Buick Makes it Official, Verano Disappears in 2017

 32K cars is nothing to sneeze at, why not a mild inexpensive upgrade of interior and keep selling it for those that do not want a CUV?

disappointing.  so many inroads were made with the Verano to younger buyers, brand jumpers, fuel conscious buyers, urban buyers.

Buick just would rather mark up CUV's 15k and play with those margins rather than try to sell a nice compact for less margin when gas prices are not as big of thing as they were after the crash.

GM prob thinks this opens the door to sell more of the loaded Cruze premiers too.

A Chevy still isn't a Buick.

On the contrary the new Chevy is much closer to the Buick than ever before. Now they are more akin to the difference between Hyundai/Kia - aka platform mates with the same function.

The Cruze Premier can function as a real Buick replacement. The downward pressure from conventional makes is present everywhere, and the Buick Verano is going to be another casualty due to it.

 32K cars is nothing to sneeze at, why not a mild inexpensive upgrade of interior and keep selling it for those that do not want a CUV?

Because 99.99999% of new car buyers want a CUV.  

 

 32K cars is nothing to sneeze at, why not a mild inexpensive upgrade of interior and keep selling it for those that do not want a CUV?

Because 99.99999% of new car buyers want a CUV.  

 

Yet Buick sold 223,055 auto's in 2015 of which 32,000 were Verano.

That means Verano made up 7% of sales.

That is still not a number to just throw away in the US market.

32K cars is nothing to sneeze at, why not a mild inexpensive upgrade of interior and keep selling it for those that do not want a CUV?

Because 99.99999% of new car buyers want a CUV.

Except for Mercedes buyers right? Or else that just makes it yet another silly number you just pulled out of thin air.

On the contrary the new Chevy is much closer to the Buick than ever before. Now they are more akin to the difference between Hyundai/Kia - aka platform mates with the same function.

 

The Cruze Premier can function as a real Buick replacement. The downward pressure from conventional makes is present everywhere, and the Buick Verano is going to be another casualty due to it.

you're missing the point.  chevy doesn't have a premium or even middle of the road brand image.  same reason why people buy GMC trucks.  THEY DON'T WANT A CHEVY

to me too, the new Cruze is gone Asian in its look.  Doesn't look AMURCHAN anymore.  A new Verano would be a nice choice to have something that doesn't look Asian.

Once gas prices go back up, Buick will be wishing they had a new Verano in the showrooms.

But true is the fact that new Regal should have much better fuel economy.  Buick better keep Regal prices lower to cover that ground that the Verano leaves open.

Buick's basically saying poo poo to the younger demographic with this too.  Any progress they made in lowering their geriatric buying base will start to reverse.  

 

 

 32K cars is nothing to sneeze at, why not a mild inexpensive upgrade of interior and keep selling it for those that do not want a CUV?

Because 99.99999% of new car buyers want a CUV.  

 

Yet Buick sold 223,055 auto's in 2015 of which 32,000 were Verano.

 

That means Verano made up 7% if sales.

 

That is still not a number to just throw away in the US market.

 

check your math that 7% is wrong

14.3% which is roughly 1 of every 7.  If buick had 7 models, then it would be pulling its weight.

 

 

 32K cars is nothing to sneeze at, why not a mild inexpensive upgrade of interior and keep selling it for those that do not want a CUV?

Because 99.99999% of new car buyers want a CUV.  

 

Yet Buick sold 223,055 auto's in 2015 of which 32,000 were Verano.

 

That means Verano made up 7% if sales.

 

That is still not a number to just throw away in the US market.

 

I wish there were more sedans, but the car makers have found profits in CUVs, they are pushing all wheel drive a a necessity, and buyers have to get a CUV or Subaru to get awd, and the buyers want more space, so they get a CUV.   Unfortunately there aren't enough people that value performance or driving dynamics, the sheeple want a crossover.

And how long does the Regal last?  It sells worse than the Verano, probably has slim margins with the discounts they have to offer to move them.  

Simply put-sedans are disappearing fast. I'm betting even the might civic is going to lose sales to it's newer CUvs...

The writing is on the wall for small cars....so in Buick's case, in makes sense.

