Straightline
Buick
July 18, 2008
In an effort to allay both Wall Street and consumer fears, GM laid out their product cards for the future. Detailed images of the upcoming Chevrolet Cruze (Cobolt replacement), the Cadillac CTS Sportwagon (and Coupe), the Buick Invicta and Saab 9-4X were all there for everyone's pleasure.
Here's AutoObserver's take: GM Next-Gen Models Revealed, Including Chevy Cruze
Here's Inside Line's take: 2011 Chevrolet Cruze Prepares To Become GM's Global Small Car
Invicta Showcar Previews 2010 Buick Sedan
2010 Saab 9-4X Crossover To Debut Next Spring
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- Posted by: Bob Holland July 18, 2008, 7:45 AM
- Categories: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, General Motors, Saab
July 16, 2008
No sooner had GM CEO Rick Wagoner delivered the sobering news regarding GM cuts, Bob Lutz was right there to confirm that there is a lot of life left in what we can expect from the General in terms of future products. More to the point, the recently rumored cutting of brands was not a part of the discussion. Nope, all the current brands are to remain in place according to Lutz.
The biggest change that we can expect is that products from GM (and other vehicle makers too) will have a decidedly European/international flavor to them. That means less trucks--and the trucks that do remain will be smaller and more efficient. Expect more smaller cars and fewer cars with big V8s. No longer will the American car market be different from that of Europe and elsewhere.
"This is a difficult transition but once the transition is made, it's going to ease our problem of no longer having to produce unique vehicles for the American market," Lutz said. "In the future, anything we create worldwide is available to use to either import or produce in the U.S."
For a quick glance as to what's in store, check out AutoObserver's editorial:
GM: Remapping for a More Euro-Style Vehicle Landscape
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- Posted by: Bob Holland July 16, 2008, 4:00 AM
- Categories: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, General Motors, HUMMER, Saturn
June 21, 2008
The dramatic shift in consumer vehicle preferences have renewed rumors of a possible GM division being disbanded. This time, however, the smart money is saying that GMC could be the victim. Why GMC? Well GMC is all about trucks, and that's the market that's dying...
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- Posted by: Bob Holland June 21, 2008, 4:00 AM
- Categories: Auto Industry, Buick, GMC, General Motors, Pontiac, Trends
May 26, 2008
Call it a casualty of the impending fuel regulations, as GM has axed plans for large RWD Chevys and Buicks. The vehicles themselves will remain, but as FWD models.
RWD is not dead, however. There are still plans in place for a range of small RWD coupes and sedans...
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- Posted by: Bob Holland May 26, 2008, 11:04 AM
- Categories: Auto Industry, Buick, Chevrolet, General Motors, Trends
April 20, 2008
For all the hype surrounding the introduction of the Buick Invicta concept, it’s not getting much attention in Beijing. There’s rarely much of a crowd around it despite the fact that this concept was developed with input from both U.S. and Chinese designers.
Rumors suggest the Invicta is a preview of the next Buick LaCrosse. We can barely remember what the current LaCrosse looks like, so anything that resembles the Invicta should be an improvement. Although this concept has a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder under the hood, expect a more traditional V6 when it arrives in production form sometime next year. -- Ed Hellwig, Lead Senior Editor, Inside Line
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- Posted by: Ed Hellwig April 20, 2008, 2:25 PM
- Categories: Beijing Auto Show, Buick, Sedans
April 10, 2008
Checking in on Peter De Lorenzo over at AutoExtremist.com, and as usual, he has some interesting if not thought-provoking ideas. This time it's a "What if" scenario for a future GM, and this of course, is in a perfect world. By that I mean if franchise laws, etc., could be resolved to make this work.
Here's the short story version: The only divisions that would exist here would be Chevrolet, Cadillac and Hummer...
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- Posted by: Bob Holland April 10, 2008, 4:00 AM
- Categories: Auto Industry, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, General Motors, HUMMER, Saab, Saturn
March 12, 2008
Just a quick tease here as to some of what GM is planning on showing at NewYork next week:
• Pontiac will debut 3 new production models
• Saab's 9-x BioHybrid will make its North American debut.
• Buick reportedly to have some surprises—one of which is that their news will also be available in Chinese on the GM media site. Now that may not mean much to those not in the auto news business, but it just goes to show just how important Buick has become to China, and vice-versa. But you already knew that, right?
January 13, 2008
EXCLUSIVE!!! We are the first journalists to operate the Chinese-designed Buick Riviera concept. Sadly, we are also the first journalists to break the Chinese-designed Buick Riviera concept.
First shown in China, the Riviera sat forlornly behind GM's presentation stage...
