by "LJ909" (lj909)
Published 03/16/2017 at 17:38
by "LJ909" (lj909)
Published 03/16/2017 at 17:38
No Tags
STARS: 1
This...car here is the Buick Cascada. It came to the US just recently, despite pretty much being European GM Opel leftovers that had already been on sale in the EU for years. Buick VP Tony DiSalle described it as the brands “halo” car. I knew then that Buick was pretty much done in the US then.
Then come the news that GM sells Opel, (Buick’s vehicle lifeline since GM is too lazy to actually invest in unique products for the brand) to the French. Whats going to happen now? It has to force GM to give them products unique to the brand right? I don’t really think so. In fact at this point, I would be fine if Buick went away.
The brand is in a weird gray area that I thought the bankruptcy shuttering of brands would have helped fixed, but all it did was consolidate nonsense. They took Pontiac away and in doing so had Chevy take up the role, which in turn gives Chevy performance cars and more mass market vehicles. Then they take Oldsmobile away because they were stepping on each other’s toes with the near luxury market. But then give the more luxurious models to China for Buick and hold it back here in the US. Keeping the brand in a weird gray area of not quite a Chevy, Not quite a Cadillac and giving us old rebadged vehicles that have been on sale in Europe for years.
Every single vehicle in the Buick lineup can be had or done for the same or better at Chevy or Cadillac. Why get a Lacrosse, when an Impala Premier is literally the same vehicle and can be had for cheaper? A loaded Lacrosse at this point actually steps on the toes of the XTS, which like itself and the Impala are the same car. ( and when I say this I’m speaking of exterior and interior dimensions, certain design elements as well as riding on the same platform). It makes more sense to get an XTS at that point. The only vehicle I think that’s worth saving and is sort of uniqueness Buick is the Enclave, but even then, its one of 3 similar vehicles.
Buick now is a left over of old GM, existing solely for China. Their recent announcement of giving a “sub-brand the name Avenir as a sort of top of the line luxury trim for their models looks to be a last ditch effort while they think where to go next with the absence of their life blood Opel.We all know how well they do in China though.. I still don’t get. But in the position that they are in, any way they go will step on either Chevy’s or Cadillac’s. Near luxury doesn’t work anymore. Either go full and take a gamble by giving us something worthy of one of the oldest American nameplates,or go home.
"For Sweden" (rallybeetle)
03/16/2017 at 17:39, STARS: 1
Buick = FWD Luxury
Cadillac = RWD Luxury
This isn’t complicated
"LJ909" (lj909)
03/16/2017 at 17:43, STARS: 0
If it was that simple Mercury would still be around and the XTS wouldn’t exist. You cant divide luxury between whats FWD and whats RWD.
"For Sweden" (rallybeetle)
03/16/2017 at 17:45, STARS: 0
No, because Lincoln is the FWD luxury brand. Ford does not have a RWD luxury brand.
"LJ909" (lj909)
03/16/2017 at 17:47, STARS: 0
Like I said, if it was that simple, Mercury would still be around AND Lincoln would have went full RWD years ago with the LS. Lincoln isnt in much better shape than Buick though, but the new Continental is a step in the right direction.
"FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem" (fuelstratifiedinjection)
03/16/2017 at 17:47, STARS: 2
The Verano and Lacrosse will probably not get replaced and the new Regal will be the last sedan offering and Buick will just sell crossovers. That’s what I think.
"RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht" (ramblininexile)
03/16/2017 at 17:50, STARS: 0
I’m totally fine with stepping on Chevy and/or Cadillac, because everything is one or the other anymore with enough “brand flavor” to really piss off anybody who doesn’t like the “brand flavor” or doesn’t like it with certain things. It’s like going to Chipotle would be if you hated lime and cilantro, or if McDonald’s put Ranch on every sandwich including the Filet O Fish.
I’m more a Ford brands guy than GM brands guy, but I like Buick, like Cadillac to a point when it’s doing Cadillac things, and don’t really like “Chevy flavor”. What do they say to me as a consumer?
"RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht" (ramblininexile)
03/16/2017 at 17:52, STARS: 0
Truthful, even if I don’t like it. I’d like a
fawnseh
Buick RWD coupe, but that ship has probably sailed.