Pretty sure the Regal is next.....

 

 

 

 32K cars is nothing to sneeze at, why not a mild inexpensive upgrade of interior and keep selling it for those that do not want a CUV?

Because 99.99999% of new car buyers want a CUV.  

 

Yet Buick sold 223,055 auto's in 2015 of which 32,000 were Verano.

 

That means Verano made up 7% if sales.

 

That is still not a number to just throw away in the US market.

 

I wish there were more sedans, but the car makers have found profits in CUVs, they are pushing all wheel drive a a necessity, and buyers have to get a CUV or Subaru to get awd, and the buyers want more space, so they get a CUV.   Unfortunately there aren't enough people that value performance or driving dynamics, the sheeple want a crossover.

 

And how long does the Regal last?  It sells worse than the Verano, probably has slim margins with the discounts they have to offer to move them.  

 

well, the next Regal survives because it will be a Buick Malibu, still get good mpg, and it can sell for higher price than a Verano.  Has more room too.

LaCrosse is grandpas buick.  Regal will be mom and dad of college age kids Buick.

no Buicks for the pups.

Subaru.....coworker i sit next to picked up his brand new Impreza crosstek today (stick).  NFW he would have gotten an Encore.  He could at least afford the Impreza.

Simply put-sedans are disappearing fast. I'm betting even the might civic is going to lose sales to it's newer CUvs...

 

The writing is on the wall for small cars....so in Buick's case, in makes sense.

 

Pretty sure the Regal is next.....

new Civic sales are on fire.  They are selling like hotcakes around here.

 

Simply put-sedans are disappearing fast. I'm betting even the might civic is going to lose sales to it's newer CUvs...

 

The writing is on the wall for small cars....so in Buick's case, in makes sense.

 

Pretty sure the Regal is next.....

new Civic sales are on fire.  They are selling like hotcakes around here.

 

Just saw my first civic in the wild and I have to say it is every bit as Ugly as the pictures. Yet it will sell to the existing civic sheeple as they are brainwashed on Honda and the image/quality of honda no different than SMK on his MB Kool Aid.

they styled the car perfectly to sell to the younger demographic.  it has the swag that the cruze no longer has.

The Civic has a solid following and long history, and it also has a younger person's appeal and buyers that want a sporty look can choose the Civic coupe.  Honda also only makes 2 sedans, but 3 crossovers, plus the Ridgeline is like a Crossover pickup, and the Fit is more of a hatchback car, and they have a van.   Overall some sedans will get dropped, but Honda will do fine with theirs since they only have 2 to pick from.

300 mile drive to my moms today. No lie. Saw like 7 new civics. It's definitely a market bullseye.

I saw a Bentley Mulsanne and a Tesla Model X today.  If I saw a new Civic, I didn't notice or don't remember it.

Sedan sales are stuggling in all brands. 

As for 32K units that is not even enough to pay attention at this price point. Volume at this price point is key. Generally they would want 75K and up.. Some models like The Cruze twice that or more. 

Even the Camaro is expected to reach at least 100K units anymore or it is a disappointment to GM.

The Buicks issue was it did not sell as well as it needed to. It also was too close in size and price to the Regal that was well worth the price difference. I believe Buick is being targeted to do bigger and better things. We will see more special models that sell globally that can hold the lower volumes. We may see more of the Opel performance models and special models that are hard to price higher at Chevy.

GM really had too much overlap here and the Regal, New Malibu and Cruze just took too much of this segment.

Also Buick is still earning it's way and still has work to do to compete with any of the greater names in this segment. They will need to continue to let the larger more expensive models earn the rep and then retry the smaller cars later when they have improved the image even more.

The only two sedans that get somewhat a free pass are the The Toyota and Honda. They get the benefit of happy owners returning. Even with them many are defecting to the CUV from these two brands. Utility and space is what it is all about anymore. My wife defected just for those two reasons. 

