The Auto Writer

One of the brightest lights in the GM portfolio is Buick, a brand that once served the senior set really well. In truth, it still does.

Yet, beyond all of that Buick has been making a name for itself, with twice as many Buicks sold in China as there are in the US. The US fleet has been scaled back over the years, with only the full sized Lucerne sedan, mid-sized LaCrosse sedan, and the Enclave crossover in its line up. Still, the brand continually ranks well in consumer satisfaction surveys year after year.

A Limited Number Of Models

As I learned when I attended the NAIAS in Detroit earlier this year, GM is content to have its many brands sell just 3 or 4 vehicles instead of the 6 or 7 they had offered in the past. Long guilty of badge engineering — the practice of reselling virtually the same car as a Pontiac, Chevrolet or Saturn, GM is gradually moving away from this practice. Besides, in most areas of the country, Buicks are sold alongside of Pontiacs and GMC vehicles.

Enter The Excelle

A new compact sedan will be debuting in the Chinese market next year, the Excelle, a car that may find its way to the North American marketplace. Roughly the size of a Toyota Corolla, the Excelle will be rear wheel drive and be based on the company’s Alpha architecture, currently under development in Germany.

Although many of the automotive bloggers are trying their hardest to guess what the Excelle will be like (suggesting it is a rebadged Suzuki, for one), the car being planned will actually be quite different.

Responding To $4 Gallon Gasoline & CAFE

GM has stated that they want to build smaller, more luxurious cars which would help the company meet stringent CAFE requirements that will take place in 2020.

With gasoline expected to rise to as much as $4 per gallon later this year, a compact Buick will arrive a bit late, but when it does show up it could provide welcome relief to car dealers and buyers alike.

(Source: AutoWeek)