"Bourbon&JellyBeans" (bourbonandjellybeans)
03/16/2017 at 17:56, STARS: 0
You’re right. Let’s examine the evidence: the Encore looks like an angry jelly bean. The Enclave is an ugly poorly-disguised minivan. The Verano is bland and has chrome eyebrows over its taillights. The new Lacrosse looks alright, but isn’t mindblowing. Overall, Buick is just bland and their advertisement is worse. The “I-can’t-believe-it’s-a-Buick” tactic used in their ads won’t work out as well as it did for Unilever and their butter substitute. Little bloated crossovers are just never going to be seen as luxurious in the US. Buick, I’m not mad at you. I’m just disappointed.
"Bourbon&JellyBeans" (bourbonandjellybeans)
03/16/2017 at 17:57, STARS: 0
I’m going to assume that the average car buyer doesn’t differentiate between luxury brands based on drivetrain.
"LJ909" (lj909)
03/16/2017 at 18:00, STARS: 0
I don’t know. I guess I approach the brand from a point of being sense ability. In the sense that the brand doesn’t make sense to me. i get your point though that it can be for some people that don’t want a Chevy or a Cadillac. but at that point though its not Buick they are going to its something entirely different. The brand still isnt on enough peoples radar. From having sold them before, they are alienating people on two fronts: the traditional Buick, older buyer that wants a bench seat and column shifter ( you dont know how many grandparents age people would come in still looking for a Lucerne with the bench seat) and the younger buyers who still think the brand is for the seniors that want old school Buick.
"LJ909" (lj909)
03/16/2017 at 18:02, STARS: 1
That’s how I feel about them. I am disappointed. And the recent concepts from them prove that someone in the upper level’s still have some sense. But the production cars show they aren’t even trying. The Enclave though was the vehicle that started Buick down the path of trying to change peoples perception of them. The I cant believe its a Buick marketing though shows that they are aware that their AARP stigma still sticks with them and bothers them.
"Logansteno: Bought a VW?" (logansteno)
03/16/2017 at 18:04, STARS: 3
Considering all the Opel products in Buick’s lineup are near the end of their series production cycles, and the LaCrosse (which, FYI, is infinitely nicer in every aspect from an Impala and on a different platform), Envision, and Enclave are already Buick designed inside and out, I don’t see why it would be such a task for Buick to design a mid-size sedan and compact crossover since that’s all that’s left for them since the Verano is dead and the Cascada is a joke (we haven’t sold one of them I think.)
As someone who actually works for Buick at the dealership level, the brand is doing just fine despite what jalonik who can’t give a half a shit about something if it isn’t a Mazda seems to think. GM has enough common sense now to not keep Buick around if it didn’t make sense. Clearly it did more than keeping Opel around. Buick sold almost 250,000 cars last year. That number is expected to rise this year.
You wanna talk about a brand with an uncertain future, talk about Lincoln.
"RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht" (ramblininexile)
03/16/2017 at 18:05, STARS: 1
And that’s why the Harley Earl advertising of 9-10 years ago almost certainly died before its time was due. That whole Mad Men hat-wearing suave suitcase-carrying businessman of taste thing would play really well to both younger buyers of a hipster vein
right now
and to oldsters. I mean, it’s a version of *that* Buick that sells in China - that and the glitz. It’s possible to fail with retro, but it’s also possible to succeed wildly.
"Logansteno: Bought a VW?" (logansteno)
03/16/2017 at 18:06, STARS: 0
The LaCrosse was literally just redesigned ground up last year.
"fhrblig" (fhrblig)
03/16/2017 at 18:18, STARS: 0
My sister nabbed a Pontiac G6 hardtop convertible on the cheap after Pontiac went under. Now she can snag a Cascada when they get discontinued.
"LJ909" (lj909)
03/16/2017 at 18:21, STARS: 0
I sold Buick’s as well and none of us, even the sales managers had any faith in the brand. We got more foot traffic for GMC. You would think though it would be easy to design a Buick specific car that isn’t just pulled from another part of the world like the Regal and Envision are. But for whatever reason Gm wont do it even though the brand needs it.