The segment also is a challenge for sedans now with the BU and Fusion with two very competitive models  

I expect some surprises here with Buick with some odd Euro centric things like Wagons, 3 and 5 door hatch models. AWD and more performance. Buick talks of white space and that I do not see in their SUV and CUV models but the cars need to be what Chevy and Cadillac are not. Buick can be what Pontiac always aspired to be a true affordable Euro Sporting Machine. The burden of high volume will  be off anything they share with Opel and Holden. They can take risk and target things not on anyone radar. 

Besides after seeing the version in China let face it how many here feel better it is not coming here. I for one feel better it is not here. It just did not go far enough to change the perceived image here of Buick. 

So the plan is to dump "Quiet Luxury"  and make Buick a Euro Sport car brand?   That doesn't seem to make sense.

If the Verano didn't meet sales targets, good luck on a Regal Wagon or turning an Astra or Cruze into a Buick Hot Hatch.   Wagons just don't sell, Hot Hatchback is a very small segment in the USA, even though it is a practical body style.

Buick could blow Lincoln out of the water no sweat if they stuck with "Quiet Luxury". 

So the plan is to dump "Quiet Luxury"  and make Buick a Euro Sport car brand?   That doesn't seem to make sense.

 

If the Verano didn't meet sales targets, good luck on a Regal Wagon or turning an Astra or Cruze into a Buick Hot Hatch.   Wagons just don't sell, Hot Hatchback is a very small segment in the USA, even though it is a practical body style.

What is wrong with niche segments? Mercedes is not the only one who can pull that off (looking at you AMG and E Class Wagon). You realize that right?

 

So the plan is to dump "Quiet Luxury"  and make Buick a Euro Sport car brand?   That doesn't seem to make sense.

 

If the Verano didn't meet sales targets, good luck on a Regal Wagon or turning an Astra or Cruze into a Buick Hot Hatch.   Wagons just don't sell, Hot Hatchback is a very small segment in the USA, even though it is a practical body style.

What is wrong with niche segments? Mercedes is not the only one who can pull that off (looking at you AMG and E Class Wagon). You realize that right?

 

Nothing is wrong with a Niche segment.  But if your brand is built on "quiet luxury" you don't try to sell a hot hatch with a high revving turbo 4.  That would be like Mini saying they want to introduce a full size sedan with a bench seat, so they can exploit a niche.    There should be a Cruze RS hatch to compete with the Focus and Golf.  

So the plan is to dump "Quiet Luxury"  and make Buick a Euro Sport car brand?   That doesn't seem to make sense.

 

If the Verano didn't meet sales targets, good luck on a Regal Wagon or turning an Astra or Cruze into a Buick Hot Hatch.   Wagons just don't sell, Hot Hatchback is a very small segment in the USA, even though it is a practical body style.

What is wrong with niche segments? Mercedes is not the only one who can pull that off (looking at you AMG and E Class Wagon). You realize that right?

Nothing is wrong with a Niche segment.  But if your brand is built on "quiet luxury" you don't try to sell a hot hatch with a high revving turbo 4.  That would be like Mini saying they want to introduce a full size sedan with a bench seat, so they can exploit a niche.    There should be a Cruze RS hatch to compete with the Focus and Golf.

You keep throwing that term around like it is supposed to mean that Buick has no other options. It would not hurt their branding one damn bit to do just that (in regards to a hot hatch for example). Me? Just give me a pure GNX replacement, two door only please.

it really is cherry picking to say Buick can live without 40,000 Veranos but then will import an ancient convertible that will not sell that many over the same length of run.  It's easy to talk margins on those but the Cascada will end up just like the Sebring convertible selling for 6-8 or more grand off sticker just to push units.  So how is that making profit.

You gotta keep the Verano as a brand entry car, to keep urban and the younger demographic happy, and to be readily available when gas goes up to 5 bucks.  Cruze is never going to be an aspirational car and can't plug that hole itself.  Chevy might be able to sell a surprising number of 29 thousand dollar Cruze Premiers at launch but by year 3 when rental lots are flooded with leather equipped Cruzes like they have been the last 2-3 years, GM won't be making anymore money and keeping transaction prices up off those either.

So that's fine to consider the Regal being the bottom end of the lineup, that only works if the base model is priced at say 27 or 28 grand.  A 2LT 2.0 Malibu is around 29,500 so to be within striking distance of that, lower, may be forgivable.  But I sure hope Buick and GM doesn't figure that the new Regal is going to pick up all of the volume of the Verano.  It won't.

