New Buick Delta II (Astra Sedan) pics

[fbg6coupe]

Oh, and I think a 2+2 coupe based on the new Regal would be a real homerun! They need one now that the G6 is gone...

[jry]

Hence the reason why the General needs to keep Opel.

[Quest]

I think what the pictures show looks promising for Buick. The sedan looks good as does the five-door, which is my preference. We know that there is a three-door, wagon and a roadster in development. I hope we at least get the Convertible, which GM has been dropping hints about, and the three-door along with the sedan in NA.

I find the spy shots interesting in that they are perfectly setup. First, the car is posed next to a Cruze both front and rear shots. Secondly, we have a full profile shot to compare to the Cruze; it’s obviously different from its platform sibling and an Astra. The interior shots leave little doubt of its Opel lineage. If you look closely, on Hi-res shots, you can see the inverted sweep (hockey stick) on the rear door that the Astra five-door has. Finally, there is an Insignia parked next to it in one shot to show family heritage.

You couldn’t ask for a better preview, perfectly setup. The new Buick is an Astra derivative and they gave us a photographic comparative with the Cruze – well done.

An interesting side point, as someone else has noted, I to noticed the red Malibu in the background of one of the shots; maybe they're trying to tell us something lol.

[JBsZ06]

I guess it will be a winner..

Not sure we need so many vehicles for the buick lineup.

I thought the upcoming regal would be the least expensive buick sedan...with the lacrosse and enclave available above that price range..

I'm NOT convinced anything priced below the upcoming Regal (which looks great) should be created..

I'd suggest the chevy dealership should really own GM's lower priced product line..(10 to 35 grand for chevy except trucks and specialty vehicles like the camaro z/28 and corvette which can price higher)

I see for the bulk of the product line...

Chevy price point: 10k to 35 grand

buick price point: 20k to 45 grand

Cadillac price point: 30k to 70 grand

Maybe this new luxury compact would price out at exactly 20 grand ?

[benroethig]

Originally Posted by GMJoe

Looks like Opel is going to be the source for Buick's mid-size and compact models, taking Saturn's place.

This is essentially the Astra sedan with a Buick grill,so it's more Opel than Buick. But, that's ok. The Regal doesn't have the sweep spear either, again being an Insignia with a Buick grill.

The new Astra is a great small car and will serve Buick well as its compact model!

Only with Buick. they're not dumb enough to offer it hatch only in a market that generally despises hatchbacks.

[SAngelo]

Originally Posted by 04bonnie

I totally understand you being ticked off about Pontiac, I liked the brand too (Sunfire GT, Grand Am GT, Bonneville, 72 GTO...I've owned (still own the last 2). However, I am all over this new Buick sedan, if it's priced right. I'm moving on, and making Buick my brand....absolutly love my Enclave, and this new "baby Buick" would look perfect alongside the Enclave.

As for mental health, perhaps you need some...LET GO of Pontiac, go buy a bunch of the left overs, I'm sure there's some still on the dealer's lots, G8's, G6's, perhaps a Solstice or two. Buick has way more future than Pontiac had, eventhough I am just as much a Pontiac enthusiest as you are, I've let go of the shock, and embraced these new offerings from Buick: Enclave (of course I like) LaCrosse (killer design), Regal (lower priced sedan, for those that can't swing the LaCrosse), and now this new entry level Buick. We for one will want to downsize from our Bonneville, maybe even a 4 cyl next time around, we will still have the Enclave for room and power, this little Buick will make a perfect work vehicle for my wife (also will look at the Chevy Malibu, Equinox, GMC Terrain, and the other Buick small crossover, which is supposed to be called Encore.) It will be a hard choice (around 2014 or so..for us). Can't wait to see what else comes out.

I agree with you 100%. I was very saddened when I found out Saturn was being sold, then felt worse when Pensky backed out and it was announced the brand was to be dissolved. People need to understand that GM had too many divisions, they had to trim down to only a few. They chose Buick because the brand is huge in China which is a growing market. Chevrolet is the mainstream brand like Honda, Toyota, Ford, VW etc., Buick is the mid-level upscale brand to compete with Acura, Lexus and perhaps Infiniti, while Cadillac is the premium brand. Keeping GMC is not horrible because they are upscale Chevy's and they fit in the same showroom with Buick. So the Regal will be an upscale Malibu, the Compact Buick (Astra, Skylark, etc) will be an upscale Cruze. With this said, Cadillac should produce only RWD/AWD vehicles. So the ATS Compact sedan should be RWD while the Cruze and Baby Buick are FWD.

[momolos]

What the hell happened to the AWSOME Astra headlights?
I knew not to count on GM to do this car correctly!

I mean did they grab those light clusters from the Enclave parts bin....the new Regal has the Insignia lights so why not tne new small Buick.

[Saturn69]

Originally Posted by FierySolstice

Yay! A Cruze rebadge, I'm soo glad "New GM" is nothing like "Old GM"!

Come on people, we all know that this brand has no future. This car is pathetic! They could of given us the Astra, but no, we get a rebadged Cruze with a different interior. What happened to each brand having unique vehicles? Thanks GM for killing Pontiac, but giving this wretch of a car!

