’s hard to talk about all of the good things General Motors is doing these days without referencing theChevrolet Volt – it is perhaps the most talked-about car on the scene, green or otherwise. In showing the world that highly efficient, practical cars aren’t so far out of our reach, GM is preparing to launch a slew of fuel-sipping vehicles in the near term.

We’ve already spent time with the honest-to-goodness 42-mile-per-gallon Chevrolet Cruze Eco, but the next chapter of GM’s efficiency story lies in Buick’s eAssist mild hybrid system, coming to both its LaCrosse andRegal sedans later this year.

We recently had the chance to drive the 2012 Buick LaCrosse eAssist on the roads near GM’s proving grounds in Milford, Michigan, and while some hybrid systems vastly change a car’s overall driving experience, we walked away from our time in the Buick feeling as good as we ever have in a LaCrosse. The beauty of eAssist is that it functions in an almost entirely transparent manner, and that’s a very, very good thing.

In addition to having eAssist added to its four-cylinder powertrain, the 2012 Buick LaCrosse is undergoing a few other changes. We aren’t talking about styling or content tweaks – instead, General Motors is revising its packaging strategy for the LaCrosse. Buick will be ditching the CX, CXL and CXS trim level designations and simply offer large option packages that encompass all of the available amenities.

For 2012, the 2.4-liter Ecotec engine with eAssist technology will be offered as the “standard” powertrain. We recently had some very limited drive time with an eAssist-equipped LaCrosse (stay tuned for our full impressions), and found the four-cylinder with 182 horsepower and 172 pound-feet of torque to be pleasantly adequate and its highway rating of 37 miles per gallon downright remarkable. eAssist-equipped cars will look no different than other LaCrosses, save the addition of model-specific 17-inch wheels on efficiency-optimized tires and other fuel-saving upgrades not visible from outside the car.

The General’s 280-horsepower direct-injected 3.6-liter V6 will still be made available, complete with the newHiPer Strut front suspension that helps keep torque steer to a minimum, but buyers can now select it as a no-cost option, and also opt for all-wheel drive.