What is the plan at Buick?

[Sal Collaziano]

Since I can't get any of the members at my own Buick forum (who only care about the Roadmaster and nothing else), I'll repost my topic here...

http://www.buickforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9615 (it just goes to show that there is nearly NO ONE interested in Buick's new products)

I may be out of touch - so if I'm off base here, please let me know.. I hear the Buick Lucerne is gone along with the Cadillac DTS. I also hear the Buick LaCrosse is growing - so maybe IT will fill the shoes of the Lucerne. Now we see the Buick Regal making a return - which is a little smaller than the LaCrosse..

It looks to me like Buick isn't going to have a full-size car very soon. Maybe I'm wrong. At any rate, the new LaCrosse looks excellent - so they'll have a fairly large midsize car there.. The Regal looks great as well - so they'll have a competitive midsize car to compete with the Honda Accord, Nissan Altima, Toyota Camry and Hyundai Sonata..

But that's where it ends.. Unless Buick wants to fade away into history, they need an excellent, small entry-level vehicle that young people aspire to own. While the Regal is very nice - it's for a more mature audience. Where's Buick's Lexus IS (or Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, etcetera)? They need something small with a 4 cylinder engine and modification potential.

Cadillac has the CTS. Well, it HAD the CTS. The CTS is now a bit more than an "entry-level" sedan (even though it still IS entry-level for now). A new smaller Cadillac is on the way to take the original CTS's place. This is the kind of car that brings in new customers. Which vehicle is this for Buick? I don't see *ANY* young people in a LaCrosse..

So what's the plan? Does anybody have any idea?

[Xtreme08]

Originally Posted by Sal Collaziano

Since I can't get any of the members at my own Buick forum (who only care about the Roadmaster and nothing else), I'll repost my topic here...

http://www.buickforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9615 (it just goes to show that there is nearly NO ONE interested in Buick's new products)

I may be out of touch - so if I'm off base here, please let me know.. I hear the Buick Lucerne is gone along with the Cadillac DTS. I also hear the Buick LaCrosse is growing - so maybe IT will fill the shoes of the Lucerne. Now we see the Buick Regal making a return - which is a little smaller than the LaCrosse..

It looks to me like Buick isn't going to have a full-size car very soon. Maybe I'm wrong. At any rate, the new LaCrosse looks excellent - so they'll have a fairly large midsize car there.. The Regal looks great as well - so they'll have a competitive midsize car to compete with the Honda Accord, Nissan Altima, Toyota Camry and Hyundai Sonata..

But that's where it ends.. Unless Buick wants to fade away into history, they need an excellent, small entry-level vehicle that young people aspire to own. While the Regal is very nice - it's for a more mature audience. Where's Buick's Lexus IS (or Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, etcetera)? They need something small with a 4 cylinder engine and modification potential.

Cadillac has the CTS. Well, it HAD the CTS. The CTS is now a bit more than an "entry-level" sedan (even though it still IS entry-level for now). A new smaller Cadillac is on the way to take the original CTS's place. This is the kind of car that brings in new customers. Which vehicle is this for Buick? I don't see *ANY* young people in a LaCrosse..

So what's the plan? Does anybody have any idea?

I agree they do need a Lexus IS fighter. How about the Buick Riviera? It was a gorgeous concept car and I think it could be made into a nice sports sedan.

http://www.netcarshow.com/buick/2007...llpaper_01.htm


There is actually another thread on it:
The New Riviera

[Sal Collaziano]

The Riviera would be a great vehicle for this since it's looking to be a small car (as opposed to most older Riviera's). All I know is, they absolutely NEED a good entry-level vehicle. Some type of luxurious Honda Civic with a sporty edge to it. The LaCrosse did a VERY bad job at being this vehicle. It was like an entry-level car for ONLY old people.

[Hitman1970]

I guess the question will be which PBG brand gets a version of the Cruze. If not, what of Buick China's current offerings would meet the goal here? If it is not either of these, I do not think they have a plan.

[Sal Collaziano]

A semi-luxurious Cruze would work.. Nicer fabric or leather, the typical new Buick dash and center stack, a semi-flashy grille and high-tech looking tail lights.. That could work.. This really has to happen or moving forward with Buick is going to be a waste of time.

[wescoent]

The plan is pretty liquid, but this is the summary as I understand it.

The Buick Regal will basically be a rebadge of the Opel Insignia, and sold as an entry level car under the Lacrosse.