This ridiculous Regal TourX wagon that is apparently coming, good luck with that; they might sell 2,000 of those...unless it surprises and is dead sexy.  I mean, what the hell is Buick trying to be anymore?  Their styling is becoming a hodge podge and divergent, ( and not at all American in any way).  What does Buick stand for?  They tempted with the sexy Avenir and Avista and pulled the rug out from under that exercise.  As blu said, quiet luxury would be a great commonality, but that just doesn't seem a given yet.

I like that GM wants profit margin but all the things they do sometimes it seems they are more than willing to tank market share anymore. Their crosstown rival Ford will do anything for market share and still are successful.

New LaCrosse, while geriatric looking is a nice new addition.  Now it seems like we have been waiting forever for the Regal (they should call it Insignia now) to be replaced.  And now they are going to try to make a Volvo or Subaru like wagon out of it.  We have 'sport packages' too, wtf.  Just darker wheels......  

If you want to get to brass tacks I think the chinese Verano is horrible looking, and the Astra was judged to plain, and i think Buick just didn't have resources to reskin the car.  They said 'ck it, gas is 2.29 a gallon, let's wait'.

I want for the new Envision to do well, but after checking out and sitting in a new Mazda CX-9 signature for 45 grand, and it feels more expensive that that, gives you so much for the money, I don't see how Buick can peddle any Envisions with that same 45k sticker.

I don't think Buick should go off in any sort of performance division.  Chevy may have to create a more defined performance division for marketing low volume performance vehicles (like the SS, or say, a Cruze 2.0, or an Impala V sport equivalent).  I think performance image would resonate with many more people if that were developed for Chevrolet and not some strange concoction from Buick.

Encore even with a refresh is going to see volume drops....its size will need to be increased in the next gen.  Envision - Enclave has a huge size gap.  Buick should look to fill that.

it really is cherry picking to say Buick can live without 40,000 Veranos but then will import an ancient convertible that will not sell that many over the same length of run.  It's easy to talk margins on those but the Cascada will end up just like the Sebring convertible selling for 6-8 or more grand off sticker just to push units.  So how is that making profit.

 

You gotta keep the Verano as a brand entry car, to keep urban and the younger demographic happy, and to be readily available when gas goes up to 5 bucks.  Cruze is never going to be an aspirational car and can't plug that hole itself.  Chevy might be able to sell a surprising number of 29 thousand dollar Cruze Premiers at launch but by year 3 when rental lots are flooded with leather equipped Cruzes like they have been the last 2-3 years, GM won't be making anymore money and keeping transaction prices up off those either.

 

So that's fine to consider the Regal being the bottom end of the lineup, that only works if the base model is priced at say 27 or 28 grand.  A 2LT 2.0 Malibu is around 29,500 so to be within striking distance of that, lower, may be forgivable.  But I sure hope Buick and GM doesn't figure that the new Regal is going to pick up all of the volume of the Verano.  It won't.

 

This ridiculous Regal TourX wagon that is apparently coming, good luck with that; they might sell 2,000 of those...unless it surprises and is dead sexy.  I mean, what the hell is Buick trying to be anymore?  Their styling is becoming a hodge podge and divergent, ( and not at all American in any way).  What does Buick stand for?  They tempted with the sexy Avenir and Avista and pulled the rug out from under that exercise.  As blu said, quiet luxury would be a great commonality, but that just doesn't seem a given yet.

 

I like that GM wants profit margin but all the things they do sometimes it seems they are more than willing to tank market share anymore. Their crosstown rival Ford will do anything for market share and still are successful.

 

New LaCrosse, while geriatric looking is a nice new addition.  Now it seems like we have been waiting forever for the Regal (they should call it Insignia now) to be replaced.  And now they are going to try to make a Volvo or Subaru like wagon out of it.  We have 'sport packages' too, wtf.  Just darker wheels......  

 

If you want to get to brass tacks I think the chinese Verano is horrible looking, and the Astra was judged to plain, and i think Buick just didn't have resources to reskin the car.  They said 'ck it, gas is 2.29 a gallon, let's wait'.

