As you might have heard, Buick’s Avenir luxury sub-brand is off to a good start. Playing the same tune written by GMC’s Denali line, “Avenir” debuted on the second-generation Enclave crossover for 2018, then bestowed its luxurious trappings on the LaCrosse sedan.
According to Automotive News, Enclave sales are up 15 percent over the first half of 2018, with the Avenir trim counting for 25 percent of all units sold. That’s money in Buick’s pocket, as the Avenir badge adds roughly $14k to the model’s base MSRP. Average Enclave transaction prices are up $5,000 from a year prior.
Buick boss Duncan Aldred said last winter that the case for Avenir would be made on a vehicle-by-vehicle basis, adding that we should expect to see more models add the new trim (and price point) in the future. It now looks like the redesigned Regal will be the third Avenir model.
According to General Motors’ fleet order guide, 2019 brings the Avenir badge to the Regal Sportback, but not the Regal TourX wagon.
Slotted below the top-flight GS model and the high-end Essence, Regal Avenirs dispense with the optional all-wheel drive that’s available on Preferred and Essence models (and standard on the GS). The same engine powering all but the GS — a turbocharged 2.0-liter making 250 horsepower and 260 lb-ft — appears in the Regal Avenir, though the transmission gains an extra cog, to nine speeds. A nine-speed automatic is standard kit on the GS.
While the suspension stays the same as other front-drive Regals, content is obviously different. Regal Avenirs gain 19-inch wheels with Pearl Nickel finish (an upgrade from lesser models’ 17- and 18-inch hoops), shod with the same 245/40R19 rubber as the GS. Self-levelling headlamps and cornering lamps also come standard. And, as luxury demands to be felt, beneath the Avenir driver’s ass lies perforated leather buckets.
Buick’s most feature-filled version of the Driver Confidence Package I arrives on all Regal Avenirs, with the “II” version available for extra coin. That brings things like four-way lumbar adjustment and heated external mirrors on board, as well as Rear Park Assist, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Lane Change Alert with Side Blind Zone Alert. Upgrading the package adds adaptive cruise control, Lane Keep Assist, forward emergency braking, and front pedestrian braking.
In the driver’s field of view lies a 8-inch infotainment screen delivering standard navigation and access to the model’s Bose eight-speaker audio system.
While external brightwork wasn’t mentioned, we have to imagine there’s an extra helping of chrome on this trim, as well as the Avenir script adorning both front doors. If other Avenirs are any indication, expect fancy grille mesh as well.
It isn’t known how how much a Regal Avenir will cost, but expect it to lie somewhere — at least midway — between the $34,795 Essence (2018 pricing) and the GS’s $39,995 sticker. We’ll likely see the model debut later this summer.
[Images: General Motors]
“Avenir, Chinese luxury at American prices”
Have you seen the new Enclave Avenir? It’s quite stunning
http://hanabi.autoweek.com/sites/default/files/styles/gen-1200-675/public/2018-buick-enclave-avenir-010_1.jpg?itok=oGCf0w6U
I disagree… the DLO fail up front disqualifies it, and the black triangle at the bottom of the C pillar doesn’t do it any favors. The front already has quarter windows, just mirror the the look on the rear doors.
(Speaking of — quarter windows are neat on modern cars without DLO fail, such as the ND Miata, the Panamera, and the Model S. I wish every single coupe with door-mounted mirrors had them instead of black triangles (looking at you, GTR, Mustang, Challenger, et al)). Quarter windows WITH DLO fail, though..
The fender vents are a nice detail if they’re functional, and would make me irrationally angry if they’re not.
Six-lugnut wheel hubs with six-spoke wheels are a bold choice for a crossover, though.
So, does this mean you like it or not? ;-)
“and the black triangle at the bottom of the C pillar doesn’t do it any favors.”
Bingo! Someone at GM Design (or is it Opel – PSA) is really challenged in the C Pillar department.
German made.
MADE IN GERMANY
Germany. My bad. German luxury at American prices.
German luxury at American prices.
