Buick News: Buick Could Be Getting Something Very Special

[William Maley]

By William Maley

Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com

May 6, 2013

Buick has been one of the success stories since General Motors came out of bankruptcy a few years ago. The tri-shield brand has seen its sales on the up and up for the past few years thanks to vehicles such as the Enclave, LaCrosse, and Verano. Now GM's North American President, Mark Reuss tells Automotive News that Buick deserves something special.

"We've very carefully built Buick back to a brand that has respect. Something special for Buick, I think, is really needed for the next phase of where that brand is going," Reuss said.

Reuss went onto say that Buick is ready for an entry "that's very special, that's not shared with anybody else and is quite unique."

So what are the possibilities? Reuss gives examples of a Riviera-like flagship, a convertible and a coupe. Recent rumors also have the return of the Grand National nameplate and the introduction of a plug-in hybrid crossover.

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster.

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[Drew Dowdell]

They aren't using the Riviera name over and over on Concepts for no reason...

[Robert Hall]

Interesting.

[ZL-1]

hey aren't using the Riviera name over and over on Concepts for no reason...

Alpha?....................

Edited May 6, 2013 by ZL-1

[Drew Dowdell]

your guess is as good as mine... but if Reuss wants it to be special, my guess is that it won't be on Epsilon II...

[ocnblu]

I like all those rumors except for a "plug-in hybrid crossover". THUMBS DOWN. WAY DOWN.

[smk4565]

your guess is as good as mine... but if Reuss wants it to be special, my guess is that it won't be on Epsilon II...

The top end Cadillac is. Maybe the top Buick can be a Riviera coupe on Delta II and they can get really crazy and combine the 2.0T with eAssist!

I don't know if they need "special," they tried sporty with the Regal and it is their worst seller. Their top selling car is their version of the Toyota Avalon, and they've had success with SUVs because women buy them. The demise of Mercury and downfall of Lincoln and Chrysler only offering a gangster looking sedan have helped Buick.

I will say though that GM lacks convertibles big time, Buick and Cadillac don't have one. GM does need a luxury convertible, and as a Buick it could be more like a $40,000 car and appeal to the baby-boomers and empty nesters of the 55-70 crowd that don't want a Camaro, but don't have Mercedes E-class cabriolet money. Chrysler sells those miserable 200 convertibles because there is no where else for people to go with the Solara dead and VW Eos is tiny.

[Drew Dowdell]

The top end Cadillac is on Alpha for 2014 and sigma for 2013.... get your facts straight.

[riviera74]

When was the last Riviera convertible anyways? That may well be what is coming that is special. As for the looks of the car, the concepts are definitely within our grasp of what the new Buick has become. I do wish that the e-Assist would just leave: it is simply not good enough. Now, the 2-mode Hybrid is actually better, but I think GM killed that a few years back.

This trend towards 4cyl is especially annoying. I know that we no longer need V8 power on most cars, but the 4cyl engines (with or without e-Assist) still underimpress.

[smk4565]

The top end Cadillac is on Alpha for 2014 and sigma for 2013.... get your facts straight.

If they price the CTS above the XTS then that will hold true. But right now the XTS is the most expensive Cadillac sedan going off base price. I sort of think they will price the CTS the same as the XTS, like they did in 2006 with the STS/DTS.

[Camino LS6]

[ZL-1]

The historic influences are clear but at the same time the Avant kinda looks like something out of Star Wars

[regfootball]

coupes won't sell. only reason to do a coupe is for image.

how about 3 and 5 door veranos / astras, how about the adam, these cars are ready to go now.

[ZL-1]

coupes won't sell. only reason to do a coupe is for image.

how about 3 and 5 door veranos / astras, how about the adam, these cars are ready to go now.

Add the Cascada convertible in there, and Buick would be moving one step further IMHO

Edited May 7, 2013 by ZL-1

[Robert Hall]

When was the last Riviera convertible anyways?

1985, IIRC. Though there was the Reatta after that, based on a shortened E-body platform..

The Cascada is one Opel that seems like it would be a natural fit w/ Buick.

Edited May 7, 2013 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[Camino LS6]

[riviera74]

8136840-623x414.jpg

A Buick convertible any of us could buy. That concept is intriguing as a convertible though.