General Motors’ Buick brand has been left to wither on the vine for the past few decades, but the Detroit automaker is planning to give the 101 year old marque new life as it consolidates to just four core brands.
The beginning of Buick’s transformation can already be seen in the form of the Enclave and all-new 2010 LaCrosse, but even more changes are in store for the next few years.
On tap for 2012 will be a replacement for Buick ’s again Lucerne. According to Motor Trend, the current Lucerne will continue through the 2010 model year before disappearing for 2011. The Lucerne will resurface for the 2012 model year, riding on a Holden-developed ‘Super’ Epsilon platform. The Super Epsilon platform will be longer and wider than the Epsilon platform underpinning the new LaCrosse, and should also offer the option for all-wheel drive.
Following closely on the heels of the new LaCrosse, Buick is planning to launch a new version of its popular Enclave crossover for the 2013 model year. The Enclave’s ’13 update is expected to be fairly extensive, but look for GM to position the Enclave above similar crossovers from Chevrolet and GMC .
The wild card in Buick’s future lineup is the introduction of a new, entry-level model. GM is reportedly considering bringing its Opel Insignia-based Buick Regal to the United States. Although the Regal shares its Epsilon platform with the 2010 LaCrosse, the Regal actually checks in about 7 inches shorter than the LaCrosse. That size difference should give the Regal enough clearance from the LaCrosse, but could also pit the Regal directly against the Chevy Malibu. A second option for the Regal would be to re-badge it as the LaCrosse and move the LaCrosse up-scale under the Lucerne nameplate.
Another option for a baby Buick is the addition of a model based on the Chevy Cruze’s Delta platform. Such a model could be on the market by 2012, but the addition of such a small model could make pricing tight between the Cruze, Malibu, LaCrosse and smaller Buick model.
A smaller crossover/MPV is also said to be in the works for the Buick brand which will likely use the same Voltec technology found in the forthcoming Chevrolet Volt .
While Buick is probably a model or two short right now, it remains to be seen if GM’s Buick expansion will be too much for the brand to handle. Model cannibalization was a major problem for the ‘old’ GM, and it sounds as if the ‘new’ GM could be heading down the same path if it’s not careful.