 

I want for the new Envision to do well, but after checking out and sitting in a new Mazda CX-9 signature for 45 grand, and it feels more expensive that that, gives you so much for the money, I don't see how Buick can peddle any Envisions with that same 45k sticker.

 

I don't think Buick should go off in any sort of performance division.  Chevy may have to create a more defined performance division for marketing low volume performance vehicles (like the SS, or say, a Cruze 2.0, or an Impala V sport equivalent).  I think performance image would resonate with many more people if that were developed for Chevrolet and not some strange concoction from Buick.

 

Encore even with a refresh is going to see volume drops....its size will need to be increased in the next gen.  Envision - Enclave has a huge size gap.  Buick should look to fill that.

First off, I disagree with your statement about Encore needing to grow. NO COMPANY needs to grow a label, that is why you have subcompact, compact, medium, large, etc. for sizing of auto's, you need an auto bigger than the Encore, you step up to the Envision or the Enclave.

I do agree with you about Buick not needing a performance division or segment.

I think since no one has had access yet to an Envision it is way to early to say that the Envision cannot compete with the Mazda CX-9. Plus the envision is smaller than the CX-9 that really is to compete with the Enclave is my understanding. It would be the CX-5 that competes with the Envision.

I do think you hit some valid issues with the rest of your post.

I agree with Reg. The size gap between Envision and Enclave is Acadia or XT5 for now. Until Buick dealers say they want a vehicle that size, then maybe you get 4 Buick crossovers.

Not sure what they can do with the Regal to get sales, other than to name it Camry. I think the Regal will die by 2020.

My problem with this move by Buick is that the replacement already exists and is being sold in other countries.  It's not like they needed to design a car for just 32k in sales in the US.  They'll sell 250k of them a year in China and another 75k in the EU. That's 325k of units alone... taking on another 32k for sale in the US doesn't seem like a big deal.  Even if they make them a bit more premium, bump the base price up a bit, and build them in the EU... put the Opel plants to work and use the US plants for other models.

And check out what we'll be missing out on...

This is the 2016 Opel Astra interior... how could that not compete with the A3?

Maybe they have something else in mind. Perhaps the newer Veranos would be priced too close to the Regal replacement. Or maybe they feel the new Cruze has come closer to the new Verano than the separation the two cars had before.

In terms of being a smooth and quiet car, the Cruze is basically tops in segment, and already is right there in smoothness with the A3. And the Cruze can pull off variants such as hatch and larger engine options.

Maybe Opel will get shut down in a few years, it doesn't make money.

Maybe the Regal will go down in price to $25,950 base, use the 2.5 liter four, quiet tuned suspension, cloth seats and some faux wood.  Old folks still buy cars too, and they are on a fixed income and might not be able to afford a Lacrosse.  And those old folks probably think a Verano is too small.  

Maybe they will just kill the Regal all together.

The move seems weird, even more so if this is just a stand alone move and the rest of the Buick lineup stays the same.

That's just dumb, and FUD, and more dumb as well.

Opel is on the rise, they're coming back to solvency, and they create wonderful cars, and are under-appreciated for the amount of engineering work they have contributed to GM. There are brands/cars that you hope would be shuttered for good - Fiat, Mitsu...some cheap Mercedes cars/suvs...anything coupe crosssover. Opel isn't one of them.

I think the reason is that Buick wants their cars to be more premium, and actually space wise the Regal and Verano were pretty close, because the Regal is a smaller car than the Malibu.

The Regal is coming back, with vengeance I might add, and given how GM is going, I think we can expect it to punch way above its weight for the price. 

Maybe the strategic decision is that sedans are still prevalent, but they're not the de facto anymore,even for smaller economy cars. If someone wants a Buick sedan - why not let it be one that can be optioned far higher, and have better, more powerful engine options, and be more consistent with the brand moving premium? A lot of Lax's are fully loaded, Buick can be the mainstream vehicle based luxury brand of GM, Cadillac can go straight after the upper tier RWD cars...because there RWD matters, and otherwise milk crossovers because people just want the utility above all else, and the Escalade can be milked because it's based loosely off a very mass-market BOF truck. 

