A new, small sub-Lacrosse Buick luxury sedan could fit the bill to meet future federal regulations requiring an average fuel economy of 35 mpg by 2020. If given the go-ahead, General Motors would build the new car based on the upcoming Buick Excelle, itself set to debut in China by early 2009 and thought to look like the car you see above. The Excelle is a small, Toyota Corolla-sized sedan that will be manufactured on GM's new global rear-wheel drive Alpha architecture developed out of Germany. If General Motors decides to proceed with the plan, executives will have to determine what North American plant gets to build it, but its proclivity to be driven by its rear wheels should set the small car apart in a sea of FWD compact sedans.
[Source: AutoWeek, Photo courtesy of Sina.autonet.com]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
MemphisNET @ Feb 25th 2008 6:08PM
Small, American (Brand), RWD, Fuel-efficient.
I thought the powers at be said this was impossible!!
Bring it on! PLEASE!
jte @ Feb 25th 2008 6:12PM
Give me a Chevy version!
jte @ Feb 25th 2008 6:12PM
Or even better a Saturn or Pontiac version!
AlexP @ Feb 25th 2008 6:14PM
Give me badge engineering! Give me inefficient marketing!
Wait...
Tool @ Feb 25th 2008 9:10PM
Could someone tell me how the idea of a small Buick fits in with the brand positioning of Buick?
Once again, GM shows that as soon as it learns its lesson in branding, it forgets it. A small Buick makes no sense.
That's why the Big 3 continue to fall into near-bankruptcy with this kind of f*cked-up Detroit thinking.
naggs @ Feb 26th 2008 1:43AM
i am super excited about these alpha cars
Satish @ Feb 25th 2008 6:18PM
Hopefully, we don't get the Buick version above because that screams ugly. All I have to say is: Bring it On.
PJ @ Feb 25th 2008 6:18PM
"If given the go-ahead, General Motors would build the new car based on the upcoming Buick Excelle, itself set to debut in China by early 2009 and thought to look like the car you see above."
Please, Autoblog readers, don't take that statement too literally. What you see above is a picture of the current Excelle, quite literally a Suzuki Forenza with a Buick-themed front clip. The new Excelle, as noted in the post, will be built on the utterly different Alpha architecture and will bear virtually no resemblance.
As for the NA market, I don't see RWD contributing much to the success of a small Buick. Buyers expect Buicks to be large, and any RWD handling benefits will likely be smothered by Buick's cushy suspension tuning.
Anyway, RWD puts space at a premium in a small chassis, particularly in the rear seat ("hump" unavoidable)and trunk. BMW's 1-Series is frequently criticized for these traits, and it's an absolute dream to drive. The Buick would have to be too, or at least be fantastically styled, to outweigh the practical deficiences that are probably more salient to Buick fans.
psarhjinian @ Feb 25th 2008 6:18PM
No.
This isn't Europe. Small, soft luxury cars are not going to sell here. As a Chevy, sure, this would move; with tighter suspension it would work as a Pontiac. As a Buick, though, why? Heck, even in Europe, small luxo-boats (ie, anything French) are usually front-drivers anyways.
The demographics are so wrong on this it's disturbing. Buick barely needs a big rear-driver. A small front-driver would be thoroughly pointless. Put the money into a better Cobalt.
Timmbo @ Feb 25th 2008 8:37PM
Yup. A small rear-drive Chevy'd be great. Though if Buick insists on doing this, they better come up with some new sheet metal -- that thing is Ug-Lee!
Louis Duran @ Feb 25th 2008 10:45PM
psarhjinian:
You nailed it. You talk nothin' but sense 'round here. :-)
jg @ Feb 25th 2008 6:43PM
It'll never happen. US auto companies don't think we can handle RWD in bad weather. And if they ever saw people trying to drive in phoenix on a rainy day they'd know it for a fact. Add in the texting while driving and.....
It'll never happen. I bet the Cobalt would rock if it was RWD but we'll never know.
georgeA @ Feb 25th 2008 6:43PM
I agree that Buick might not be the correct division for this, but I think it could work, especially with the Solstice's DI turbo motor. Possibly Pontiac or Saturn?
TriShield @ Feb 25th 2008 6:44PM
Well, let's hope it looks absolutely nothing like that foul Asian thing pictured.
Why is GM Hellbent on taking all their brands downmarket? Shouldn't Cadillac and Buick be going up and positioned at higher pricepoints that Chevy, Pontiac and Saturn?
Again all GM does really well is compete with itself instead of others.
Tagg @ Feb 25th 2008 9:44PM
Yep, GM is it's own toughest competitor.
A story in today's Automotive News talks about how Saturn is growing and vast majority of its sales are conquest sales. Unfortunately they are conquest sales from Chevy and Pontiac and they have a very low loyalty.
I think this car would be a dud. The current Excelle is a pretty small car that is just a rebaged Suzuki Forenza (or Daewoo equivalent). There is a model of Excelle based off the Suzuki Reno as well.
So if need to see what size an Excelle is just look at Suzuki and you will that they are no Buick even with a small size increase.
Joel @ Feb 25th 2008 6:47PM
Like the other poster mentioned above this isn't the future Excelle just a rebadged car. Looking at it I do admit if this is what the Skylark looked liked back in the early 90's Buick wouldn't be as lost as it is now. As for the future Excelle first find a new name fo the US Market as Hyundai had the Excel already and Microsoft has that spreadsheet program. No one wants to be reminded of either of those. Secondly it's like the size of a Corolla but with the Buick name. A market that has failed more than once in the US Market i.e. Cadillac had that car that zigged or zagged a Catera? Infiniti had the rebadged sentra as the G20. But Buick in not Cadillac so it might work with the right price point. Just don't bring back the Skylark!
tanooki2003 @ Feb 26th 2008 9:21AM
Getting off the subject the Infiniti G20 was actually a rebadged Nissan Primera, not the Sentra
Dinger @ Feb 26th 2008 12:24PM
Bringing back the Skylark as a RWD'er in with a turbo GS option would be nice. As for it not fitting into Buick's lineup I think it's a good fit. Why?
Well GM wants to put Buick up against Lexus. Lexus, for the most part makes, very nice, very dull, luxo cars... with the exception of the IS. A Skylark, or Regal, in GS form could be a nice response to the IS.
Even better would be Wildcat GS... now that's a name that could run with the IS... assuming that the car is good...
Which I will admit is assuming a lot... this is GM after all.
stang_fan @ Feb 25th 2008 7:04PM
I don't understand, most of the U.S. now thinks of RWD in connection with large luxury sedans, hell, Buick isn't even building a RWD sedan of any size....but wants to position itself as a competitor to Lexus? Buick has had mixed sucess with small cars. The Skylark of the '60s and early '70s wasn't too bad, but the same nameplate in the '90s?
BTW Joel, an Infiniti G20 was NOT a re-badged Sentra, about all they shared was one engine and transmission. With that "logic" a Camaro was a re-badged Corvette.
john @ Feb 25th 2008 7:08PM
I smell a Skylark. Hell, stick in the 5.3, give it just 2 doors, and call it the GS