It's not a frakking rebadge! It shares a similar platform with the Cruze. Would you have GM make seperate platforms for each of its cars? This Buick shares NO exterior or interior panels with the Cruze. You can't even tell their related without digging into the mechanical parts. Jeebus. You need to get your eyes checked.

[princecharmless]

Originally Posted by johnstarnes

I see no trace of the sweep spear that Welburn had said was an essential aspect of Buick DNA...something I agree with.

the sweepspear is a cue not a design theme. it loses its pizzazz if its done on every vehicle. I think Buick's design theme will incorporate "side markers". compare the Enclave's " hips" the Lacrosse's sweepspear and the Regal's "slash. Notice that they break up the slab sidedness.

[Xenon]

Originally Posted by GMFAN85

Not a rebadge of the Chevy...unless you consider the Opel Astra a rebadge of the Cruze. This is clearly an Astra sedan with Buick styling. This is aimed directly at the Mazda 3 both in features and driving experience.
If you look closely, this sedan shares the same A-pillar with the Astra and not the Cruze. You can see how they differ in one of the photos. Your bitterness at GM for dropping Pontiac is preventing you from looking at the big picture. It's done, get over it.

I love what I see so far. It has a really upscale presence to it thanks to the LaCrosse styling theme.

My question: Why is there a red Chevy Malibu in Europe? Is that an early test model for the next Malibu that GM Europe is testing (which wouldn't make sense since they could just use an Insignia body) or is there a European that really likes the Malibu. Either way, it's pretty cool to see it outside of North America and the Middle East.

Well this was shot here in North America, at least....

[t-rex]

Originally Posted by FierySolstice

Yay! A Cruze rebadge, I'm soo glad "New GM" is nothing like "Old GM"!

Come on people, we all know that this brand has no future. This car is pathetic! They could of given us the Astra, but no, we get a rebadged Cruze with a different interior. What happened to each brand having unique vehicles? Thanks GM for killing Pontiac, but giving this wretch of a car!

Unlike some of our less couth members, I see no need to lob insults your way nor call your mental health into question. However, I do think you're holding unwarranted vitriol for the little Buick. Pontiac wasn't killed off so GM could make this car... GM is offering it simply because shedding Pontiac freed resources.

None of us will miss what Pontiac had become recently, but be honest, FierySolstice, Pontiac was a never a "sporty brand", it was a generic crapola brand with a few odd exciting models. Of course the 1960s were different, but look any other period in Pontiac's history, and the showrooms had, for every shiny Firebird and snappy little Fiero, countless dour family cars that were nothing but rehashed Chevrolets. '75 Grand Prix? '77 Sunbird? '81 Bonneville? 6000 LE? Parisienne? Please, tell me what's remotely sporty, or even remotely exciting about those cars, which, unlike the Firebird, were almost all of the brand's volume? That's the reality of Pontiac history outside the 1959-1972 period.

Any GM fan could write a list of erstwhile Pontiacs that excited the soul. Early Firebirds. The original Grand Prix. The unloved but very interesting 1970s Grand Am. The Fiero (powertrain aside). GTOs. Hell even "cooking" Pontiacs at one time stood out for their stunning style — I still stare at the '67 fullsizers with near awe. But all those cars combined comprise maybe 5-10% of what rolled off the assembly line.

What I'm saying, FierySolstice, is that perhaps you should focus on the specific Pontiacs of yore that stirred your soul, and let go of the hang up you seem to have over the brand. I mean, would a Chevy-badged G8 be a different car because the grill wasn't split in half?

We all mourn Pontiac's loss, but it's a sad casualty of changes in the marketplace. Changes in the market have killed off other once-loved brands like DeSoto, Cord, Pierce-Arrow, Plymouth, Nash, and a most egregious loss — Packard. So celebrate the spirit of those great Pontiacs of yore, and mourn the loss of a once-great brand. But don't harbor hatred for Buick because of Pontiac's demise. Buick's history is just as storied as Pontiac's, and remember, Buick is the cornerstone on which GM was founded, so it has significance from an historical standpoint.

With GM brushing so close to the grim reaper last year, I think we should be thankful that there are any GM brands remaning.

Originally Posted by msitter

And I would cross shop this with? Honda Civic? Hyundai Sonata? Kia Sephia?
Ford Focus?

Good point, but more importantly, we should laud General Motors for creating an entire segment, in this case the upscale compact sedan. I think we desperately all need to break out of the decades-long GM mentality of playing catch-up, and embrace the audacious, groundbreaking spirit that gave us FierySoltice's beloved Pontiac image.

This could signal a turnaround... GM leading instead of following.

[cad1cts]

If it was shot here in NA wouldn't all the cars have a Michigan plate on them? GM has European and Asian cars here all the time with manufacturer plates. Typically Michigan since they're headquartered there. All of those cars have European plates. It doesn't make sense for them to have a bunch of cars here with Euro plates, so having a US Malibu is odd. Also is that dark blue car an Insignia or a Regal?

[Uzzy]

Why can't Buick do an Ad campaign like Canadian Club is doing? "Damn right your Dad Drove One."

[civilzues]

Originally Posted by Uzzy

Why can't Buick do an Ad campaign like Canadian Club is doing? "Damn right your Dad Drove One."

where the hell do you find this crap?! IT'S ALWAYS SO AWESOME!
I love your random picture post like these

[Beau]

I suddenly want a Dalmation.