Buick could blow Lincoln out of the water no sweat if they stuck with "Quiet Luxury". 

You do realize quiet, luxury and sporting can all go hand in hand. Audi does it well. 

As for Lincoln a good hard piss could blow Lincoln out of the water. 

Look man, they did it right by atleast naming their top car a Continental.

And somehow MT feels the MKX would place higher in a comparo than the XT5. In fact, it was actually more quiet, luxury and sporting..than the Cadillac. 

So there's that.

But the rest is kinda ho-hum, but Lincoln is very viable, and in God China do they trust.

My problem with this move by Buick is that the replacement already exists and is being sold in other countries.  It's not like they needed to design a car for just 32k in sales in the US.  They'll sell 250k of them a year in China and another 75k in the EU. That's 325k of units alone... taking on another 32k for sale in the US doesn't seem like a big deal.  Even if they make them a bit more premium, bump the base price up a bit, and build them in the EU... put the Opel plants to work and use the US plants for other models.

 

And check out what we'll be missing out on...

 

This is the 2016 Opel Astra interior... how could that not compete with the A3?

 

I think you will find much more of the Opel coming to Buick as we go. Dropping the Verano does not mean we will not see other cars filling this gap much more effectively. 

While the Verano did ok it did not change a lot of hearts and minds. Now if they chose to bring the more Opel version here with a hot hatch and other versions they could market it much more effectively. 

I think the simple 4 door sedan was just too much like Chevy. Buick is looking for slots where Cadillac is not and Chevy just can't go easily. Also they will target niche models that sell in greater numbers in Europe and will not be as much a risk here should they fail. 

Buick is going to go places and do things you have not seen American automakers go and take risk we have not seen GM take in years. They will be much more progressive in their attempts to be different. 

You have to look outside the box here. This GM is not the old GM. This GM is more of the nature what will do a modern Z/28 the right way like they have and again are doing with the new model vs. just adding IROC stickers to a car and calling it upscale. 

The problem of the Verano while it was a better Cruze it really was just a better Cruze and not a car true to it's own nature. 

Buick is going to be more than just another up scales Chevy as they and Pontiac had been. 

My problem with this move by Buick is that the replacement already exists and is being sold in other countries.  It's not like they needed to design a car for just 32k in sales in the US.  They'll sell 250k of them a year in China and another 75k in the EU. That's 325k of units alone... taking on another 32k for sale in the US doesn't seem like a big deal.  Even if they make them a bit more premium, bump the base price up a bit, and build them in the EU... put the Opel plants to work and use the US plants for other models.

 

And check out what we'll be missing out on...

 

This is the 2016 Opel Astra interior... how could that not compete with the A3?

 

yes, hits exactly the nail on the head.  The interior of that is the star, and is perfect for Buick. 

That is why I said maybe Buick is punting here, because the Chinese exterior is so bad, and maybe they felt the Astra by itself did not have enough pizazz.  I doubt they had the resources to provide another body.

And it still comes to money grabbing.  Buick doesn't want to have a product line with thinner margins anymore is the biggest culprit.  Nevermind the fact that product itself would have interest and has been proven to sell.

I mean WOW that interior is lovely.  A base 1.8 and an uplevel 2.0 and its golden.

Maybe they have something else in mind. Perhaps the newer Veranos would be priced too close to the Regal replacement. Or maybe they feel the new Cruze has come closer to the new Verano than the separation the two cars had before.

 

In terms of being a smooth and quiet car, the Cruze is basically tops in segment, and already is right there in smoothness with the A3. And the Cruze can pull off variants such as hatch and larger engine options.

but

its

STILL JUST A CHEVY

But Chevy's are damn good now man...heck the Chevy Malibu is 1 fine leather covered interior away from being better than a Platinum Ford and anything Buick in the leather department where you still can't get real leather on the dash boards.

Look, it's still just a Chevy kind of thinking that is wrong. There's an Opel car which is also basically the new Spark. What about THAT? Suddenly it's a Buick by definition, right?