That actually sounds appealing.
German made. Technically French now. If Peugeot-Citroen PSA could get rid of this tomorrow they would.
The Euro version Insignia costs them to pay GM licencing, and neither the Buick nor Holden versions are selling as many as projected.
I don’t think anyone expected the Holden version to sell, it’s like being used to eating steaks and hamburgers from a nice restaurant and then one day the menu changes to dog food and rat turds.
So Avenir, Buick’s new sub-brand, is being rolled out in the Regal lineup as a mid-trim turbocharged four-cylinder vehicle?
Does this make sense to anyone?
No, but they’re cars, who cares? Enclave and the mini-me Encore are the only two Buicks anyone in North America care about
Audi A4 and A6
Mercedes Benz C class
Volvo (all of them)
BMW 3 series
All with 4 cylinder 2.0l turbos
The most direct competitor to the Regal is the TLX (likewise, the ES for the LaCrosse).
I’m not sure how anyone can think of this as anything more than a convoluted way to roll out a trim line. There is nothing even “sub-brand” about the execution here
The Regal’s sisters (Commodore & Insignia) are Halo sedans for Holden, Opel and Vauxhall. It makes sense to keep moving it upscale.
The Chicago area is probably Buicks largest U.S. market, and new Regals around here are in short supply.
Apparently it doesn’t take much to be a halo sedan for Aussie buyers. This is a joke.
Y’all *completely* missed the point TW5 is making.
Avenir is supposed to be like Denali; top-trim on whatever car has the badge. On this Regal, the Avenir is *below* an entire *two* trim levels, GS and Essence. That’s complete insanity.
Yeah, that sub-brand marketing bs got a chuckle from me. Because if there’s one thing GM needs more of right now, more than anything else, is a Buick sub-brand.
So Regal sales numbers YTD are roughly 8200 (per GM Authority – tough to say how many of those were actually leftover 2017 models)…
Enclave has sold 22,400 (roughly) YTD…
Therefore this justifies expanding the trim packages for the Regal?
I was interested but they wouldn’t come down much. Malibu premiums are selling for a good bit less with close to the same content.
A $22K 2018 Regal Sportback can for d just like a 2018 Malibu 2.0T on autotrader.
I’m sure the people in nursing homes will love them.
You nean the 60 and 61 year old average buyer of CR-V and Forester, respectively?
What a joke. Just because that worthless sub brand is doing well for Buick does not make it a success at all. Buick sells maybe 15 vehicles a year (sarcasm) – selling 5 of them as Avenirs is a joke of the first order.
Once again Buick only exists because of China and the $1 billion in bailout dollars diverted to there to save that brand. Pontiac should have been saved because it far outsold Buick.
Believe it or not here in the midwest Buick sells a lot of Enclaves and Encores
Most Buicks sold here are effectively rebadges. The majority of Buicks sold are that crappy discount Korean Encore. And this Regal is what they scrapped off of what was left of Opel after GM threw in the towel.
Buick is a marketing exercise.
Buick sells more than Acura.
I liked the previous gen Regal, I’m probably the only one here. But, when I checked the forums, there were complaints about reliability and it was just a year old. So I got a Acura instead.
That old GS was ok, but the back seat was a joke. Not a problem as long as you’re driving.
Fred
Currently Consumer Reports rates 19th in Reliability. J.D.Power ranks Acura 20th in dependability.
Buick rates 3rd JDP & 8th in C.R.
Find and dandy, but after 55,000 miles not a single problem. The other GM products I’ve had didn’t even come close.
But Buick is outsold by Lexus and BMW. What’s your point, Norm?
Buick sells enough $28,000+ vehicles to put it behind BMW, Mercedes, Audi, and Lexus. That is in front of quite a few.
Lexus is basically an amalgamation of Buick and Cadillac and together, those 2 GM brands (30,663) outsell Lexus (23,750).
Once Cadillac adds to its CUV lineup and revamps its sedan lineup, that sales lead should increase.