The Buick Rendezvous may return when the Saturn Vue dies.

The Buick Lucerne will likely die when the Cadillac DTS does... in other words, who knows.

The Buick Lacrosse will grow slightly, and probably will be a tweener between the midsize Regal and full size Lucerne.

Buick Enclave gets starved for development money, since it's successful.

[nsap]

The Plan:

Align the Buick China and Buick NA lineups down to the tee.

LaCrosse is on LWB Epsilon II, Regal is on SWB Epsilon II. The Regal HAS NOT been OKed for the US market yet, but likely will be. It will be a rebadged Insignia.

The crap about the Vue being a Buick is not true. Buick will likely get a TE based crossover (ala SRX, 9-4x).

Lucerne is dead. Was going to be replaced by a Zeta car, but that was shelved.

New Enclave in 2012.

Also expect closer ties between Buick and Opel. GM is mulling pulling Opel out of China and giving their products to Buick.

[civilzues]

Who wants to expand on;
Buick China=Buick NA= Opel

Anyone....

[Sal Collaziano]

So the Lucerne is just going to sit around and be a waste of space. I don't see any Lucerne's on the road (bearly ever). So it just sits on the showroom floor and makes Buick look bad. Okay.

The LaCrosse is going to be very nice. They have a winner there..

The Enclave is great. I hope they keep moving in the right direction with this vehicle.

I really think having two midsize cars is going to be a problem. Doesn't the new LaCrosse compete with the Lexus ES? What will the Regal compete with? ALSO the ES? It doesn't look like a typical entry-level car.. And it doesn't look like someone a youthful buyer would really want.. It looks like a nice, but inexpensive thirty-something car - just like the LaCrosse..

What does Buick sell for twenty-somethings?

[oklapike]

Originally Posted by nsap

The Plan:

Align the Buick China and Buick NA lineups down to the tee.

LaCrosse is on LWB Epsilon II, Regal is on SWB Epsilon II. The Regal HAS NOT been OKed for the US market yet, but likely will be. It will be a rebadged Insignia.

The crap about the Vue being a Buick is not true. Buick will likely get a TE based crossover (ala SRX, 9-4x).

Lucerne is dead. Was going to be replaced by a Zeta car, but that was shelved.

New Enclave in 2012.

Also expect closer ties between Buick and Opel. GM is mulling pulling Opel out of China and giving their products to Buick.

So if this is the plan, what about Excelle and the Chinese Park Avenue? I think Excelle would make a nice entry level (sub-Regal), also I would guess the now-cancelled Zeta Lucerne replacement may have been close to that. Yes/no/maybe?

[Reatta Master]

Buick sells absolutely nothing for 20 somethings. I wish they did because I would certainly buy one and I am 23. The Cruze never really had my attention because it seems too square for me as a Chevrolet. However, if it was badged as a Buick as a more upscale version of the Cruze and was badged as a Skylark or Somerset I think it could sell quite well.

[nsap]

Originally Posted by oklapike

So if this is the plan, what about Excelle and the Chinese Park Avenue? I think Excelle would make a nice entry level (sub-Regal), also I would guess the now-cancelled Zeta Lucerne replacement may have been close to that. Yes/no/maybe?

No. I'll be surprised if we see an Excelle even in China after the current one. GM wants to keep Buick upmarket there as well as here.

Park Ave.? No. Too expensive for our market.

[texassierradude]

Would it be prohibitvely expensive to produce a RWD Riviera off the Camaro platform? I'm afraid after all the gearheads take delivery of their '10 Camaros, the Oshawa line will have excess capacity. Riviera CX with the 3.6L V-6, and CXL (GS?) with the L99 6.2 V8. This may be a lame idea, but its the only idea I have. I am hoping to see Opel and Buick draw closer again.

[ksr]

I don't think the Lucerne makes Buick look bad. It's a nice-looking car. You'll see a lot of them on the road in the Pittsburgh area, but we have a very old population.

They don't make anything that appeals to 20-somethings. Even if they did, I'm not sure that your typical 20-something would consider a Buick anyway. Sad, but true.

[Hitman1970]

Plenty of Lucerne's and LaCrosse's on the road in Huntsville. Also a a good number of Saturn Outlooks, Acadias, and Enclaves (in that order). The older skewing government workforce and military retiree community is at play here. I am sure it is not representative of the rest of the nation.