I see Buick and Lincoln on equal footing though. But like I said to the other guy, at least the Continental is a step in the right direction. Buick needs a Park Avenue. But we wont get it because crossovers are the thing now. As far as the Cascada goes, have you guys even had anyone remotely interested in it?
"LJ909" (lj909)
03/16/2017 at 18:23, STARS: 0
Yea I thought of that. Harley Earl would spin in his grave had he known the Buicks they were using his likeness to tout back then. LeSabre, Rendezvous? Jokes. Buick now though has tasteful designs that I think fit the brand and could win over younger buyers. Its a long shot but it could work.
"LJ909" (lj909)
03/16/2017 at 18:24, STARS: 0
The Cascada is the Toyota Solara of Buick: a comfy sedan based convertible thats as bland as Vanilla ice cream. They dont make them like that anymore, and Chrysler left the segment a few years back now.
"BahamaTodd" (bahamatodd)
03/16/2017 at 18:30, STARS: 2
Buick is doing pretty well in the US. Its not going anywhere.
2016 sales totals:
Buick: 230k
Acura: 161k
Audi: 210k
BMW: 313k
Cadillac: 170k
Infiniti: 138k
Lincoln: 112k
Lexus: 331k
Mercedes: 340k
"LJ909" (lj909)
03/16/2017 at 18:35, STARS: 0
Yea one thing that doesn’t make sense to me is that while those numbers are impressive, I dont see that many new Buick’s on the road and you would think with selling over 200k vehicles you would see something. I see a few Encores here and there, but I’ve never seen a current refreshed Lacrosse, any new Regal’s, I do see Enclaves. Ive literally seen only one Cascada and I have never seen an Envision. I wonder who’s buying these cars?
"Logansteno: Bought a VW?" (logansteno)
03/16/2017 at 18:35, STARS: 0
I have no idea how recently you sold them, but our sales staff (I’m in service) constantly have people in the store interesting in and buying them.
The only reason Buick got the Regal in the first place was because Saturn died. That was supposed to be the gen 2 Aura. The car was pretty much ready when Saturn died and the Lucerne was at the end of its usable life so Buick got it instead. Depending on who gets the new Insignia in the divorce is going to depend on what the next Regal is I imagine.
The Encore is a stop-gap in my mind. Compact crossovers are hot, Opel had one readily available. One Buick grille later it’s Buick’s best seller so obviously they aren’t going to let it die after Opel goes away so the next one is gonna have to be Buick from the inside out design wise.
The Envision, despite where it’s assembled, was engineered almost exclusively in Detroit and is Buick through and through.
The LaCrosse, Envision, and Enclave (both old and new) have been designed exclusively for Buick so I don’t understand your statement about GM not designing Buick specific cars.
Lincoln and Buick are on the same field, but Lincoln sold half what Buick did last year. The Continental isnt much more than the LaCrosse is; a rebodied full-size sedan from another brand in the company umbrella. It just has more gimmicky features.
"AMC/Renauledge" (n2skylark)
03/16/2017 at 18:38, STARS: 2
Your chronology is WAY off. Olds died in 2004, 3 years after it was announced. 5 years before Pontiac did.
Chevy always had performance models. Do the Corvette, Camaro, and SS as a model and trim level sound familiar? Since Pontiacs weren’t fetching higher prices than Chevys anyway, why duplicate efforts maintaining the brand?
Also, the Cascada is a tiny part of Buick’s sales volume. It’s been a niche model to tide Buick over between the waves of new product. And it’s apparently selling OK.
The LaCrosse comes with a standard V6 and the Focus RS’s twin clutch AWD system. Meanwhile the Impala is on the older and heavier platform that’s still rocking a standard 4 and no AWD.
The Enclave has been minting money for GM since its 2008 launch, and it’s about to get redone. The Encore is a massive profit center, and even though it’s based on the Trax, it’s a massively better vehicle.
The old Regal was only about 90% the car it should have been. Hopefully the new one with its TourX version will be a winner.
And the Envision shares zero panels with the D2 Equinox or Terrain. Its quality is high and Chinese sourcing makes it profitable.