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- Posted by: Daniel Pund January 13, 2008, 11:35 AM
- Categories: Buick, Detroit Auto Show, General Motors
January 11, 2008
General Motors Vice President Global Design Ed Welburn stands with the Buick Riviera concept as it makes its North American debut in conjunction with the North American International Show Thursday, January 10, 2008 in Detroit, Michigan. The Riviera nameplate returns after an eight-year hiatus. It was developed with global design input by the Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center, a design and engineering joint venture between GM and Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation.
Here's Inside Line's take: 2008 Detroit Auto Show: Buick Riviera Concept
Image: John F...
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- Posted by: Bob Holland January 11, 2008, 5:00 AM
- Categories: All Auto Shows, Buick, Detroit Auto Show
January 4, 2008
There are more than 140,000 slot machines in and around Las Vegas. That's about the same number of people who will attend this year's International Consumer Electronics Show which is also in Las Vegas.
And we're not talking just fancy toasters, Wii and big screen TVs. We fully expect a strong automotive showing at this year's show as both Ford and General Motors will be there in force...
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- Posted by: Brian Moody January 4, 2008, 11:43 AM
- Categories: BMW, Buick, Cadillac, Car Tech, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Mercedes-Benz
Latest word is that the successor to the GM Northstar V8 engine has been killed, and that the Northstar may be replaced by GM's excellent 3.6L V6. That engine, the direct-injection DOHC 3.6, puts out 302 horsepower, which is uncomfortably close to the 320 horespower that the 4.6L Northstar puts out. The 3.6 also gets two mpg better gas mileage than Northstar V8.
This raises question about the Lambda platforn CUVs (GMC Acadia, Buick Enclave and Saturn Outlook), as a version of the Northstar was slated for those vehicles...
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December 29, 2007
Expect future Buicks to take on some of the character displayed on their new Enclave. That means means more expressive and bolder design, rather than conservative me-too designs.
I welcome this as Buick has a lot of really good design cues to to work with. I think if they can capture the spirit and style from Buicks of the early and mid-1950s, that would be great...
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- Posted by: Bob Holland December 29, 2007, 5:00 AM
- Categories: Buick, Future Vehicles
December 14, 2007
This could be a big year for the General at the Detroit Auto Show, as they have secured four of the six contender slots for the 2008 North American Car and Truck of the Year. The Chevy Malibu and Cadillac CTS will face off against the Honda Accord for 2008 North American Car of the Year award; and the Buick Enclave, Chevy Tahoe Hybrid will take on the Mazda CX9 for 2008 North American Truck of the Year award. The winners will be announced at the NAIAS in Detroit.
So, what do you think are the chances of GM sweeping these awards?
My first thought is that I think we really do need a new
definition of what a "truck" is, as I sure don't consider the Enclave
or CX9 trucks; but that's an entirely different discussion...
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December 3, 2007
There’s either a very fake grille on the front end of this test mule, or this is the next-generation 2010 Buick LaCrosse. Caught testing under some very close supervision according to our spy shooters, this prototype gives a few hints to the styling direction of Buick’s midsize sedan. The Enclave-like front end is pretty obvious, but the rear window line and overall greenhouse are a little harder to make out. This vehicle is expected to ride on GM’s new global midsize platform which means the continuation of front wheel drive...
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- Posted by: Ed Hellwig December 3, 2007, 12:41 PM
- Categories: Buick, Future Vehicles, Sedans, Spy Photos
August 10, 2007
More evidence that Detroit is on the path to righteousness, as Buick has tied Lexus for the top spot in the latest J.D. Powers 2007 Vehicle Dependability Study. Not only did Buick do well, but several other domestic brands improved, including Hummer.
Even the defunct Oldsmobile improved!..
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- Posted by: Bob Holland August 10, 2007, 5:52 AM
- Categories: Auto Industry, Buick, Lexus, Trends
August 9, 2007
It seats eight, is capable of 275 horsepower, and has a 3.6-liter V6 under the hood. Meet the Buick Enclave, GM's latest entry into the large crossover segment.
This could be a near-luxury alternative to a minivan. What do you think?
Read the Enclave Full Test on Inside Line...
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- Posted by: Donna Derosa August 9, 2007, 10:32 AM
- Categories: Buick
July 6, 2007
Without a doubt, the biggest tease from GM's Bob Lutz, is that he indicated that the stunning Riviera concept that was shown at the Shanghai auto show, may someday see production.
Other than that Lutz spoke of Buick's future and place in the GMosphere. Nothing really new here; Buick will always be slotted just below Cadillac, and that Buick will never produce "cheap" cars again. He also touched on the assertion (and complaint) that the Chinese seem to be getting more desirable Buicks than we do, which he flatly disagrees with...
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April 27, 2007
Alex Taylor III, a Fortune senior writer, is one more person calling for GM to trim its nameplates.
Here are his recommendations:
• Keep Chevrolet where it is - the volume brand that is the heartbeat of America.
• Maintain Cadillac at the top of the market and expand its product offerings with derivatives of the popular CTS.
