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Buick will launch a new mid-size crossover, dubbed “Envision” in China first, then presumably in other markets. All we can say is “hurry up”.
Given the sales strength of the Enclave and Encore, it’s amazing that Buick isn’t busting their hump to get this thing on sale tomorrow. Then again, China is Buick’s most important market, and their thirst for CUVs seems nearly impossible to satiate. No word on what platform this new CUV will ride on, but the Theta chassis that underpins the Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain is a good bet.
51 Comments on “Buick Gets Another Crossover – What Took So Long?...”
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Let me guess:
A Buick the size of an Escalade?
6.2-L anyone?
The Enclave is already roughly the size of an Escalade.
It will probably be a Buick version of the Equinox/Terrain/SRX
Sounds like a sweet plan. It could possibly occupy the spot that the departed Saab 9-4X held. And if it were just a bit less awkward-looking than the SRX, that’d be awesome.
Clearly it will look identical to the Enclave but smaller.
Looks pretty big, prob be an Enclave but 20% smaller. Because yes, that’s what we need.
In China this makes sense but lets do a reality check for the U.S.A.
So lets say you are a Buick GMC dealer (the only kind of dealer that is supposed to exist post bankruptcy and back alley stabbing death of Pontiac), are you clamoring for another Buick crossover? Is not the Terrain enough? Should we just take all the unitbody vehicles away from GMC and let them sell BOF SUVs, trucks, and the occasional chassis to be outfitted by a 3rd party?
I was just looking at the GMC build-your-own website and there is already a Terrain Denali for crying out loud. What more do you need?
FYI even on the Terrain Denali the V6 is an OPTION, not standard.
This is a very good point, unless they plan to Xerox a GMC from the Buick.
Agreed, PrincipalDan. If you ask me, the CUV market in the States is very nearly saturated and people are looking for something better–something that doesn’t really exist right now. But that’s another argument.
I suspect the “something better” thing is… A larger version of the Honda Fit. Make it look decent enough and it will sell. Honda needs to get going on this, they already have that market cornered.
One other idea I can think of is a small 2 seater car that gets 70 MPG or more and is cheap. Looks good and still nice to drive. It has to be cheap like 15k or so.
It will be interesting to see what comes up. Things do feel a bit stagnant at the moment and that is usually when something new comes up.
Actually, Yesac, I was thinking of a true COMPACT pickup truck that’s only about 60% of full-sized, not the 90%-sized Canyon/Colorado.
Good points. Buick’s China volume is 4 times its US volume. What they do in the US almost doesn’t matter.
My only rebuttal would be that the Terrain is a fairly polarizing design, what with its square shoulders, square fenders, and square…everything else.
Buicks are more organic; water to GMC’s rocks. It could work. There’s certainly a big gap between the Encore and Enclave in size.
I don’t doubt that it would eat into Terrain sales, however.
It will probably cost quite a bit more than the Terrain though. The Encore starts at $24,000, the Terrain at $26,500, and the Enclave at almost $39,000. I bet this will start ~$33,000-$34,000 (around the base LaCrosse price).
There will be overlap with the Denali version, but the styling as you mention will probably be different enough to not cannibalize too much.
I do like that the Terrain is polarizing. At least it gets noticed.
And I do like that Buick’s design language is fairly strong and discernable as a Buick.
Not according to their latest Ads! Seriously though, if the last buick you ever saw was a 96 lesabre you would recognize the current line up as buick from top to bottom.
I agree, so where can I get that 96 Lesabre?
@Dan – It’ll be nice for the dealer to have an elegant counterpoint to the hideous Terrain.
I was just thinking about it, but Buick and GMC are completely pointless, GMC even more so.
All the GMC’s are rebadged Chevy’s, and if you’re wondering where you can get a Denali, the LTZ trimmed Chevy’s are a lot like the Denali trims. If you can afford a Denali Yukon XL, then you can certainly afford big chrome wheels and chrome accents.
Just bring the Trax over (Encore clone), and Buick is unnecessary. Also, add an AWD option on the Malibu, since that’s a big reason people go for the Regal. Chevy should be the mainstream brand, and Cadillac should be the luxury brand. These other brands aren’t needed.
@turboprius, the only reason Buick survived the bankruptcy was… (drumn roll please) China
Buick has China. GMC is only sold in markets that also have Chevrolet.
So if GM had to get rid of one brand, and one brand only, I’d say GMC.
GMC isn’t pointless because it’s GM’s most profitable division. Fancy out some Chevy trucks, call them “Professional Grade,” charge a premium and call it a day.
GMC brings huge profits for GM and the Denali trim is very popular.
Buick really needed a compact/midsize CUV to slot btwn the Encore and Enclave, but even more so, Cadillac’s CUV lineup sorely needs to be revamped/expanded.
I really think this CUV explosion, particularly at GM, Ford and Toyota, is a precarious strategy. For instance, Escape/Edge/Explorer/Flex/Expedition — how long is that sustainable?