Buick is essentially an American Volvo at this point. Where they go after Opel is anyone’s guess. But given China’s ability to keep the lineup fresh and competitive, I’m not terribly worried.
I think GM had plans in the works for Buick in the run-up to the Opel sale.
"LJ909" (lj909)
03/16/2017 at 18:53, STARS: 0
The Encore could be a stop gap. But for what though? A next gen or something else entirely?
The Envision was designed and engineered in China for the Chinese before anyone else. Buick only brought it over to capitalize on crossover sales. When I said Buick specific cars, I meant something that the other GM marques don’t have that’s specific to the brand.
"Noah - Now with more boost." (antriebverliebt)
03/16/2017 at 18:53, STARS: 1
Those sales figures that someone posted surprised me, I was 100% with you. I don’t notice many new Buicks either. But maybe they’re purchased in a different area of the US where “buying American” is more important to people.
"LJ909" (lj909)
03/16/2017 at 19:01, STARS: 0
I wasn’t going in chronological order when I mentioned Olds. I was just mentioned them as a point of when they shuttered the brand.
The Cascada hasn’t sold anything since its launch. It is a niche yes but still. Last year they sold a little over 7 thousand. This year so far its only 944.
Like I mentioned the only Buick worth anything is the Enclave which I’ve loved since the beginning. The new one is going to debut the Avenir trim level so it should be something. And with Opel gone I highly doubt we are getting the TourX as a version of the Regal. Wagons don’t sell sadly. We all know that.
But with the Chinese cars I’m worried, especially consider the outcry that happened when the Envison was announce for us. People had reservations about buying an Chinese designed and built car. But I wouldn’t go so far as to say they are an American Volvo. That’s a bit of a stretch. They are GM’s Lincoln. Yea they sell more, but as far as the lineups and brand identities are concerned, they are on equal footing.
"LJ909" (lj909)
03/16/2017 at 19:03, STARS: 1
I assumed that as well. I also want to know how much of those figures are fleet sales. I know the Encore is a hot thing for them right now though. But still I’m surprised they sell that much and to whom?
"Logansteno: Bought a VW?" (logansteno)
03/16/2017 at 19:10, STARS: 0
A stop-gap for a generation designed entirely by Buick. Since obviously Opel won’t be doing the next generation and it’s far too successful to kill off.
It was originally for China yes, and the design was done by Buick’s Chinese design studio, but the chassis and engine engineering was done in America. Even if it was originally for China, it started life as a Buick and was the first car to ride on the chassis it is on. Saying it isn’t a Buick is like saying a Ford Focus isn’t a Ford because it was designed in Europe. It’s still a badged and sold as a Ford in America.
The gen 2 Enclave has the large near-luxury crossover market to itself in GMs portfolio since the Acadia is smaller and the new Traverse won’t be as nice.
Same goes for the LaCrosse since it has a standard V6, leather and other optional nicities the Impala doesn’t have such as AWD. For a couple more years it’ll share some market with the XTS until that dies, but then it’s in a class of its own.
There’s never going to be a car in Buick’s lineup that’s all Buick. Car companies can’t work like that anymore. Even Rolls-Royce platform shares with BMW.
"yamahog" (yamahog)
03/16/2017 at 19:23, STARS: 1
all them crossovers are selling like hotcakes these days.
"AMC/Renauledge" (n2skylark)
03/16/2017 at 19:24, STARS: 2
Ah, I misinterpreted your order of thoughts.
A $35k convertible selling 7,000 units in its first year is actually pretty good. Can you point to other convertibles in its price range that sell better? And 944 Cascadas sold YTD isn’t bad for winter months, at all. In fact, 944 is 61.9% higher than Cascada sales were this time last year.
The LaCrosse is, in my eyes, every bit as good a car as the Volvo S90, but for about $10k less, comparably equipped. The only real difference is image. And reliability, of course. And the Encore is a really good little CUV, especially now that they’ve fixed its 2 biggest problems: power and styling. It certainly sells well. In fact, the cheaper Trax only outsold it last month by 76 units. While the Encore was co-developed with Opel, it’s built in South Korea. So Buick won’t lose anything there.