• Continue to use Saturn, with its dedicated dealer channel and loyal buyers, as the brand for import intenders...
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- Posted by: Bob Holland April 27, 2007, 7:10 AM
- Categories: Auto Industry, Buick, HUMMER, Pontiac, Saab
April 18, 2007
According to the folks over at Winding Road, Buick will be getting a hybrid. Yep, a Buick LaCrosse hybrid...
That's the good news. Bad news is it's not coming here, but will only be for the Chinese market...
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- Posted by: Bob Holland April 18, 2007, 4:00 AM
- Categories: All Auto Shows, Buick, Hybrids, Shanghai Auto Show
March 28, 2007
Buick just released more details on the up coming Lucerne Super and the LaCrosse Super models. Both will have V8 engines, with the Lucerne Super getting a 4.6-liter V8 that makes 292 hp at 6,300 rpm and 288 lb-ft of torque at 4,500 rpm, while the LaCrosse Super gets a 5.3-liter V8 that churns out 300 horses at 5,600 rpm and 323 pound-feet of torque at 4,400 rpm.
Slowly but surely Buick is finding their mojo. Even the large waterfall grilles shown on these new 2008 models are beginning to approximate the ultimate Buick grille from the 1950s, that being the 1950 model in which the grille was an integral part of the bumper...
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- Posted by: Bob Holland March 28, 2007, 5:00 AM
- Categories: All Auto Shows, Buick, New York Auto Show
March 23, 2007
I'm a child of the '50s, and as such grew up with Buicks being labeled as Roadmaster, Super, Century and Special. When they started phasing those names out back in 1959 (Roadmaster > Electra 225, Super > Electra, Century > Invicta, Special > La Sabre), I was greatly disappointed, and my opinion hasn't changed in the 40-plus years since. I think it was one of the biggest automotive marketing blunders of the last half of the 20th Century.
So when I heard that Buick was about to revive the "Super" name, it made my day...
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- Posted by: Bob Holland March 23, 2007, 5:00 AM
- Categories: Buick, Classic Cars
February 8, 2007
This is no surprise, as Buick now has the sexy and far more competent new Enclave to address SUV/crossover customers. Production will cease in the second quarter of this year at the Moraine, Ohio plant; which is the only place the Rainier is built.
Full story here.
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- Posted by: Bob Holland February 8, 2007, 5:00 AM
- Categories: Buick, SUVs
December 21, 2006
All I can say is wow. If the news of Buick selling more cars in China than here isn't a wake up call, I don't know what is. It's also a huge sign as to how important the Chinese market is becoming—and just how quickly that is becoming a fact.
Automotive News, which broke this story, states that Buick sold 206,582 vehicles in the United States in the first 10 months of this year, which is down 15.4 percent from the same period of 2005...
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- Posted by: Bob Holland December 21, 2006, 5:00 AM
- Categories: Auto Industry, Buick, Trends
November 28, 2006
No sooner had Tiger Woods emerged from the 2008 Buick Enclave that "punched" through a wall on its way to the stage, than GM Chair/CEO Rick Wagoner was at his side. "This is the first time Tiger has launched a vehicle for Buick," he noted.
"I'm getting a little older now," Woods agreed, "thinking about a family, so it's nice to have room for 8."
This is also the first time we're aware of that Buick has launched a vehicle at an art school, and Pasadena's Art Center College of Design isn't your typical left-of-center, bohemian, postmodernist art school -- it's the premier school for would-be vehicle designers and indeed the shapely Enclave is more designed than any Buick of the last decade. On the outside, the production version is scarcely different from the concept seen last January in Detroit (though the production car doesn't have a glass roof)...
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- Posted by: Erin Riches November 28, 2006, 11:57 PM
- Categories: Buick, LA Auto Show, SUVs
November 10, 2006
Industry Observer: 11/10/06
Dubbed Snow White (yes, there's also Prince Charming and seven dwarfs), the mannequin head houses a digital recording tool to match the way humans process sound.
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Buick gave the press a glimpse of - and a listen to -- its 2008 Enclave that it will unveil officially at the Los Angeles Auto Show later this month and on sale in the second quarter of next year.
Until then, we're sworn to secrecy on the details of the vehicle, which is the sibling to the Saturn Outlook and the GMC Acadia. (The specs on the Outlook are public - a new platform specifically designed as a crossover, three rows of seats and available with Cadillac's 3.6-liter V6 paired with General Motors' new six-speed automatic transmission.)
Beyond that, we'll say no more until the embargo lifts at 12:01 a.m...
