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Should Buick build a new under 20K vehicle? - READ ONLY

96 messages,  Last post on May 18, 2011 at 7:01 PM

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Messages Page 10 of 10

#87 of 96 Re: Same problem [hpmctorque] by kernick

Nov 11, 2010 (5:20 am)

Replying to: hpmctorque (Nov 10, 2010 10:11 pm)
I agree with you on Buick in China. But that is exactly what I said about brand-image. Buick has a bad brand image here, but of course the Chinese don't know that. So ok - keep the Buick name in China. "Buick" is nothing but a name or badge stuck on a vehicle.
 
As far as the LaCrosse, Enclave and Regal go, you're probably missing the point that those vehicles could be selling better if they didn't have a Buick logo stuck on the car. There are many people who won't go to a Buick dealership even if they clone a Jaguar XJ and sell it for $40K. Those vehicles might be selling okay despite the Buick logo.

#88 of 96 Re: Same problem [hpmctorque] by anythngbutgm

Nov 11, 2010 (6:14 am)

Replying to: hpmctorque (Nov 10, 2010 10:11 pm)
I wouldn't be too misled buy the success of Buick in China...China still has a large population who have a grudge against Japan for some sort of history the two have together that I don't really have any in-depth knowledge about. Also, Chinas car boom is in its infancy and if you look at the home grown Chinese offerings, they make Grampas Buick look like a Rolls Royce. The atrocious crash test ratings of the home grown offerings make a bicycle look safer.
 
link title
 
 

#89 of 96 Also by anythngbutgm

Nov 11, 2010 (6:23 am)

When your sales tank as bad as Buicks have over the years, then the increases aren't as impressive...
 

 
Nowhere to go but up... China saved Buick from oblivion.

#90 of 96 The Verano by hpmctorque

Jan 07, 2011 (8:08 am)

From the early pictures and the description, the Verano looks very promising.

#91 of 96 Re: The Verano [hpmctorque] by fezo

Jan 07, 2011 (8:24 am)

Replying to: hpmctorque (Jan 07, 2011 8:08 am)
Yes, it does.
 
When they first said they were going to do this I was dead set against the idea but it looks like they did their homework.
 
The pictures I have seen make it instantly recognizable as a Buick and much less so as a car off the Cruze platform.

#92 of 96 Re: The Verano [fezo] by kernick

Jan 07, 2011 (7:46 pm)

Replying to: fezo (Jan 07, 2011 8:24 am)
But it's not exactly under $20K. The base before any options is listed here at Edmunds at $23K.
While everyone will say the Verano is so nice ... there are other new cars in this size category that will be thousands less. Give me a new Elantra or Civic; they'd meet my needs fine, and I take the thousands saved and take a vacation to Hawaii the next few years.
 
I went and sat in a Cruze, a few weeks ago, and while it is nice, the couple models they had on the lot were also over $20K. No go, at those prices. I can get a nice AWD Subaru Legacy for $22K.

#93 of 96 Re: The Verano [kernick] by hpmctorque

Jan 07, 2011 (8:36 pm)

Replying to: kernick (Jan 07, 2011 7:46 pm)
Forget under $20K, since that figure just isn't realsistic for any car in this category. We don't yet know enough about the Verano to evaluate it, but we know that it's not intended to compete against the Civic and Elantra, but, rather, something more upscale. I suggest we judge it when we know more about it, and after it's been tested against upscale compacts, such as, say, the Audi A3.

#94 of 96 Verano by hpmctorque

Feb 04, 2011 (9:10 am)

Saw the '12 Buick Verano at the DC Auto show. Very nice!

#95 of 96 It'll Probably Cost >$20K, But... by hpmctorque

May 18, 2011 (7:04 pm)

Rick Kranz, Automotive News, May 18, 2011
  
"Buick will get rebadged, redesigned Astra, report says The Opel Astra GTC concept was first shown at the Paris auto show in October 2010.
   
While the engine choices have not been locked in place, the car is expected to target young buyers who want a sporty car that handles well and has plenty of power, according to caranddriver.com. A source familiar with General Motors' plans for Buick confirmed the caranddriver.com report for Automotive News.
 
Buick is in the process of rebuilding the brand with products such as the LaCrosse, Regal and the 2012 Verano, which goes on sale this fall.
 
Last year, Buick's U.S. sales totaled 155,389 vehicles, a 52 percent increase from the previous year. Sales through April this year totaled 63,152, up 43 percent from the same period last year.
 
The new Astra is wider and sleeker than the previous model. That car was sold by Saturn for about a year and also was called Astra.
 
The redesigned three-door Astra originally was planned for the now-defunct Saturn brand, according to the source familiar with the project. With a few exceptions, Saturn essentially sold rebadged Opel vehicles. For example, the Saturn Aura sedan was a previous-generation Opel Insignia with minor cosmetic changes.
 
With Saturn's demise, Buick was selected to market a few rebadged Opel cars. For example, the current Insignia is marketed here as the Buick Regal, a key vehicle in the brand's turnaround.
 
The timing for the new car's introduction has not been determined. Also uncertain is the assembly site, either in Germany or the United States. It's not known if the car will keep the Astra name.
 
The three-door Buick will share GM's compact front-drive platform with the Chevrolet Cruze and Buick's upcoming Verano sedan. Verano sales begin this fall,
 
The Verano will be equipped with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine producing an estimated 177 hp and 170 pounds feet of torque. A turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine will be offered at a later date.
 
The Astra GTC will be offered in Europe with a range of engines, including an engine producing as estimated 300 horsepower.
 
A Buick spokesman said the brand would not talk about future vehicle plans."
 
This reminds me of the old Buick tag line, "Wouldn't you really rather own a Buick?" I don't know about this Astra, but Buicks are getting more appealing.

#96 of 96 Re: It'll Probably Cost >$20K, But... [hpmctorque] by steve_ HOST

May 18, 2011 (7:01 pm)

Replying to: hpmctorque (May 18, 2011 7:04 pm)
Straightline has a pic:
 

Messages Page 10 of 10

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