As stated when the Avenir sub-brand was launched, thought it would do pretty well for Buick.
The previous top-tier Premium trim, together with the Avenir, account for roughly 60 percent of Enclave sales.
+10
“….. Pontiac should have been saved”
Saved for what?
What a joke. Just because that worthless sub brand is doing well for Buick does not make it a success at all. Buick sells maybe 15 vehicles a year (sarcasm) – selling 5 of them as Avenirs is a joke of the first order.
Once again Buick only exists because of China and the $1 billion in bailout dollars diverted to there to save that brand. Pontiac should have been saved because it far outsold Buick.
“Slotted below the top-flight GS model and the high-end Essence”
I think you mean ABOVE the Essence and BELOW the GS. I know that at least for the LaCrosse (as an example) the Avenir is above the Premium (which is the former top trim for the LaCrosse). Essence is the current top trim for the Regal (no Premium trim is available).
I know Buick lists the GS as both a trim level (when you build your own on their website) but also lists it as a separate model on the same website. Honestly the GS is so different than the run of the mill Regal they might as well just take all the Regal badges off and call it “Buick GS”.
Just call it GS. Buick’s name is only hurting the car.
So there is the news for you Buick fans and haters:
Whoohoo! PSA turned Opel around! In just one year of ownership PSA made Opel profitable again. But do not hurry to blame GM for not being able to do the same. Opel become profitable because of cost cutting. One consequence of that is that Opel will not have dedicated platforms anymore. PSA killed Opel specific platforms and from now one new Opel models will be developed on PSA platforms. So yes Opels are not “German” cars anymore – the are rebadged Peugeots.
GM could not do that because it was building its cars on Opel developed platform. So what happens with Buick and Chevrolet – are they going to switch to PSA platform for new models? Or GM is going to discontinue cars altogether, like Ford?
GM may turn to Saab for platforms.
Regal is the same platform as the Malibu. Assuming the only reasons they are sourcing them from PSA is contractual and volumes.
Chevy & Buick will get their platforms from the same place Opel did. (General Motors) The first Vauxhall/Opel to move to a PSA platform will be the Corsa.
@Peter Gazis: are you serious? You think GM retained design center in Germany? It did not – it went away with Opel. GM lost ability to design car platform, at least ones able to compete in Europe. So next generation Buick will not be as good as Ford or VW. But it probably does not matter since GM abandoned European market.
ugly grille that looks like it came off a Denali combined with awful exterior colors. I wouldn’t have an Aviner if it was free.
Just sell them or you won’t eat!
China sales have saved Buick. It will be interesting to see what happens to Buick’s Chinese market share with this impeding trade war.
I spent some time in China several years ago and had occasion to be driven around in the Buick van (who knows what they are called) and a Honda Odyssey. The Buick seemed like cheap, imitation compared to the Honda.
I wish GM all the best with their tarted up Regal, but suspect it will not be a sales success.
How about a GS wagon with a 6-speed?
I saw one of these last week and quite liked it. Unfortunately where I live you are more likely to see Teslas, although the previous generation Lacrosse is abundant. I’m glad Buick finally put the faux ventiports to rest.
Wow, they’re debuting a sedan, and not another (bleep)ing crossover? Who cares where it’s made, bring it on!
I agree. Of the current crop of GM cars, Buick is making the most visually appealing. None of their crossovers or SUVs are remotely interesting to me; they look like they’re trying too hard and the Encore/Trax have such dreadful proportions that I get ill every time I see one. Cadillacs are all sharp edges and weird angles, while Chevrolet is too bunkeresque to me.
I would agree that with the exception of the Encore, Buicks are generally good looking. I really love the way that the chrome trim on the TourX goes clear back into the taillights.
However I do agree with Buickman (paraphrasing) “If the marketing department can’t sell Buicks, don’t get rid of Buick, get rid of the marketers.”
Buick has no lease program for cloth Enclaves. it’s all about the failed marketing by parchment holding, inexperienced and incompetent management.
Buickman
Founder
GeneralWatch.com