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  • William Maley
    William Maley

    By William Maley •

    Rumorpile: Many of Buick Models Could Be Imported

      The Future Buick Lineup Will Be Mostly Made Up of Imported Models

    Earlier this week, we reported that General Motors faced a difficult decision with the upcoming Envision crossover: Do they import it from China or build it somewhere else just for the North American marketplace? This comes at an interesting time since Reuters is reporting that Buick's future lineup will be comprised of vehicles imported to North America.

     

    Speaking with two sources, the news service reports that only two models in Buick's future lineup, the next LaCrosse and Enclave will be built in the U.S. The rest will be imported from other countries. At the moment, the Encore subcompact crossover is the only Buick model that is imported to the U.S. This will soon be joined by the Cascada convertible early next year.

     

    Sources say the next-generation Verano will be imported from China starting next year. Next will be the Regal which will either be imported from China or Europe in 2017.

     

    A Buick spokesman declined to comment when asked about this.

     

    Source: Reuters

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    Drew Dowdell

     If they're talking by volume, that only makes sense. The smaller cars will sell the greatest volume and the EU at least does premium smaller cars better anyway. The Encore is a European design imported from Korea. The Regal was initially built in Rüsselsheim, and the Cascada will be. Envision is probably being built in China. Regal is currently built in Oshawa, a plant quite clearly on the chopping block..... so the question marks are where Regal and Verano will be built. As variants of the Verano being built in at least 3 other plants worldwide, it is not a stretch to think that they could move production to one or more of them. (China, England, Poland)

    Verano, Encore, Regal, Cascada, and future Envision - there's at least 75% of Buick's sales right there.

     

    Regal won't be built in China... they'll move it back to Rüsselsheim Germany and put them on the same boat as the Cascada

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    oldshurst442

     If they're talking by volume, that only makes sense. The smaller cars will sell the greatest volume and the EU at least does premium smaller cars better anyway. The Encore is a European design imported from Korea. The Regal was initially built in Rüsselsheim, and the Cascada will be. Envision is probably being built in China. Regal is currently built in Oshawa, a plant quite clearly on the chopping block..... so the question marks are where Regal and Verano will be built. As variants of the Verano being built in at least 3 other plants worldwide, it is not a stretch to think that they could move production to one or more of them. (China, England, Poland)

    Verano, Encore, Regal, Cascada, and future Envision - there's at least 75% of Buick's sales right there.

     

    Regal won't be built in China... they'll move it back to Rüsselsheim Germany and put them on the same boat as the Cascada

    Makes sense what you said...

     

    And to be fair to GM without the drama for calling out for their heads....

     

    Close to 1 000 000 Buicks are sold over seas and only 220 000 are sold in North America.

    Like DFELT said...it is a GLOBAL economy in which 80% of Buick sales are OUTSIDE of Buick's domestic market...

     

    Its only fair to these markets that actually swallow up 1 million Buicks each and every year...that they actually build them..for themselves and for the rest of the world too...

     

    BECAUSE:

     

    One could even argue...because Buick was saved from the clutches of death because of China...and the most intriguing designs from Buick come from Chinese designers...for the Chinese market, and the cars themselves are marketed and sold  in  China...minus a couple of models that are actually designed, engineered and built by Germans and Germany and marketed for Germans and Europeans alike...one could argue that Buick is not really American anymore...

     

    Buick is under the GM umbrella...for sure..more to it than that...like BLU said...Buick IS/WAS GM....but Buick is more Opel than Buick today...no...really...and let me ask you folk that are calling death to Buick...how many of you recognize Opel as American?

     

    Europeans view Opel as German...

    And...Americans view Opel as German...despite that Opel has been under GM rule since 1926 or something like that...

     

    So...be honest with yourselves...

    The day GM decided to keep Buick and kill off Oldsmobile...then kill off Pontiac and Saturn in favor for Chinese Buicks...and the day that GM stopped offering a pure American car in the Lucerne the way it feels and drives...for a...you guessed it...a Chinese Buick Lacrossse and for a German Opel Insignia where Buick calls its version the Regal....and for Chinese Buick Excelles/Opel Astras...and creates new Euro/Asian market niches with Opel Mokkas (Encore in the US) in which that car is assembled in South Korea and China and Spain and a new convertible based on an Opel Cascada (same name for the Buick version)...

     

    What did you guys really expect GM to do?

     

    Yeah..I know...American jobs for the American worker...

     

    Let me remind you folk...1 000 000 plus Chinese Buicks and Opels are bought and sold by "foreign" people as opposed to 220 000...

    Those people that support those 1 000 000 plus cars also DEMAND for jobs for their own countries...

     

    It is a global economy after all...

    Had Americans be buying more Oldsmobiles/Pontiacs/Buicks...because Oldsmobiles reached that 1 000 000 mark in North America at one time too...maybe more American factory workers would be employed producing real American Pontiacs/Oldsmobiles/Buicks...

     

     

    No need to go into the politics of what  I wrote...just for you guys to understand what GM is facing in the economic side of things...maybe producing the Insignia and Regal along side the Cascada makes more sense...and shipping both cars on the same boat is cheaper...its not as if the Regal was a HUGE success in North America anyway? The Insignia on the other hand...

    Edited by oldshurst442
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    daves87rs

    Big models can be built here.

     

    Rest better be built anywhere but China.

     

    Somehow I am not surprised, as I've heard both possible Chevy and Caddy models go overseas as well.......

