Buick's Inside Plans & Why the Park Avenue Won't Come to the USA

[nadepalma]

Buick's Inside Plans & Why the Park Avenue Won't Come to the USA
An inside tip of what's to come from Buick
With added commentary by nadepalma
www.gminsidenews.com
4/27/2007

The rumor mill churns once again and we have rumblings of what the playing field will look like for Buick both in the US and in China over the next few years, thanks to a previously used reliable source. Some of this has been speculated already, but it's always nice to get information that confirms what many GMIers already posted.

Sources in China have said that the next LaCrosse will debut in January 2009 as a 2010 model and be based on the extended wheel-base version of Epsilon II. This would put the vehicle's debut in line with the debut of Epsilon II in Europe with the next Vectra (or Insignia?) and the new 9-5. Additionally, the next generation will be one in the same - that is to say that there the same vehicle will be sold in the US and in China - no more two versions of the same product.

The styling will be lifted from the Velite concept and the Enclave CUV. We've seen a further evolution of this design theme with the new Riviera concept. Watch for this look to become the face of Buick worldwide.

Production of this product will be in both the United States (perhaps the Kansas City plant where the Malibu and Aura or built? Or maybe the Orion plant once the G6 has run it's course?) and in China. US sales target for the next LaCrosse is a rather modest 60,000 to 80,000 units, while the Chinese market is expected to absorb between 160,000 to 200,000 cars -- once again demostrating the staying power for Buick in the Chinese market.

The supposed base price of the next LaCrosse in the U.S will be around $28,000 -- putting vehicles like the ES350 and TL as near-direct compeition.

In China, base models of the next LaCrosse will be offered with four-cylinder engines, while it doubtful that such an engine would make it to the US market. GM is trying to foster a more upscale image for Buick, and with American sentiments in mind, it's highly doubtful the car will come standard with anything other than a V6 engine for a vehicle in this class.

In addition to this, come January 2010 a new RWD/AWD Buick Lucerne comes out as a 2011 model. The new Lucerne will be on the Zeta platform, it will also replace the Park Avenue in China. From a logistics standpoint this makes a great deal of sense since the platform the Lucerne shares with the DTS is slated to die around this time, with no direct large-FWD platform planned.

Additionally, consider that GMI has has not heard anything new about the rumored "Chi" platform in sometime. For those who havne't heard of this proposed platform, it was rumored to use the Lambda platform as its basis to create a unibody structure for large-FWD cars. But since we haven't heard anything about Chi platform development in ages, this would hint at ending speculation that the next DTS and Lucerne will be anything but RWD.

Just as with the LaCrosse, the Lucerne will look to the Velite concept and the Enclave for the design theme.

The sale target for the next Buick Lucerne is 120,000 to 160,000 in the U.S (where the current generation has done incredibly well) and 15,000-20,000 in China (where the model will likely be very much loaded and offer any number of amenities as a top-of-the-line/chauffeur driven car).

There is also some speculation that in China the base Lucerne models will be offered with four-cylinder engines due to energy costs.

The pricing of the next Buick Lucerne in the U.S will depend in part on how well the Buick Enclave does; if the Enclave does well in the mid to high $30's look for the base price of the next Lucerne to be around $36,000 --- effectively giving the LaCrosse some running room to option out and overlapping with the Enclave.

As for the current Chinese Park Avenue, many GMIers have speculated if the car could grace our own shores.

But the simple truth is that it is highly doubtful and the car won't make it to the US market; leaving GMIers and potential customers disappointed.

The main reason the Park Avenue is not coming to the U.S is due to content and features. As it was, the folks at PATAC (the Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center that GM runs with SAIC; they've worked in cooperation with GMDAT for products in the Chinese market) redesigned portions of the Commodore/Statesman's interior with added glitz and style to make a real high-luxury/chauffeur-style vehicle. With so much extra equipment and features (like massaging seats) and feature-devices a Park Avenue with the 3.6L would come close to $50,250-$64,468 to sell in the US --- effectively running the big Buick into Caddy's territory and making a difficult marketing problem to convince customers to buy a Buick priced so high (think VW pushing Phaetons on US customers at huge prices; not gonna fly). Plus add in the expenses of U.S compliance, tier 2 bin 5 emissions (the Park Avenue is only Euro3), and shipping across the Pacific --- and it gets considerably more expensive and unlikely to happen.

The only way you could get it under $45,000 is if you de-content/stripped down so much to where it becomes lame...which would probably be met with howls of protest from folks like us. Also even if the Enclave does well in the mid to high $30's and GM goes on to price the Next Lucerne at starting around $36,000, it will not go over $45,000 as to not encroach on Caddy and also to keep Buick as “affordable” luxury. For this reason, in the U.S. market, the next Lucerne will NOT have some of the features that the current Chinese-market Park Avenue has like massaging seats, rear seats with tables, controls in the arm rest, etc.

