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Automotive News & Views The Rebirth of Buick.........
410 messages, Last post on Oct 29, 2009 at 12:33 PM
You are in the Automotive News & Views Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & claires
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Replying to: hpmctorque (Jan 09, 2009 5:05 am) Does the base engine get the DI too? That and the 6-speed auto are certainly two points in its favor, I agree. |
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| "Does the base engine get the DI too?" Yes | |
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In terms of weight and maybe features, the '10 LaCrosse overlaps and competes with the Lucerne. I'm wondering whether this means that the next generation Lucerne will be RWD, to differentiate it from the LaCrosse. Or, will the Lucerne be dropped? FWD works for mid range cars, but buyers tend to favor RWD for luxury cars, and, it seems, for the near-luxury category too. If, in going more upscale, the '10 LaCrosse is positioned to compete with the Toyota Avalon, Lexus ES350, Acura TL and Lincoln MKZ, then I presume the next Lucerne will have to compete with something above this level.
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Replying to: hpmctorque (Jan 10, 2009 12:00 am) |
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...if they do replace the Lucerne with a RWD/AWD model, I suggest they call it the Park Avenue!
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| One thing about this I find intriguing (the 4000 lbs bothers me too, as my Wildcat weighs in at 4080 lbs), is the fact that it has an anti sway system in it, much in the way the new F-150 does. Could this mean that it will be capable of towing 3500, 4000 lbs???? Could that be a reason for some of this extra heft??? I mean, why have that even available if it can only tow 1500 or less??? | |
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"Of course, the next ES350 will not just be a modified Camry V-6, it will be a unique model on a RWD platform." I hadn't heard that, but you may well be right. If the ES was reconfigured for RWD, how would Lexus position it vis-a-vis the IS250/350 and the GS? |
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| Speaking of Lexus - I've seen somebody do something AWFUL to a GS - the owner put a HUGE wing on the back, a tacky ground effects kit, and blingy wheels on it! It was an abomination! | |
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Replying to: lemko (Jan 10, 2009 8:54 am) |
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It seems to me that Buick spends an awful of money on marketing and every other year it seems like another tag line. When sales are one sixth of their peak (941k peak versus 137k in 2008), you'd think someone would get the message that people are simply not interested in the brand anymore.  Buick to get a new tag line, ad campaign to change perception Jamie LaReau Automotive News January 12, 2009 - 5:08 pm ET DETROIT -- Buick will get a new advertising campaign for the brand and the new LaCrosse sedan this summer. The campaign will have a different tag line, too, from Buick's current "Drive Beautiful." Buick chief Susan Docherty said General Motors realizes the brand suffers from a consumer perception that its vehicles are for elderly, conservative buyers. Subscribe to Automotive News That perception has contributed to a sharp sales slide for Buick from its glory years. In 1984, Buick's U.S. sales peaked at 941,661 units, more than six times as many as last year's 137,197. "The first thing we've got to do is change people's perception about Buick," Docherty, vice president of the Buick-Pontiac-GMC channel, said in an Automotive News interview here at the auto show. "In fairness, that's the first job." GM showed the new LaCrosse at the auto show. Buick now has the Enclave crossover and Lucerne sedan and will have the new LaCrosse in showrooms this summer. While there's potential for more Buick vehicles, Docherty said, the brand is not prepared to do that now. "The job my team's got to do is not worry about expanding Buick's portfolio," she said. "They need to worry right now, with the entries we've got, about changing the perception of Buick." Enclave's lessons To do that, Buick will draw on what it learned from the Enclave -- which had a 50 percent conquest rate, meaning half of the people coming to the brand were new to it, Docherty said. Through December, Enclave sales rose 52.7 percent to 44,706 units. The Enclave's new consumers demand technology, Docherty said. That's why amenities such as a navigation system, side blind-spot alert system and Bluetooth connectivity will be key to Buick's advertising message, she said. Docherty declined to be more specific other than to say previous ads emphasized comfort and quiet. She told her marketing team: "It's OK for our cars to be library quiet, but it's not OK for our advertising to be library quiet." So will we see more bold, almost Cadillac-like, rock 'n' roll advertising? Not quite, Docherty said. "You'll see a renaissance in our messaging for Buick, but we can't be Cadillac and we shouldn't be," Docherty said. Focus on trucks In the meantime, Buick-Pontiac-GMC dealers have a specific local marketing advertising assignment this year. "The very first priority for our dealers is to continue our focus on full-sized trucks," Docherty said. "Our (GMC) Sierra is our bread and butter." The second priority, Docherty said, is that dealers should focus on increasing passenger-car sales, such as the Pontiac Vibe, G3, G5 and G6. Those four vehicles each get more than 30 mpg, with prices starting at less than $20,000, she said. "So we've asked them to group those four Pontiacs together 'four over 30, under 20,' " Docherty said. The final priority for dealers is to maintain crossover momentum. Said Docherty: "We can be very efficient with our dollars, and they can drive traffic with those three categories." |
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