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- Posted by: Bob Holland November 10, 2006, 5:00 AM
- Categories: Auto Industry, Buick, SUVs
November 9, 2006
Looks like GM is trying its hand at "viral" video. Recently posted on YouTube by a member who joined all of 10 hours ago, this shaky hand held video shows the taping of a Tiger Woods commercial for the upcoming 2008 Buick Enclave. Designed to look like behind-the-scenes spy footage, it's quickly revealed as a fake thanks to an obvious audio edit and an ending too cheesy for words. A shot goes out to cheersandgears.com for catching this one...
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- Posted by: Ed Hellwig November 9, 2006, 6:19 PM
- Categories: Buick, Future Vehicles, LA Auto Show, SUVs, Spy Photos
October 24, 2006
Question: What does the Rolls-Royce grille, Buick portholes, and the Subaru boxer engine and AWD all have in common?
Answer: Automotive DNA—as in heritage that helps define the brand—and the success of that brand.
This is an interesting topic, in that it's often these kinds of details, that have evolved over years, that often define the identity what any given product is about. Would Rolls-Royce be the brand that it is today if it weren't for their imposing in-your-face formal upright grille? Buick seems to have found its mojo now that portholes (actually 'ventiports' is the proper term) are finding their way back onto their cars...
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- Posted by: Bob Holland October 24, 2006, 12:53 PM
- Categories: Auto Industry, Buick, Rolls-Royce, Subaru, Trends
October 8, 2006
Not much new to see here as the 2008 Buick Enclave is a crossover SUV that has been photographed more times than we can count. This particular prototype does, however, show just how close the headlights and taillights of the production model come to the concept. They're pretty much dead on which is a good thing as this was one of General Motors most promising concepts at last year's Detroit auto show. Look for the official introduction of the Buick Enclave at the 2007 Detroit auto show, or possibly even earlier at the 2006 Los Angeles auto show in November.
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August 29, 2006
Inside Line reports that GMC will offer a minivan for model-year 2009.
Okay, the first question that will likely come screaming out of many mouths: WHY? Doesn't GM offer enough minivans already? The answer to that is that GM plans to discontinue the Saturn Relay, Buick Terraza and Pontiac Montana by 2009...
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- Posted by: Bob Holland August 29, 2006, 6:57 AM
- Categories: Buick, GMC, Minivans, Pontiac, Saturn, Trends
July 6, 2006
We reported some preliminary information about the Buick LaCrosse Super months ago, now we have proof the V8-powered sedan is a go. These engineering mules were spotted on a recent test run complete with Impala SS wheels and taped over portholes. Expect this top-of-the-line LaCrosse to have the same 303 horsepower V8 as its Chevrolet cousin along with an upgraded interior and its own unique set of wheels and tires.
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- Posted by: Ed Hellwig July 6, 2006, 5:01 PM
- Categories: Buick, Sedans, Spy Photos
June 15, 2006
Last week, it was the 2007 GMC Acadia, this week the 2008 Buick Enclave. Spotted on public streets in Michigan, this Enclave prototype shows just how close the production vehicle will adhere to the concept. Built on the same platform as its GMC and Saturn cousins, the Enclave is expected to go on sale next spring.
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- Posted by: Ed Hellwig June 15, 2006, 10:44 AM
- Categories: Buick, Luxury Cars, SUVs, Spy Photos
June 6, 2006
Buick is mining their heritage as if their life depended on it. Hmmm... Maybe it does...
In any event, Buick is preparing a Lacrosse Super, which will have a 300 horsepower V8...
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- Posted by: Bob Holland June 6, 2006, 12:00 AM
- Categories: Buick, Sedans, Trends
February 10, 2006
GM's story is getting darker by the day, but at least there are a few promising vehicles in development that might help things out. One of those vehicles is the Buick Enclave, an upscale crossover shown in Detroit a month ago. It was labeled a concept, but it wasn't hard to figure out that it was clearly headed for production. Our latest spy photos taken at GM's Milford proving grounds show an Enclave prototype that looks pretty faithful to the concept judging by the design of the grille and shape of the headlights. If the interior proves similar, the Enclave should be a good addition to a Buick brand that desperately needs fresh products.
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- Posted by: Ed Hellwig February 10, 2006, 1:57 PM
- Categories: Buick, SUVs, Spy Photos
January 23, 2006
These days Buick has a real image problem. Over the years they have changed model names, and subtracted models to their lineup, almost as frequently as you and I change clothes. The net effect is, whatever image (and brand equity) they had built up in the decades prior, has almost disappeared. For many of today's customers, Buick is a meaningless brand...
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- Posted by: Bob Holland January 23, 2006, 1:00 AM
- Categories: Buick, Trends
January 21, 2006
The Washington, DC car show, in my opinion, has always been a disappointment. Historically it has always occurred right after Christmas, but before either the LA or Detroit car show. It was really the last show of the previous auto show season—meaning very little new was to be displayed. I've gone every year, and each time I go I ask myself: "This is best our nation's capital can do?" Even the Baltimore show, which is held in February has always been significantly better than the DC show...
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