The Regal TourX is coming, according to Automotive News, and it’s widely speculated that that car will be a high-end Outback or V60XC competitor.
Buick is also not GM’s Lincoln. Lincolns sell quite poorly. Buick is outselling Cadillac by a wide margin.
As for Buick being in a grey area of the market, I think that’s a good thing. So is GMC, and that brand works just fine. Why be the same as every other company?
"Carbon Fiber Sasquatch" (turbopumpkin)
03/16/2017 at 20:33, STARS: 1
I’ve always said that this is GM’s biggest problem. The most expensive GM car starts at $85k, how in the heck do you get one luxury brand in there much less the “three” they supposedly have.
Buick should be a Mercedes competitor and Cadillac should be a Bentley competitor. Who wouldn’t want the Avenir over the S class?
Or an Elmiraj over a Bentley Continental?
You can’t have luxury brands that don’t show ambition. No one settles for a luxury car but American luxury brands are exactly that, always a compromise.
"HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles" (hondasfordsvolvo)
03/16/2017 at 21:26, STARS: 2
What doesn’t make sense is that Buick still exists. There’s no reason to have a middle ground between Chevrolet and Cadillac. It is a useless company and a useless name
"xyzabc" (stackofoldwood)
03/17/2017 at 06:04, STARS: 1
“...Buick CEO Dan Akerson..”
??
"RT" (rt-p)
03/17/2017 at 07:16, STARS: 1
Here’s a perspective from the other side of the pond. The Regal, Encore and Cascada are all sold here as Vauxhalls - which are not luxury cars. Vauxhall/Opel fill the same sort of gap as Chevy over here, so it’s a weird seeing them sold as luxury cars. Especially the Cascada, which is never going to be a personal luxury car or a sports car, it’s an Astra convertible.
But I guess the sales add up, Buick is here to stay because of success in China, and it isn’t doing too badly in the US either. It may have to rely more on old GM tactics (e.g: Chevy based cars) now though.
"CalzoneGolem" (calzonegolem)
03/17/2017 at 08:04, STARS: 0
Is it bad I thought the thumbnail was a Murano Crosscab?
"xyzabc" (stackofoldwood)
03/17/2017 at 09:00, STARS: 2
We’ll alert the media...
"Noah - Now with more boost." (antriebverliebt)
03/17/2017 at 09:01, STARS: 1
I thought of fleet sales too - and also rentals maybe?
"BadMotorScooter" (badmotorscooter)
03/17/2017 at 09:31, STARS: 3
Buick is not GM’s Lincoln. Lincoln is Ford’s Oldsmobile.
"PS9" (PS9)
03/17/2017 at 09:59, STARS: 6
And here we have a classic example of the gap between what enthusiasts want and what the market actually does. Let’s take a look at Buick’s current position in the market before we start writing their obituary.
2016 YTD, they outsell Audi, Caddy, Acura, Infiniti, and Lincoln. They are a few thousand cars behind Chrysler. They have 2x Lincoln’s volume. They are in the top 20 of all marquees in the United States.
If you look at the history of the brand, it is one of the only ones post 2008 carpocalypse to show a steady period of growth. In 2016, they pretty much fully recovered to where they were in 2006, though I believe it unlikely that they will go back to ~400-500k cars a year. Buick’s viability as a brand is unquestionably sound, since it costs GM much less to badge swap cars they already make than it does for Infiniti to create new cars with brand-exclusive hardware, and that’s a brand Buick nearly outsells 2-to-1.
Keeping the brand in a weird gray area of not quite a Chevy, Not quite a Cadillac and giving us old rebadged vehicles that have been on sale in Europe for years.
This is something an Enthusiast is aware of, and will hold against Buick in shopping for a new car. But here’s why that’s irrelevant; someone who doesn’t read Jalopnik at all (but may browse R&T from time to time), doesn’t worship the altar of track performance, doesn’t care much for cool designs or sweet exhaust notes and will pick space and convenience over fun and engagement every time they shop without exception vastly outnumber the enthusiast. VASTLY. They are why the Camry is the best selling sedan in the united states for 10+ years and still going, they are why the crossover is kicking sedans and sports cars right out of the market and are not going to care too much about who Opel is and what it does elsewhere when they mosey on over to Buick (a brand many of them still remember from it’s glory days in the 50s and 60s) and like what they see right here and right now. Their influence over the auto market cannot be understated anymore than it can be ignored, and an analysis of what is happening without factoring that in will almost always be wrong.
