Buick News: Buick Regal To Be Offered As a Hatchback and Wagon Say Two Forecast Firms

[William Maley]

We're excited by the new Opel and Vauxhall Insignia, especially considering we'll be getting our hands on it as the Buick Regal. But we don't know what form the Regal will come in. Opel has shown off a five-door hatchback and wagon, and there is talk about a sedan for China. 

According to a report from Automotive News, Buick will be selling the Regal as a hatchback and wagon. This information comes from two auto forecast firms: LMC Automotive and AutoForecast Solutions. Dropping the Regal sedan may seem odd, but there is some method to this madness. Sales of midsize sedans has been falling for the past two years and the segment has seen a 20 percent drop in the first two months. Going a different route could give the Regal a possible chance in the U.S.

As for the wagon, it is unclear if it will be the standard Insignia wagon or an off-road variant like the Audi A4 Allroad.bu

Not surprisingly, Buick spokesman Stuart Fowle declined to comment.

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

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[daves87rs]

Now that is interesting, and dare I say-smart thinking. Buick really does not need another  sedan taking up space.....

[G. David Felt]

I love the idea and I think Buick needs to embrace the off road wagon concept more than a street only version. Give it a lift, some burly shoulders and allow it to do the awesome job that the Eagle used to do in wagon form.

[Suaviloquent]

Well, I hope it does well. But I hope there is some actual utility with the wagon too.

 

For example, the Volvo V60 is an appalling example of a excellent looking wagon, but almost no gain in utility besides having a hatch, and no parcel shelf from a sedan.

[ccap41]

I'm all about more hatchbacks on the market!

[smk4565]

I don't think anyone has a mid-size hatch back right now, so this could be a first.  I don't know if a Regal hatch or wagon will sell, but is worth a try.  People see to be running away from anything with a traditional trunk.

[oldshurst442]

I dont know about this move. Im sure glad I sell hot dogs and hamburgers and not in charge of automobile company portfolio line-ups ...

a. sedans sales are going bust.

b. CUV/SUV sales are going through the roof faster than the SUV crazed 1990s.

c. wagons still dont sell well States side

d. just because CUVs/SUVs have hatch style rear ends and leave the showroom floor faster than Tesla Model S P100D ludicrous mode 0-60 times, it dont mean automobile sedan style wagons will do the same...

So I understand the move. What I dont understand is the North American automotive buyer's brain.

@dfelt

Yes, if Buick is to succeed with this, Buick needs to do it like that AMC Eagle.

What I wanna know is:

Is Audi and Subaru successful selling their Allroad and Outback in the USA?

Especially compared to their CUV counterparts such as the Q3 and Q5 and Forester and Crosstrek.

 

 

[G. David Felt]

44 minutes ago, oldshurst442 said:

Yes, if Buick is to succeed with this, Buick needs to do it like that AMC Eagle.

What I wanna know is:

Is Audi and Subaru successful selling their Allroad and Outback in the USA?

Especially compared to their CUV counterparts such as the Q3 and Q5 and Forester and Crosstrek.

Audi

2016 Audi Allroad Sales USA - 2300

2015 Audi Allroad Sales USA - 2818

2016 Audi Q3 Sales USA - 20,048

2015 Audi Q3 Sales USA - 13,229

2016 Audi Q5 Sales USA - 49,550

2015 Audi Q5 Sales USA - 52,006

Subaru

2016 Subaru Outback Sales USA - 182,898

2015 Subaru Outback Sales USA - 152,294

2016 Subaru Forester Sales USA - 178,593

2015 Subaru Forester Sales USA - 175,192

2016 Subaru Crosstrek Sales USA - 95,677

2015 Subaru Crosstrek Sales USA - 88,927

Seems Subaru has continued to grow their sales while Audi slipped on the Allroad and Q5 but grew on the Q3.

[oldshurst442]

You see, its tough deciding on the fate of car sedan style wagons in the USA...

Macho AWD wagons is a hit or a miss...

Subaru has honed in their rallye/offroad image...

Audi seems to be concentrating their image elsewhere...

Buick does not have either luxury...

But Cadillac failed in the wagon segment a few years back, and so has Dodge...and BMW, Mercedes and Vol vo dont seem to sell that many wagons either (because Buick it seems to me will market this as a simple wagon)...

So, because Buick has no prior image regarding wagons and Buick is in the middle of re-inventing itself more or less successfully,  is this to Buick's favour or is it a detriment?

I dont think this move will be a successful one, but then again, Regal sales are nothing anyway and so are sedan sales it seems,  might as well try to hit a very outside pitch, an opposite field single might be had...

 

[G. David Felt]

41 minutes ago, oldshurst442 said:

You see, its tough deciding on the fate of car sedan style wagons in the USA...

Macho AWD wagons is a hit or a miss...

Subaru has honed in their rallye/offroad image...