The insider's news does somewhat confirm some of the things we’ve been speculating at for some time while reinforcing others. One thing is clear in that Buick will become a great deal more “focused” in the US market. There is obviously no mention from the source about other possible models for the US market (like a coupe or convertible or perhaps a smaller-than-LaCrosse vehicle to lower the entry-level Buick price-point below $28,000). But any other possible models may NOT overlap with what will be offered in China (for example, we get a convertible for the US market, but they don’t; we get a possible coupe based off the LaCrosse, they keep the GL8, etc).

At the very least it would seem that Buick has some good products coming in the near future which will help to bolster the brand in the coming years.

That’s it for now!

(Disclaimer: This is cobbled together from a reputable and anonymous source Ming has cited in previous Rumor Mill threads, with some added commentary and speculation)

[neshapop]

Domestic car buyers don't want to spend 30K+ for Buick. Period.

They will spend that kind of money on Toyota/Nissan/Honda easily.

[Hoosier Red]

That's ridiculous. Everyone knows it's simple - Wagoner could just wave his hand and the Park Avenue comes over. See? Running a large company isn't so hard.

[MechEng]

Buick needs these new models today but of coarse that is unrealistic. I like this plan as long as it is executed and marketed well (big if's). but it needs to happen fast. We need the new Lacrosse MY09 and Lucern MY10. Buick is stagnating and the new "Super" models are not going to cut it. I think this would do very well against Lexus and Acura.

neshapop:

GM is not targeting Toyota's Nissan's and Honda's with Buick. There targeting Lexus, Infinity and Acura

[Hoosier Red]

Originally Posted by neshapop

Domestic car buyers don't want to spend 30K+ for Buick. Period.

They will spend that kind of money on Toyota/Nissan/Honda easily.

Currently offered Buick - true. Buick has to live in that price range with good products. Buick is not viable in the 20K's.....it's not a value brand. It's a premium brand. I definitely don't agree that Toyota/Nissan/Honda can sell the bulk of their appliances in the 30K+ range. At least not currently. Too many value shoppers want their A to B appliances to pay that kind of cash.

[WishIhadatruck]

This makes sense to me, I just wish it would happen sooner. In another 2 years the LaCrosse is going to be even more dated than it is now. The new grill does help however. When are they getting rid of the 3800 V6 and 4-speeds. That is probably the biggest problem with the cars now if they want to pretend to be luxury cars. The Malibu is even giving up on pushrods and 4-speeds.

[Butz]

Makes sense, Buick in China is more upmarket than Buick in NA. GM needs to move Buick upmarket step by step. If all goes well, GM might need 10 years of excellent Buicks to bring Buick NA to the current level of Buick in China.

What GM should do is make the next LaCrosse a real ES350 competitor in all terms for less and move the Lucerne further upmarket.

[EldoFan]

This all makes sense to me now.......and is great news too. Am finally glad to see someone at GM is thinking about refocusing Buick finally......

With these future models and the pricing scheme, I can finally envision Buick as a true Lexus/Acura competitor......

Believe me too, once Buick finally makes this transformation, all it will take is time.....and people will start to pay $28k+ or whatever....

[buick59]

Good info. Personally, I would rather wait a couple years for an all newly designed Lucerne instead of Chinese leftovers. One thing that bugs me, if Buick regards the Velite so highly and wants to use it for design cues for other cars why not build the darn thing!!!!! This makes me crazy.

[kenman923]

Now that makes sense.

[Ming]

Great write-up, Nadepalma, looking forward to more excellent Staff Commentaries like this from you into the future!

All the regulars here know how I feel about this. Buick can't depend on a reskinned Acadia sharing the same dealer lots with its sibling and a pair of old rehashed W and G-bodies to do much more than tread water or recapture a tiny fraction of the huge 40% decline in Buick sales over the past few years.

If GM can't or wont bring Chinese Buicks here, or bring the styling and interiors as close as possible (including Navigation and projector headlights on the sedans!), then they're stuck with a line-up that places all of its eggs in the Enclave basket and retirees who want to buy 3800's and 4-speeds until they die.

My other suggestion still stands, and I have yet to hear a strong argument against it. With the Epsilon II Malibu on hold, a me-too reskinned Buick version would also be delayed, giving further support to my suggestion.

[Mcmflow]

In the long run of things this makes sense. Trying to move Buick upscale gradually will work, as long as they are similar to cars in that class as far as equpiment and interior quality

[VCDJ]

GM needs to stop waisting money on buick and pontiac in NA. Kill those two brands. Pontiac is a rent a car brand. Buick is old peoples car. Just kill those two brands and focus more on Chevy, Cady and Saturn. G8 would be a very nice Impala. Chevy would probably sell alot more of those G8 then Pontiac will. Gm is loosing sales because they have to many brands.

[rueben44]

Originally Posted by neshapop

Domestic car buyers don't want to spend 30K+ for Buick. Period.

They will spend that kind of money on Toyota/Nissan/Honda easily.

WHAT! Have you priced Lucerne's lately? LOL!

[1G6]

The continuation of the Lucerne nameplate past the end of FWD would be ridiculous. Call the new car a Park Avenue or don't produce it at all.