A loaded Lacrosse at this point actually steps on the toes of the XTS, which like itself and the Impala are the same car.
The XTS was a stop-gap car. It only existed to keep the folks who reliably brought DTSs year over year in brand until the CT6 was ready. Now that the CT is here, the XTS is going away.
Buick now is a left over of old GM, existing solely for China.
That’s what an enthusiast sees. A non-enthusiast who has a history with the brand doesn’t think the LaCrosse is too bad. It’s got leather seats and a powerful engine after all, and unlike my old roadmaster it’s even good on gas. What else do you want, he asks? An owner of GM stock sees a growing brand on it’s way to 300k cars a year inside the next decade. I, as an enthusiast, see frustration at the reality of the Avenir and the Avista never being produced. But I don’t buy Buicks new and I don’t own large shares of GM stock, so my thoughts don’t factor at all in this equation.
Near luxury doesn’t work anymore.
For you, perhaps. But for the market as a whole, it is a segment that Includes Lincoln , Acura , Buick , and Chrysler , and it represented 735k cars in 2016 YTD. If the average price of a near-luxury vehicle is $30k, That’s a $22B market segment, one that Buick is at the top of. $22B is not a lot of money considering the car market as a whole, but the idea that this segment is non-viable now considering the numbers is kind of laughable. I would love a RWD V8 Buick, but their customers don’t care for things enthusiasts want which is why it will not happen.
"mazda616" (mazda616)
03/17/2017 at 10:48, STARS: 1
Kinda random but I think the Cascada is a damn good looking car. It may not be sporty to drive but I love the styling.
"HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles" (hondasfordsvolvo)
03/17/2017 at 11:15, STARS: 0
I think they know
"LJ909" (lj909)
03/17/2017 at 12:25, STARS: 0
???
"LJ909" (lj909)
03/17/2017 at 12:25, STARS: 0
Ew. Yes.
"LJ909" (lj909)
03/17/2017 at 12:36, STARS: 0
Like I said to the other people. those sales numbers are impressive but I’m wondering how much of those are fleet.
I get your point though but I’m not looking at it from an enthusiasts perspective. I used to sell Buick’s. We got buyers in that were cross shopping Acura, Lincoln, Audi etc. Near luxury or luxury models. These research extensively to the point where its a little annoying. And brand perception is everything to them. The Lacrosse and Enclave brought these people over to look at Buick’s. And these people nitpicked everything. i remember showing a customer and his wife a Lacrosse and one of them made a comment about how they didn’t like the fact that the steering wheel was the same one as in their daughters Cruze. Its stuff like that that has me question their sales. Who’s buying them? The older Buick faithful might be drawn to a Lacrosse or Encore from what I’ve seen, but the majority of their current cars aren’t “Buick” enough for them. And the younger crowd isn’t drawn to them because they are a Buick.
"Arrivederci" (arrividerci)
03/17/2017 at 13:45, STARS: 2
I disagree - I think Buick has its niche as the American Lexus (or Lexus as the Japanese Buick). Not so much concerned with performance, which Lexus is changing a little, but quiet, comfortable, reliable, semi-luxury. Buick isn’t concerned with performance at all, part of the reason why the Regal GS has been a little neglected.
Everybody I know with LaCrosse’s absolutely loves them as an alternative to the ES350. The Enclave is the three-row RX that Lexus doesn’t build.
I think Buick still has its place between Chevy and Cadillac.
"xyzabc" (stackofoldwood)
03/17/2017 at 14:24, STARS: 0
Buick doesn’t have a “CEO”...and it’s not Dan Akerson. He left GM in January, 2014 as Chairman and CEO of GM.
"LJ909" (lj909)
03/17/2017 at 14:43, STARS: 0
You should have said that in the first place instead of the question marks. That told me nothing. But you’re right. I got that from an article that said that he had Akerson said that. Corrected.
