Buick's First Minivan Targets SUV Buyers with the Need for Space
by Joseph Cabadas , Canadian Auto Press
WARREN, Mich.--After years of offering vans with noncompetitive interiors, General Motors says it is getting serious about improving its position in the mid-size van market with two new entries, the 2005 Buick Terraza and Saturn Relay.
The introduction of the two vehicles, the first vans for either brand, was held December 4 at the Stage Three Productions facility on the grounds of the former Warren (Mich.) Tank Plant, where military vehicles had been produced since World War II to the early 1990s. The debut of the vans was also broadcast live on the Internet for journalists around the globe.
The Terraza and the Relay are vehicles that GM calls "mid vans" or "crossover sports vans" (CVS), a new approach to a segment currently occupied by the aging Chevy Venture and Pontiac Montana, as well as the outgoing Oldsmobile Silhouette. The Venture and Montana will also be phased out and replaced with vehicles built off the same platform as the Buick and Saturn vans.
These vehicles represent a substantial upgrade from the vehicles that they are replacing," said Robert A. Lutz, Product Development and Chairman, GM North America. "I can honestly say this is one of the best mid van interiors in the business. They look very European and very carefully crafted.
"I think we've gone from the current GM T200 interiors... that was without question the weakest part of the (Venture and Montana) and noncompetitive. Now we have gone to a better than competitive interior."
"Terraza positions Buick in the growth area of the mid-van market," said Roger Adams, Buick general manager. "Although the overall segment has declined slightly the last few years, sales of $30,000-plus vehicles have grown from 19 percent to 24 percent of the mid-van market.
"The goal here is to offer the customer substantially more value than has been offered in the General Motors mid vans up to now with far better performance, much nicer interiors, much nicer exteriors, higher functionality and yet remain price competitive with the other vans in the segment," Lutz said. "In Buick's case, it will be price competitive with the more premium brands like Chrysler's Town and Country."
Unlike several competitors that have integrated the track of the sliding doors with the rear windows, giving a seamless, clean look, the sheet metal between the C- and D-pillars of the Terraza and Relay is broken up into several panels much like many older minivans, detracting from the vehicle's overall appearance. The aluminum-colored rails of the luggage rack, however, add a touch of distinction.
"We think this is a better solution rather than having a third row seat that folds into a well," Lajdziak said. "You don't have to pull stuff out of the well and put on ground to flip seat into well. And when you need the extra storage, you can remove the storage unit and the seats."
The vans can sit two people in front, two in the center and three in the third row seats. There are storage compartments on the backs of the first and second row seats that provide a place to put headphones and other small items.
The second row of seats can fold down and flip forward, while the third row folds flat. The cargo area floor also includes a removable watertight cargo storage compartment which can hold milk containers, 12-pack beverage cans, and grocery bags. The forward edge of the dividers is cut out to create a long, left-to-right compartment, capable of holding lengthy items such as golf umbrellas.
The vans also come with 12 cup holders--two in the front instrument panel, four in each of two trays between the first and second row seats (two sized for Big Gulp drinks), and two in the rear quarter trim.
Production of the Terraza and Relay, plus its Pontiac and Chevy counterparts, will begin in the fourth quarter of 2004 at the GM Doraville Assembly Plant near Atlanta, Georgia. The plant has a maximum capacity of 250,000 units, which will be divided among the four models. And a version of the sports vans will be built in China starting in February 2005, Adams said.
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by Joseph Cabadas , Canadian Auto Press
WARREN, Mich.--After years of offering vans with noncompetitive interiors, General Motors says it is getting serious about improving its position in the mid-size van market with two new entries, the 2005 Buick Terraza and Saturn Relay.
The introduction of the two vehicles, the first vans for either brand, was held December 4 at the Stage Three Productions facility on the grounds of the former Warren (Mich.) Tank Plant, where military vehicles had been produced since World War II to the early 1990s. The debut of the vans was also broadcast live on the Internet for journalists around the globe.
The Terraza and the Relay are vehicles that GM calls "mid vans" or "crossover sports vans" (CVS), a new approach to a segment currently occupied by the aging Chevy Venture and Pontiac Montana, as well as the outgoing Oldsmobile Silhouette. The Venture and Montana will also be phased out and replaced with vehicles built off the same platform as the Buick and Saturn vans.
These vehicles represent a substantial upgrade from the vehicles that they are replacing," said Robert A. Lutz, Product Development and Chairman, GM North America. "I can honestly say this is one of the best mid van interiors in the business. They look very European and very carefully crafted.
"I think we've gone from the current GM T200 interiors... that was without question the weakest part of the (Venture and Montana) and noncompetitive. Now we have gone to a better than competitive interior."
"Terraza positions Buick in the growth area of the mid-van market," said Roger Adams, Buick general manager. "Although the overall segment has declined slightly the last few years, sales of $30,000-plus vehicles have grown from 19 percent to 24 percent of the mid-van market.
"The goal here is to offer the customer substantially more value than has been offered in the General Motors mid vans up to now with far better performance, much nicer interiors, much nicer exteriors, higher functionality and yet remain price competitive with the other vans in the segment," Lutz said. "In Buick's case, it will be price competitive with the more premium brands like Chrysler's Town and Country."
Unlike several competitors that have integrated the track of the sliding doors with the rear windows, giving a seamless, clean look, the sheet metal between the C- and D-pillars of the Terraza and Relay is broken up into several panels much like many older minivans, detracting from the vehicle's overall appearance. The aluminum-colored rails of the luggage rack, however, add a touch of distinction.
"We think this is a better solution rather than having a third row seat that folds into a well," Lajdziak said. "You don't have to pull stuff out of the well and put on ground to flip seat into well. And when you need the extra storage, you can remove the storage unit and the seats."
The vans can sit two people in front, two in the center and three in the third row seats. There are storage compartments on the backs of the first and second row seats that provide a place to put headphones and other small items.
The second row of seats can fold down and flip forward, while the third row folds flat. The cargo area floor also includes a removable watertight cargo storage compartment which can hold milk containers, 12-pack beverage cans, and grocery bags. The forward edge of the dividers is cut out to create a long, left-to-right compartment, capable of holding lengthy items such as golf umbrellas.
The vans also come with 12 cup holders--two in the front instrument panel, four in each of two trays between the first and second row seats (two sized for Big Gulp drinks), and two in the rear quarter trim.
Production of the Terraza and Relay, plus its Pontiac and Chevy counterparts, will begin in the fourth quarter of 2004 at the GM Doraville Assembly Plant near Atlanta, Georgia. The plant has a maximum capacity of 250,000 units, which will be divided among the four models. And a version of the sports vans will be built in China starting in February 2005, Adams said.
Full Article Here