Audi seems to be concentrating their image elsewhere...

Buick does not have either luxury...

But Cadillac failed in the wagon segment a few years back, and so has Dodge...and BMW, Mercedes and Vol vo dont seem to sell that many wagons either (because Buick it seems to me will market this as a simple wagon)...

So, because Buick has no prior image regarding wagons and Buick is in the middle of re-inventing itself more or less successfully,  is this to Buick's favour or is it a detriment?

I dont think this move will be a successful one, but then again, Regal sales are nothing anyway and so are sedan sales it seems,  might as well try to hit a very outside pitch, an opposite field single might be had...

I get what you are saying. Cadillac has a cool station wagon, but they forgot to make sure the back seat actually had usable room when a big person is in front. I liked the look and checked one out, but passed on it cause it failed my David Test. David has to sit in the front comfy, then I get out and get in the back seat. If I am comfy without having to change the seat in the front, it passes my test.

Cadillac station wagon failed as I could not even get into the back seat as there was only about 2-3 inches from the back of the seat to the rear seat.

The room in any auto is a major driving factor as to if it will possibly succeed or fail. Many that fail are due to piss poor seat space.

[oldshurst442]

31 minutes ago, dfelt said:

I get what you are saying. Cadillac has a cool station wagon, but they forgot to make sure the back seat actually had usable room when a big person is in front. I liked the look and checked one out, but passed on it cause it failed my David Test. David has to sit in the front comfy, then I get out and get in the back seat. If I am comfy without having to change the seat in the front, it passes my test.

Cadillac station wagon failed as I could not even get into the back seat as there was only about 2-3 inches from the back of the seat to the rear seat.

The room in any auto is a major driving factor as to if it will possibly succeed or fail. Many that fail are due to piss poor seat space.

I failed to see that side of the argument regarding the Cadillac or any other wagon.

Did the Dodge Magnum fail for that reason too? Probably not.

Image is still a factor, and the Buick Roadmaster of the 1990s failed on that part because it sure wasnt the lack of space. That beast had more passenger space and more luggage space volume than Chevy Suburbans.

To most it was ugly though and the 'Burban was not so aesthetics is also a factor...

Like I said, Im glad Im in the restaurant business....

Im basing my opinion on the reasons that wagons are frowned upon in North America still in 2017 and because Buick is still not a hot item in North America especially the Regal nameplate. 

I hope I am wrong and an opposite field hit could be achieved.

 

 

 

Edited March 20, 2017 by oldshurst442

[G. David Felt]

2 minutes ago, oldshurst442 said:

I failed to see that side of the argument regarding the Cadillac or any other wagon.

Did the Dodge Magnum fail for that reason too? Probably not.

Image is still a factor, and the Buick Roadmaster of the 1990s failed on that part because it sure wasn't the lack of space. That beast had more passenger space and more luggage space volume than Chevy Suburbans.

Im basing my opinion on the reasons that wagons are frowned upon in North America still in 2017 and because Buick is still not a hot item in North America especially the Regal nameplate. 

I hope I am wrong and an opposite field hit could be achieved.

Space does play a role as well as style and features customers want.

My family has had plenty of station wagons and we stopped after they downsized them and went to suburbans and never looked back. I remember many fond road trips in the olds, 98 station wagon and the Roadmaster. They were awesome.

For most, an active life style will still take a CUV / SUV over a station wagon. Yet for others, a station wagon can do the trick if it has the right feature set with proper space.

[oldshurst442]

8 minutes ago, dfelt said:

Space does play a role as well as style and features customers want.

My family has had plenty of station wagons and we stopped after they downsized them and went to suburbans and never looked back. I remember many fond road trips in the olds, 98 station wagon and the Roadmaster. They were awesome.

For most, an active life style will still take a CUV / SUV over a station wagon. Yet for others, a station wagon can do the trick if it has the right feature set with proper space.

I hear ya and I agree with ya!!!

Active lifestyle???!!!

Marketing mumbo jumbo that feeds into the sheeples' wannabe fantasies.

HEY!!! THAT IS HOW ONE SELLS STUFF!!! THAT IS MARKETING 101!!!

Well..BUICK better start having one amazing marketing and advertising campaign if they want this thing to have a chance because "This aint your father's Oldsmobile Buick" crap they got going on now for the last 2-3 years wont cut it!!!

 

We just figured out one component for it to be successful..

Buick has to create a buzz for it!!!

 

Edited March 20, 2017 by oldshurst442

[G. David Felt]

@oldshurst442 That my friend is going to be hard considering how conservative China is. They might have a coronary if they saw some hot marketing buzz about a Buick Allroad Station wagon.

"Live YOUR life, explore the world and conquer it all in your New Regal Roadmaster"

"Leave civilian roads behind and go where others do not dare!"

Imagine if you wrap up some of the best marketing from various divisions into an awesome living life slogan!