"xyzabc" (stackofoldwood)
03/17/2017 at 14:58, STARS: 0
Pretty obvious the writer doesn’t want the facts to get in the way of his piece...
"LongbowMkII" (longbowmkii)
03/17/2017 at 15:03, STARS: 0
I think the next gen ATS should be a Buick, replacing the Verano. It’s not really working as a caddy. and would create space by moving caddy up (CTS/XT5 make a fine entry level cadillac)and a ‘unique’ vehicle for Buick.
Priced starting at 30k (as opposed to 34k) makes it a better competitor against other small lux sedans. I realize the verano is much cheaper, but the Encore will absorb the buyers who want the cheapest Buick. possible convertible to replace the cascada as well. Add a couple inches and replace the regal as well. moving to 2 sedans would make sense.
To rile up people, announce a 662 high performance package. 6 injectors, 6 speed manual, 2 turbos. (formerly known as the ATS-V)
"LongbowMkII" (longbowmkii)
03/17/2017 at 15:07, STARS: 0
the lacrosse doesnt have AWD standard. even the XTS doesnt.
"LongbowMkII" (longbowmkii)
03/17/2017 at 15:09, STARS: 1
they ran out of bailing wire and bubble gum to keep sticking on the 1997 Sebring
"themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles" (themanwithsauce)
03/17/2017 at 15:35, STARS: 1
Buick doesn’t really sell to fleets. That’d be chevrolet. I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that cadillac has more fleet sales, even. I know lincoln sells tens of thousands of MKTs and others to livery companies to use as nice taxis.
"duurtlang" (duurtlang)
03/17/2017 at 15:52, STARS: 0
I think the next gen ATS should be a Buick, replacing the Verano.
That’s a huge jump. The Verano is a rebadged 2009 Opel Astra, a car designed to compete with the likes of the Ford Focus and similar Hyundais. The ATS is more of a BMW 3-series competitor, or so I’m told (they’re available here but I haven’t even
seen
one, let alone driven one)
"AMC/Renauledge" (n2skylark)
03/17/2017 at 16:00, STARS: 0
I know. I meant to use “standard” in terms of the V6, not the AWD. And the AWD absolutely transforms the car from a soft boulevard cruiser to quite a good dancer.
"AMC/Renauledge" (n2skylark)
03/17/2017 at 16:03, STARS: 0
http://www.autoblog.com/2017/03/17/buick-regal-tourx-wagon-america-spy-shots/#slide-4714079
The Regal TourX has been spied testing in the US, with Buick-specific cues.
"LongbowMkII" (longbowmkii)
03/17/2017 at 16:06, STARS: 0
It’s not doing Cadillac much good. And the Verano needs replacing, but I don’t see a low profit small sedan (with no ceiling) being as marketable as a more expensive small sedan with higher possible margins and marketability. I don’t know how stressed the Encore production is but I think that’d be an easier sell than a decked out Cruze filling the 22k-30k slot. At least these days.
"duurtlang" (duurtlang)
03/17/2017 at 16:23, STARS: 0
They could replace the 2009 Astra (Verano) with the 2015 Astra. GM can still use the Opel vehicles as far as I know. Maybe add a bit of cladding to the wagon and brag it’s a crossover. The European press is very enthusiastic about the newish Astra, much moreso than about the previous one.
"LJ909" (lj909)
03/17/2017 at 17:01, STARS: 1
Yea I just read earlier that a Wagon and Hatch are going to replace the Regal sedan.
"Connqr" (connqr)
03/17/2017 at 22:45, STARS: 1
That moment when a comment is as big as the article it’s responding to.
"Connqr" (connqr)
03/17/2017 at 22:46, STARS: 1
I just realized, about the 10th time looking at the top photo, that it has a Buick badge and not a Vauxhall/Opel badge.
"Shoop" (shoopdawoop993)
03/19/2017 at 00:54, STARS: 0
Ha, Buick more like BuREKT.
Great comment.
"Shoop" (shoopdawoop993)
03/19/2017 at 01:07, STARS: 1
Muh feels and muh anecdotal evidence say Buick shouldnt exist, so I’m going to ignore these massive sales numbers