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New Buick Small Crossover

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Old May 4, 2010 | 05:58 PM
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New Buick Small Crossover

Interesting when you consider the Orlando news...

If your head's still spinning from General Motors' decision to pull the Orlando from its domestic offerings, you might want to sit down. According to a report on M Live, things are about to get a little more bizarre. The site names an unnamed source as saying GM will begin building a new small Buick crossover at its Orion assembly plant sometime soon. The company has made it clear that it is interested in Buick snagging younger buyers, and a CUV would be a smart way to do just that.

That's all fine and good, but supposedly the newest product isn't going to be an all-new design. Instead it will be based on none other than the all-new Chevrolet Aveo. GM is already shipping equipment to the facility to begin production on the next-generation compact, and M Live's source has led the site to believe the pint-sized Buick won't be far behind.

Buick is scheduled to unveil its new product plan later this week, which means we'll have a good idea of whether or not we can expect Buick showrooms to get a little more crowded in the near future. Stay tuned.
http://www.autoblog.com/2010/05/04/r...r-in-michigan/

Old May 4, 2010 | 06:04 PM
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Aveo based small SUV?
Old May 4, 2010 | 06:11 PM
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Originally Posted by TMDZ28
Aveo based small SUV?
Make that Aveo based luxury small SUV.
Old May 4, 2010 | 06:18 PM
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Spokeswoman Dayna Hart on Tuesday confirmed that GM is planning a small crossover vehicle that will look like a baby version of the Buick Enclave. Crossovers generally have the passenger room and storage capacity of a sport utility vehicle but are more efficient and handle better because they are built on car frames.
Buick executives have said that brand's new products will have luxurious interiors to compete with Lexus and nimble handling to compete with Acura, two successful Japanese luxury brands.

The company also has hinted at a compact Buick built on the same underpinnings as the Chevrolet Cruze sedan, but has given few details. A similar vehicle is already on sale in China, where Buick is popular.
GM is hoping the smaller Buicks will help pull younger people into the brand, which for years has attracted senior citizens. Until recently, many of Buick's models had bench seats and soft, cushy rides.
Kind of explains the reasoning behind the move.
http://www.mlive.com/auto/index.ssf/...all_buick.html
Old May 4, 2010 | 07:18 PM
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Originally Posted by TMDZ28
Aveo based small SUV?
GMC Granite also uses the Gamma platform.


Old May 4, 2010 | 08:08 PM
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If GM want to be successful (post BK) then they would need to attract younger audiences for all its brands... that also included young, affluent buyers for its Cadillac brand.

Young people know what they want. If they see something they fancy, they draw more people of the same ilk to that product.
Old May 4, 2010 | 11:00 PM
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Basically this a replacement for the Vibe..but smaller?
Old May 4, 2010 | 11:27 PM
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"Spokeswoman Dayna Hart on Tuesday confirmed that GM is planning a small crossover vehicle that will look like a baby version of the Buick Enclave"

Susan Docherty talked about the Baby Enclave at the Product & Technology Event last August. They had a small scale model of the Riveria concept car sitting on a ledge, almost no one even looked at it.
Old May 5, 2010 | 07:49 AM
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This things going to be a bit small for a premium price is it not. Why not use the cruze frame and start from there...like every other manufacture.
Old May 5, 2010 | 08:11 AM
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How do you name an unnamed source?
Old May 5, 2010 | 09:51 AM
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GM is contradicting itself. They want Buick to compete with Lexus but they they're doing this??

Can you imagine if Lexus came out with an SUV based on the Toyota Yaris?

They don't even have something based on the Corolla which would be the equivalent to GM basing something on the Cruze (seems a little more reasonable).

Or maybe I'm talking out of my *** and the new Aveo platform is so modular and dynamic that it can be expanded and refined and truly turned into something worthy of a premium vehicle?
Old May 5, 2010 | 10:19 AM
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Originally Posted by Threxx
Or maybe I'm talking out of my *** and the new Aveo platform is so modular and dynamic that it can be expanded and refined and truly turned into something worthy of a premium vehicle?
No, I think you're spot on.

Every time I think "new" GM has left behind "old" GM, the "old" starts creeping back into the equation.

An Aveo-based Buick SUV is truly a head-scratcher. I mean, there are beancounter decisions and then there is W-T-F.
Old May 5, 2010 | 10:26 AM
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Originally Posted by mlive
A similar vehicle is already on sale in China, where Buick is popular.
From China's lineup....
Opel Astra = Buick Excelle


Is THAT what they think the US wants? A Buick Vibe?

W. T. F.


Originally Posted by SSbaby
If GM want to be successful (post BK) then they would need to attract younger audiences for all its brands... that also included young, affluent buyers for its Cadillac brand.
And that's true, I agree. The CTS does that for Cadillac, and the ATS will too. For Buick, the Regal. I understand they need some younger, hipper, trendier vehicles - but this sounds like dealers bitching and GM giving in. Buick does not need a sub $20k vehicle, and Cadillac does not need to go below the mid 20s. Ever. At all.

If Buick = Acura, look at the RSX. Where'd it go?

If this keeps up, I'm going to give up on GM and go route for Ford.
Old May 5, 2010 | 10:28 AM
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Originally Posted by Threxx
GM is contradicting itself. They want Buick to compete with Lexus but they they're doing this??

Can you imagine if Lexus came out with an SUV based on the Toyota Yaris?

They don't even have something based on the Corolla which would be the equivalent to GM basing something on the Cruze (seems a little more reasonable).

Or maybe I'm talking out of my *** and the new Aveo platform is so modular and dynamic that it can be expanded and refined and truly turned into something worthy of a premium vehicle?
I will add, that GM talks about not entering new niche markets and waiting on others to do the groundwork for money sake. Now they are creating a small semi-lux CUV when the market has none. The only small CUV type cars with a tiny frame I can think of, would all be Nissan Juke, Scion XB, Kia Soul and the last two could be argued.
Old May 5, 2010 | 10:40 AM
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Well,lexus has a car based on the prius so the yaris doesnt sound that far fetched!



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