But still, I still believe the new Verano would be a great addition....but it's not like Buick won't gain something by actually losing something. As stupid as it sounds, automakers do things that hurt sometimes. Or maybe it'l be mistake and they bring it over anyways.

 

I like that GM wants profit margin but all the things they do sometimes it seems they are more than willing to tank market share anymore. Their crosstown rival Ford will do anything for market share and still are successful.

 

That's not true about Ford. The company has actually lost overall car market share to many car makers, and trucks. And their profits have gone up steadily still. Market share is a stupid metric used by people to point at sales volume in terms of units, NOT Revenues. Look at Ford vs GM revenues. Much closer than would be suggested, given GM typically sells 4 million more light vehicles annually over Ford.

Maybe Opel will get shut down in a few years, it doesn't make money.

 

Maybe the Regal will go down in price to $25,950 base, use the 2.5 liter four, quiet tuned suspension, cloth seats and some faux wood.  Old folks still buy cars too, and they are on a fixed income and might not be able to afford a Lacrosse.  And those old folks probably think a Verano is too small.  

 

Maybe they will just kill the Regal all together.

 

The move seems weird, even more so if this is just a stand alone move and the rest of the Buick lineup stays the same.

Maybe you will stop pulling asinine comments out of your posterior just because this is not about Mercedes.

That's just dumb, and FUD, and more dumb as well.

 

Opel is on the rise, they're coming back to solvency, and they create wonderful cars, and are under-appreciated for the amount of engineering work they have contributed to GM. There are brands/cars that you hope would be shuttered for good - Fiat, Mitsu...some cheap Mercedes cars/suvs...anything coupe crosssover. Opel isn't one of them.

 

I think the reason is that Buick wants their cars to be more premium, and actually space wise the Regal and Verano were pretty close, because the Regal is a smaller car than the Malibu.

 

The Regal is coming back, with vengeance I might add, and given how GM is going, I think we can expect it to punch way above its weight for the price. 

 

Maybe the strategic decision is that sedans are still prevalent, but they're not the de facto anymore,even for smaller economy cars. If someone wants a Buick sedan - why not let it be one that can be optioned far higher, and have better, more powerful engine options, and be more consistent with the brand moving premium? A lot of Lax's are fully loaded, Buick can be the mainstream vehicle based luxury brand of GM, Cadillac can go straight after the upper tier RWD cars...because there RWD matters, and otherwise milk crossovers because people just want the utility above all else, and the Escalade can be milked because it's based loosely off a very mass-market BOF truck. 

Regal can come back with a vengeance, but no one will buy it.   This is why Hyundai Azera and Chrysler 200 are on the chopping block, the sedan market is just too tough, and if you aren't a volume car like Camry or Accord it is hard to stick around.  Making the Regal more luxurious and more powerful isn't going to help sales, it will hurt sales.  To a majority of buyers, buying a crossover is moving up market and the sedan is the value product.

Cadillac also has no rear drive crossovers, which makes it hard for Cadillac to move their crossovers up market.  They can't increase the price on Cadillac sedans that aren't selling, so they are stuck with Cadillac where they are.

And how are the German and Asian luxury sedans faring now? They're victims too, and yet also see them becoming more luxurious, with more power and more expensive. They're down in sales - some losses far bigger than those at Cadillac.

What is wrong with being a nicer Chevy?  Buick only needs to sell Chevy Equinox or Malibu level performance, with some extra leather and wood on the inside, and more sound deadening and a soft ride.  If they want the Regal to succeed, it needs to have a base price around $25k, and fully loaded hit $35k.   It also needs all wheel drive optional, since the Malibu doesn't offer it.  That makes the Regal priced like an Encore, but with 197 hp 2.5 liter and more interior room.  Or a 1.6 liter turbo could be used instead.

Buick will become more distinctive than ever. The Lax is totally unrecognizable as ever being close to an Impala.

Again... sales are not always a great barometer of success. Yes, the Regal will have to sell. But I think of relative sales...and I think the quite a few of same people who perhaps bought a Verano before, are now ready for an upgrade. A big upgrade.