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    Drew Dowdell

    I did make one mistake above.  The Cascada is built in Poland with the Astra.   That makes even more of a case for building the Verano in Europe.

     

    The Regal could still be built in Rüsselsheim with the Insignia. Its volume is small enough that it would be a good use of capacity. 

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    hyperv6

    I would say that this for the most part is leverage for the deals with the UAW and CAW.

     

    If they move anything anywhere odds are on Europe as they have so much open capacity with Opel that needs to be used.

    We already have had the Regal from Germany before it moved to Canada.

     

    I would not over react here too much as most will remain in NA and I expect a couple from Europe and Canada.

    GM is expanding Oshawa's line for the Nox and what ever else they put there. That is a big line and needs product if the CAW is willing to put in a good bid.

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    SoCalCTS

    It's time for Buick to become a China only brand.It's going to be like Vauxhall or Holden and really doesnt have a place in the American market anymore. Even the advertising seems to be geared towards women like Ford's failed Mercury brand. It's time for GM to pull the Buick brand out of the USA.

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    Drew Dowdell

    It's time for Buick to become a China only brand.It's going to be like Vauxhall or Holden and really doesnt have a place in the American market anymore. Even the advertising seems to be geared towards women like Ford's failed Mercury brand. It's time for GM to pull the Buick brand out of the USA.

     

    But why?  They still reasonably well and generally at the higher end (higher profit) trim lines.  Mercury had nothing special over the Ford cars, but Buick does differentiate itself from the platform mates it shares with.

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    VenSeattle

    Don't forget Buick was just assigned a new chief stylist, Bryan Nesbitt.... He's arguably GM's highest profile designer. Buick's directions with be international and not just for one market. I personally think GM wouldn't have placed Bryan in this position if Buick had already peaked in target markets. With a dedicated team focused on Buick's lineup and design strategy, I can see Buick being reintroduced to Australia and Europe. I personally believe Chevrolet should be reintroduced to Europe. Vauxhall and Opel should be absorbed by Buick. The European Dealer network should convert to Chevrolet and Buick dealers. One of the main reasons why Buick continues to survive in the US is because it can demand a higher purchase price than Saturn and Pontiac could with similar product. Chevrolet would cover mainstream pricing in Europe and Buick would be able to price itself towards the premium and luxury markets which Vauxhall and Opel continue failing to penetrate.

    Edited by VenSeattle
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    G. David Felt

    It's time for Buick to become a China only brand.It's going to be like Vauxhall or Holden and really doesnt have a place in the American market anymore. Even the advertising seems to be geared towards women like Ford's failed Mercury brand. It's time for GM to pull the Buick brand out of the USA.

    Totally and Completely disagree with you as Buick sells very well and GM did the right thing in paring up Buick with GMC so they have a Luxury Mid Level product line of Trucks, SUV's, CUV's and Cars. This is very profitable for GM as well as very different auto's and very different from the Failed Mercury issue.

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    William Maley

    I would say that this for the most part is leverage for the deals with the UAW and CAW.

     

    If they move anything anywhere odds are on Europe as they have so much open capacity with Opel that needs to be used.

    We already have had the Regal from Germany before it moved to Canada.

     

    I would not over react here too much as most will remain in NA and I expect a couple from Europe and Canada.

    GM is expanding Oshawa's line for the Nox and what ever else they put there. That is a big line and needs product if the CAW is willing to put in a good bid.

     

    Funny you mention the UAW, Bloomberg has an article talking about that exact thing.

    Bloomberg: Detroit Carmakers Consider Imports to Gain Leverage

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    Drew Dowdell

    Don't forget Buick was just assigned a new chief stylist, Bryan Nesbitt.... He's arguably GM's highest profile designer. Buick's directions with be international and not just for one market. I personally think GM wouldn't have placed Bryan in this position if Buick had already peaked in target markets. With a dedicated team focused on Buick's lineup and design strategy, I can see Buick being reintroduced to Australia and Europe. I personally believe Chevrolet should be reintroduced to Europe. Vauxhall and Opel should be absorbed by Buick. The European Dealer network should convert to Chevrolet and Buick dealers. One of the main reasons why Buick continues to survive in the US is because it can demand a higher purchase price than Saturn and Pontiac could with similar product. Chevrolet would cover mainstream pricing in Europe and Buick would be able to price itself towards the premium and luxury markets which Vauxhall and Opel continue failing to penetrate.

    Great points. Welcome back Ven, glad to see you.

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    hyperv6

    It is only logical to do so.

    GM has had more capacity here in NA and has leveraged it for better bids from the UAW. It has proven a win win for them and the unions who make the deals.

    The CAW has not been as cooperative and I feel this may be leverage on them in Canada.

     

    First off people read the headlines and assume it is all going to China. Well No!

     

    As for outside USA that could easily be Canada where the Nox is already built as well the present Terrain. Also it could mean Mexico or even Germany where GM has lots of capacity and Opel could use some help in filling.

     

    China will if anything build much for Australia and Holden.

     

    Opel could help supply some Buicks as well all the Vauxhalls.

    The truth is Buick will be the real global world car they offer for now as it will reach many areas even South Africa and the middle east under various names but mostly the same cars.

     

    While many Buicks may be built all around I would be surprised if we get even one from China.

    Hell with the market dropping on the fear of Chinas economy even if there was a plan this could stop it dead before it was even started.

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