"Baby Enclave" added to Buick lineup in '11

[buickguy]

http://www.freep.com/article/20090829/BUSI...ith-its-dealers

As part of a cross-country tour, General Motors executives met with hundreds of the company's dealers in Novi on Friday to share plans for the Detroit automaker that recently emerged from bankruptcy.

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About 800 people, representing about 430 dealers primarily from Michigan, Ohio and Indiana, met at the Rock Financial Showplace to hear from GM executives.

Brent Dewar, the new vice president of Chevrolet Global, said Chevrolet dealers are being told in the meetings to think "beyond our dominance in trucks" and to start getting ready to sell small cars. The Chevrolet Cruze small car is planned for next year along with the electric-drive Volt.

"They haven't seen this opportunity in smaller vehicles," Dewar said of U.S. dealers. He noted they have to realize selling cars is different than selling trucks.

"They have to think slightly different," he said. "They've got to think about how to sell the value of the vehicle on content and that small doesn't mean less."

Other developments during Friday's meeting include announcements that:

• The Detroit automaker has appointed an executive to oversee an effort to keep the 3 million GM customers who will see their current vehicle model, GM brand or dealership eliminated as part of the automaker's restructuring efforts, said Susan Docherty, head of the Buick and GMC brands.

• Buick plans to bring a midsize sedan to market next year and a compact car in late 2011. The brand also plans a "baby Enclave," likely in 2011. The Enclave is a midsize crossover. The new LaCrosse is also taking the place of the Buick Lucerne as Buick's flagship vehicle, Docherty said.

• Strong Pontiac sales this summer mean GM expects to run through its remaining Pontiac inventory by the end of the year, ahead of expectations, Docherty said.

• GM continues to believe U.S. auto sales will reach 12.5 million vehicles next year. The automaker expects industry sales to hit 10.5 million this year, down from 13.2 million in 2008.

[buickguy]

Details tomorrow 8/31

[ZL-1]

I see two options here:

1. Gamma crossover to be introduced sooner than expected because the VUE rebadge got canned.

or

2. Fully restyled Opel Antara becomes the Baby-Enclave.

[wildcat]

option 1a. See the video footage from CBS News that showed the "baby Enclave" in the design studio

[ZL-1]

option 1a. See the video footage from CBS News that showed the "baby Enclave" in the design studio

I saw the screenshot with the clay model. I think that screenshot is insufficient to know if it's Gamma-based or TE/Theta-based, as GM can do very different things with its platforms nowadays, given proper development money.

Edited August 30, 2009 by ZL-1

[CSpec]

So the compact isn't coming until late 2011. Oh well.

[cire]

I see two options here:

1. Gamma crossover to be introduced sooner than expected because the VUE rebadge got canned.

or

2. Fully restyled Opel Antara becomes the Baby-Enclave.

You don't think LWB Delta could be an option? I know the rumor mill suggests it that it might be Gamma based, but I don't think the LWB Delta option should be ruled out.

[ZL-1]

You don't think LWB Delta could be an option? I know the rumor mill suggests it that it might be Gamma based, but I don't think the LWB Delta option should be ruled out.

IDK re Delta2... I remeber thegriffon posting here GM would be developing Gamma-based crossovers, IIRC targeting a length of 4500mm. That's where my guess came from...