What is wrong with being a nicer Chevy?  Buick only needs to sell Chevy Equinox or Malibu level performance, with some extra leather and wood on the inside, and more sound deadening and a soft ride.  If they want the Regal to succeed, it needs to have a base price around $25k, and fully loaded hit $35k.   It also needs all wheel drive optional, since the Malibu doesn't offer it.  That makes the Regal priced like an Encore, but with 197 hp 2.5 liter and more interior room.  Or a 1.6 liter turbo could be used instead.

It needs

It needs

It needs

What it needs is virtually nothing you are suggesting.

I've said it before...Buick needs to become the American Audi.  FWD based but with AWD available on everything. German premium feelings, but without the pretension of Mercedes and Cadillac. 

Audi is cold and calculating though, almost aloof too. I mean, that's what I think of Audi as its character traits of the vehicles.

Buick. Honestly, all I think of it (as the younger folk would) is as a brand that had a history, had way of doing things....but it's all obscure, more like a feeling, less like a fact now. So it means they have a golden chance to redefine themselves - but remember their past. Refinement, comfort above all some value.

I've said it before...Buick needs to become the American Audi.  FWD based but with AWD available on everything. German premium feelings, but without the pretension of Mercedes and Cadillac. 

What is wrong with being the American Buick?  Why do they have to be Audi?  Oldsmobile was American, didn't try to copy imports, they had the contemporary stealth bomber theme styling, but they gave you a little more performance than a Chevy, a little better ride and handling.  That was a good formula, even though that brand is dead.  

People buy crossovers in droves for roominess, they like comfort, a smooth ride, some interior space, they like the safety of all wheel drive (or perceived safety).

 

I've said it before...Buick needs to become the American Audi.  FWD based but with AWD available on everything. German premium feelings, but without the pretension of Mercedes and Cadillac. 

What is wrong with being the American Buick?  Why do they have to be Audi?  Oldsmobile was American, didn't try to copy imports, they had the contemporary stealth bomber theme styling, but they gave you a little more performance than a Chevy, a little better ride and handling.  That was a good formula, even though that brand is dead.  

 

People buy crossovers in droves for roominess, they like comfort, a smooth ride, some interior space, they like the safety of all wheel drive (or perceived safety).

 

Because of Buick's present connection to Germany. 

 

 

I like that GM wants profit margin but all the things they do sometimes it seems they are more than willing to tank market share anymore. Their crosstown rival Ford will do anything for market share and still are successful.

 

 

That's not true about Ford. The company has actually lost overall car market share to many car makers, and trucks. And their profits have gone up steadily still. Market share is a stupid metric used by people to point at sales volume in terms of units, NOT Revenues. Look at Ford vs GM revenues. Much closer than would be suggested, given GM typically sells 4 million more light vehicles annually over Ford.

 

over time if you cede market share, you cease to become a top player, and you risk being taken over, or becoming an afterthought / irrelevant.  Soon, you begin to have less and less resources to develop new products, you lose technological leadership, etc.

The car that somebody bought from your competition, they could have bought from you.  The other company survives and grows, and you wither on the vine.

The competitiveness of the global automotive market dictates that to remain one of the top dogs, you have to keep your sales up.  There actually is somewhat of a finite pie out there to get a piece of.

What is wrong with being a nicer Chevy?  Buick only needs to sell Chevy Equinox or Malibu level performance, with some extra leather and wood on the inside, and more sound deadening and a soft ride.  If they want the Regal to succeed, it needs to have a base price around $25k, and fully loaded hit $35k.   It also needs all wheel drive optional, since the Malibu doesn't offer it.  That makes the Regal priced like an Encore, but with 197 hp 2.5 liter and more interior room.  Or a 1.6 liter turbo could be used instead.

if that rotten 2.5 shows up in the Regal, its game over.

Nope, that's outmoded thinking. You have to find the most profitable segments that fit your organizational identity and pursue opportunities there. The car business has some razor thin margins in the compact and below segments, with gains in CUV's being more more valuable.

If you're competing in an undesirable segment - you better ensure your competitor tries to woo those customers, as they make your competition weaker. 

There's a whole meta about it.

http://www.autoblog.com/2014/03/30/auto-industry-consolidation-morgan-stanldy/

hard to be one of the six if you can't make sales to be in the 6