Buick Excelle (Alpha platform)?
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From: Hebron, KY
Buick Excelle (Alpha platform)?
Buick may add a car below the LaCrosse
By JAMIE LAREAU, AUTOMOTIVE NEWS
General Motors may build a Buick luxury car that is sized and priced below the LaCrosse.
Executives are rethinking GM's U.S. product plans in light of new federal regulations requiring an average fuel economy of 35 mpg by 2020, company insiders say. The small Buick could be one outcome.
The vehicle would be based on the Buick Excelle sedan that debuts in China by early next year.
"I definitely think there might be a market for a luxury-crafted smaller car for Buick," says a senior GM source.
GM would have to resolve where in North America to build the car. Also, executives are considering how to position it against other GM brands with compact sedans.
The Toyota Corolla-sized Excelle is based on GM's new global rear-drive architecture, called Alpha, being developed in Germany.
Sources say GM's product plans are affected in other ways by the new fuel economy rules:
-- Pontiac now plans to sell 30,000 units of the 2009 G8 sedan, which debuts this spring. But fuel economy standards mean the car might not be a permanent part of Pontiac's lineup.
-- GMC will get a small SUV at the same time Chevrolet will get a redesigned Equinox in 2010.
-- Hummer probably will get a vehicle smaller than the current H3 — likely to be called H4. The small HX concept that debuted at the Detroit auto show in January previewed the vehicle.
-- Saab plans to unveil a small 9-X concept car next week at the Geneva auto show. Automotive News Europe sources have called the production version of the car the 9-1. GM likely will produce that vehicle after 2010.
By JAMIE LAREAU, AUTOMOTIVE NEWS
General Motors may build a Buick luxury car that is sized and priced below the LaCrosse.
Executives are rethinking GM's U.S. product plans in light of new federal regulations requiring an average fuel economy of 35 mpg by 2020, company insiders say. The small Buick could be one outcome.
The vehicle would be based on the Buick Excelle sedan that debuts in China by early next year.
"I definitely think there might be a market for a luxury-crafted smaller car for Buick," says a senior GM source.
GM would have to resolve where in North America to build the car. Also, executives are considering how to position it against other GM brands with compact sedans.
The Toyota Corolla-sized Excelle is based on GM's new global rear-drive architecture, called Alpha, being developed in Germany.
Sources say GM's product plans are affected in other ways by the new fuel economy rules:
-- Pontiac now plans to sell 30,000 units of the 2009 G8 sedan, which debuts this spring. But fuel economy standards mean the car might not be a permanent part of Pontiac's lineup.
-- GMC will get a small SUV at the same time Chevrolet will get a redesigned Equinox in 2010.
-- Hummer probably will get a vehicle smaller than the current H3 — likely to be called H4. The small HX concept that debuted at the Detroit auto show in January previewed the vehicle.
-- Saab plans to unveil a small 9-X concept car next week at the Geneva auto show. Automotive News Europe sources have called the production version of the car the 9-1. GM likely will produce that vehicle after 2010.
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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 13,713
From: The Golden State
Funny.
I just read this after drilling someone over on the 2010 Camaro section who swore that the new CAFE standards guaranteed the death of RWD, and that performance cars are history.
An Alpha the size of a Corolla even with nothing more than Solstice's turbo DI 4's 265 horsepower is enough to make the car quicker and faster than the Charger R/T, Impala SS, and probally on par with a G8 GT.
I just read this after drilling someone over on the 2010 Camaro section who swore that the new CAFE standards guaranteed the death of RWD, and that performance cars are history.
An Alpha the size of a Corolla even with nothing more than Solstice's turbo DI 4's 265 horsepower is enough to make the car quicker and faster than the Charger R/T, Impala SS, and probally on par with a G8 GT.
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Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 632
From: NC
No Zeta, no hi-perf V8s, manuals decreasing in numbers, RWD up in the air, etc.
I'm sure it'll be like the 80s all over again... YAY for feable, comprom ised performance!
An Alpha the size of a Corolla even with nothing more than Solstice's turbo DI 4's 265 horsepower is enough to make the car quicker and faster than the Charger R/T, Impala SS, and probally on par with a G8 GT.
And before anyone starts the "it's not the 60s anymore" bs, keep in mind that I currently drive a 4 cylinder car and that I'm a HUGE advocate of all sorts of performance cars. However, I always want the choice to buy something like the G8 because that's what I'll likely buy.
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Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 4,600
From: Pewee Valley, KY
I think since the Excelle is huge in China and is successful as a FWD based car that things will continue down that path so Delta II would be a little more safe than switching to a chassis that seems to have everything piling on it (much the way that Zeta did a few years ago).
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Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 1,024
My wifes Ion redline is faster than Charger R/T's and Impala SS's/GP GXP's and its probably only running 230hp.
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