[oldshurst442]

10 minutes ago, dfelt said:

That my friend is going to be hard considering how conservative China is. They might have a coronary if they saw some hot marketing buzz about a Buick Allroad Station wagon.

I agree and that is why General Motors better start differentiating China's product lines with ours. Which includes Cadillac as well as Buick...

Cadillac could benefit having some Chinese elements but not really as the CT6 gets criticized for being tooo  conservative especially in the rear...

Buick will NEVER take off in North America if alls we get is just Chinese flavoured Buicks going forward, especially when Opel is no longer part of GM...

19 minutes ago, dfelt said:

"Live YOUR life, explore the world and conquer it all in your New Regal Roadmaster"

"Leave civilian roads behind and go where others do not dare!"

Imagine if you wrap up some of the best marketing from various divisions into an awesome living life slogan!

THAT is what Buick NEEDS in North America.

A dose of cocaine, whiskey and hookers in their product line-up and in their advertising campaigns!

Meaning, they need to spice things up! Stop being boring and conservative.

Buick got a sign of life in North America when the Enclave was a new SEXΥ  product that was luxurious.

The Lacrosse broke away from its W-Body crapiness and the Encore entered a brave new SEXY segment.

The Verano had some success because it too, had a little sexiness to it!

The Regal just never took off. Small rear interior room that the Lacrosse answered for if someone wanted more space and the Verano and Encore answered for similar space for LESS money! Not because it wasnt a sexy car!

Here is a thought.

Maybe Buick  could do its Buick magic in China being all  conservative and such and GM just rebranding Buick as Oldsmobile here in North America while having no strings attached for having two different images for different markets for one brand.

No need to create new body panels, just a different name...

Oldsmobile (or Pontiac for that matter) could be that sexy and aggressive image North Americans crave and Buick could be that conservative luxury image they crave...

Oldsmobile AND Pontiac had life in them when they died, and both were starting to hone in their AGGRESSIVE but FOCUSED marketing plans and product lines....

Buick seems to stagnate in North America because there is no CLEAR North American plan.

 

 

 

[G. David Felt]

@oldshurst442As much as I always felt GM should have gone this way, I suspect they will feel too much invested in Buick to name change. Realistically they should have done as follows:

Chevy, GMC, Pontiac and Cadillac.

GMC as a step up from Chevy for trucks / suv's

Pontiac as the excitement brand

Cadillac the Luxury brand

[oldshurst442]

20 minutes ago, dfelt said:

@oldshurst442As much as I always felt GM should have gone this way, I suspect they will feel too much invested in Buick to name change. Realistically they should have done as follows:

Chevy, GMC, Pontiac and Cadillac.

GMC as a step up from Chevy for trucks / suv's

Pontiac as the excitement brand

Cadillac the Luxury brand

To tell you the truth, I wont mind if GM kills off Buick...in North America, and never really replaces it other than with Cadillac and Chevrolet.

GM seems to be downsizing quite a bit, with announcements of even killing off low selling products and segments and leaving Europe as of now.  And I see and understand that vision.

Chevy wants to kill off small Segment A and B cars? No problem as Cadillac seems to want to embrace those segments..

It aint a problem as it seems sheeple prefer the badge on the front of the car.Is it really a death knell if BMW, AUDI and Mercedes are doing it?

It was in the 1980s, this aint 1980 anymore....2017 folk dont seem to mind this....adapt or die....and its working for the Germans so far....

If the pendulum seems to going against this sometime in the future, dont miss the negative trend and adjust back....EVOLVE to the CURRENT TRENDS is the answer...

So GM gets to sell small cars with Cadillac in North America if Cadillac gets that done right, because it seems that GM has NEVER been able to sell small cars properly...  go GLOBAL with Cadillac with the small cars as well, and be like BMW, AUDI and Mercedes GLOBALLY with the small cars...and also have Chinese small Buicks too GLOBALLY.....

Chevrolet does everything else in North America like FoMoCo does with....Ford.

Except that FoMoCo does small cars real good in ANY market...

Except that FoMoCo is missing the middle luxury segment. Platinum Fords are good, and Lincoln suffers for it!

So does GM as I think Buick is heading for a downward spiral. But Cadillac might have a leg up on both Buick and Lincoln in North America...

Interesting times going forward...

 

(ILL USE THIS SAME POST IN THE OTHER GM THREAD REGARDING OPEL OR GM DOWNSIZING)

 

 

 

[Robert Hall]

Buick and GMC seem to exist today to give something for Cadillac dealers to draw in buyers that otherwise would go across the street to Chevy...filler brands. 

[oldshurst442]

37 minutes ago, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

Buick and GMC seem to exist today to give something for Cadillac dealers to draw in buyers that otherwise would go across the street to Chevy...filler brands. 

Yeah, it sure feels like that!