Right now they sell, but the moment gas hits $4.50 or higher, the heaviest models will be as desirable as a Chrysler Newport with a 440 in the winter of 1974.
While I wish you were right, history shows that gas price increases at best have had only a momentary effect on truck sales. I paid $4.13 for gas today – what’s another $.37? We would need prices at European levels to make a real difference.
@krhodes1: You’re probably right. Still, given the global situation, I wonder whether the psychological barrier of fuel rising past $5/gallon wouldn’t change some buying behavior.
I think what many of these people are looking for is a compact SUV with a porch, a.k.a. Compact pickup truck, not mid- or full-sized.
Some people just want a step up from a Chevy. Personally I’ve never been a Chevy guy but find GMCs to be mostly pretty good looking.
I think this is a wise move to play off the Terrain’s polarizing (and hideous) design. Hopefully a little effort goes into the interior – both the Equinox and Terrain feel cheap, and the Cadillac is too ‘chromey’. Take a look at the RDX interior and get back to me.
Also, Cadillac does need it’s own version of the Envoy….
I disagree. This isn’t 1979. GM has 17 percent of the market, not 45.
If they keep replicating these CUVs to give all 4 divisions their own version, that is repeating the mess that eventually made GM a ward of the people.
You know what they say about the definition of madness.
Why keep Buick? Why keep anything other than Mercedes, Lexus, BMW…which Buick finished near in sales last year. What about discontinuing Infinity and Acura who’s werel less than Buick?
Only one question: WHY?
Vuick anybody?
The thing under the cloth looks like an Antara.
As a former Secretary of State dismissively proclaimed, “What difference does it make?”
I believe the full quote was “what difference does it make at this stage” which was perfectly fair.
“Dead broke”
“Hurry up”? Why? Don’t we have enough GM crossovers? Do we really need another Buick one?
Because some of us (myself included) feel a compulsion that a manufacturer’s line must be “complete;” that is, if they’ve got a full-size CUV and a compact CUV, they must have a mid-size CUV to fill the gap. Everything must be just so, or we start wringing our hands, tossing and turning in bed, and developing other nervous tics.
Then why doesn’t GM do the same thing for their trucks? With the upcoming Canyon/Colorado, GM has full-sized and “mid-sized” trucks, but no COMPACT trucks. Hmmm?
No one makes a compact pickup, therefore, it has ceased to be a segment.
Agree. I saw a late-model Nissan Frontier and a early Eighties F-150 within minutes of each other today. The size differential isn’t all that big.
Ah, but that means there’s a hole in the market that wants filling, no?
Note that I said “fill the gap;” if they’ve made a compact and a full-size, there should also be a midsize. But if it’s only a mid and full-size, or compact and mid-size, the third one need not be present to feel “complete.”
Women will buy them. There’s a segment of women buyers who will not buy a GMC based on it not being a suitably feminine car, but will take the same thing with edges polished-smooth and love her new Buick. We saw this same thing with the article where Caroline bought the Spark because it was more appropriately styled for her. Lincoln was headed this same way – the Ford styling is/was more off-putting for women, which they recognized but didn’t handle well with Mercury. (The idea of gendered styling was also Pontiac’s thing there for a long time; GM used to know that they could make a more masculine or more feminine version of the same car and pick up market share; they just got lazy and cynical about it until the Acadia/Enclave.)
The GM brand (I almost dated myself by typing “division”) that needs more CUV models is Cadillac. They have the Escalade and SRX and could probably use crossovers that slot above and below the SRX. All the luxury brands but Caddy seem to be chasing the “luxury compact crossover” market.
100% agree. Cadillac needs a world class Enclave.
OK. I know I am being pedantic, but we all have our crosses to bear and this is mine.
Generally you satiate a hunger (though satisfy would be more direct) and slake a thirst.
I am not sure if satiate is technically wrong, but if I were your editor I would, uh, urge a change. And by urge I mean cajole until I got my way.
Derek, I swear that I really like your writing and this comes from a place of caring.
(Initially I typed love, but there’s that pedantic thing again. I don’t know you well enough to love you)
I noticed that too, and I’m just as pedantic, but I’m also from Minnesota, and sometimes we keep things in if we don’t think anybody wants to hear ’em, you know. Whatever. You bet.
I will make a small fortune delivering these. yeah!
Why the hate on Buick? The Buick Theta CUV will be to the Terrain/Equinox as the Enclave is to the Acadia/Traverse. Worth the extra bucks? Leave that up to the buyers. I’d be interested in trading my ‘Nox for one.
It certainly seems like a logical move by Buick to fill the gap between the too-big Enclave and the too-small Encore.
Those of us with long memories will recall that right after GM’s bankruptcy, Buick showed a badge-engineered version of the Saturn Vue with a handsome Buick grill that could have been a 2011 model. There was supposed to be a version with the Chevy Volt drivetrain. Still, it looked like it was just a warmed-over Vue.
The would-be 2011 Buick Vue was thoroughly panned by the automotive press at the time and supposedly received poor evaluations consumer marketing clinics and nothing more ever became of it.