According to an unnamed source from the 21st Century Business Herald in China (via Gasgoo), Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp (SAIC) has been in talks with General Motors since last March to purchase the Eplison II platform (as used by the latest Opel Insignia and the Chinese-market Buick Regal) for its next Roewe 750 midsize sedan. The fact that SAIC is GM's Chinese partner may seem to lend a bit of credibility to these rumors, though SAIC and General Motors have both initially denied any knowledge of the platform-sharing plan.

While all of Roewe's sedans have so far been based on the aging underpinnings of the former Rover brand from the U.K., recent concepts – such as the attractive N1 from the Shanghai Motor Show earlier this year – show that the Chinese automaker is serious about designing attractive machines for its home market and beyond.



[Source: Gasgoo]

The dynamic duo of Chris and Sam carry off Episode #133 of the Autoblog Podcast without a hitch. Though down a man, the pair didn't cheap out on topics or duration, it's the same podcast goodness. It kicks off with Hyundai's impressive showing in the recently released Initial Quality Survey results. From there, they hit Chrysler's RWD/FWD dilemma with its Sebring/Avenger replacement, the rumor that Mustangs could have had IRS for $100 per car, and reports of an Ecotec engine for the Buick LaCrosse. Keeping it on the Buick tip, spyshots of a Tri-Shield variant of the new 2010 Astra get mentioned. The nullification of all pre-bankruptcy liability claims against GM and Chrysler is next before talk settles briefly on Hyundai's 2010-on lineup and then turns to your questions. It almost seems like the Chris and Sam show is a juggernaut without that other guy. Thanks for listening, and please, keep your questions and comments rolling in to Podcast at Autoblog dot com.

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It took General Motors eight years to sell one million Buicks in China, but the second million came in only three. Brisk auto sales in the land of the Great Wall are part of the reason for the increase, but the General has also stepped up its product lineup with new offerings, including the Regal, LaCrosse, and Park Avenue. Shanghai GM's two-millionth Buick was a red Regal, delivered to a customer in the southern city of Guangzhou.

While those vehicles have brought some high-end class to GM Shanghai's Buick operation, they haven't come close to the success of the smaller Excelle. Shanghai GM has sold 900,000 copies of the Excelle sedan, hatch, and wagon since 2003, and sales are still going strong with 94,000 units moved in the first five months of 2009.

While Buick has struggled as a brand here in the States, the marquee has enjoyed blockbuster success in China. Buick was a smash success in China in the 1930s, as provincial presidents and emperors chose the brand over more austere offerings from the likes of Rolls-Royce and Mercedes-Benz, and it appears some of that goodwill has been projected into modern times.

Further proof that General Motors is readying a Opel Astra derivative for the Buick brand has just arrived in the form of spy shots showing a mid-size mule testing at Germany's Nürburgring. Somewhat obscured behind the excessive camo is Buick's trademark "waterfall" grille, however, the A-pillar and C-pillar survive the transition from Opel to Buick.

Inside, the badge engineering is markedly more apparent with what looks like an instrument panel, center console, and steering wheel directly ported over from the recently revealed 2010 Opel Astra. In all likelihood, the Buick version will be sold almost exclusively in the Chinese market and, although it would be built along side the Cruze at GM's Lordstown, OH plant, it's doubtful that the compact Buick will ever be sold in the States. But if it does, we'd suggest reviving the Skylark or Somerset moniker, because, hey... we know how well they went over before.

General Motors has announced that its new 2010 Buick LaCrosse will be available with its fuel-sipping 2.4-liter Ecotec four-cylinder. Equipped with the direct injected engine and paired with the sedan's standard six-speed automatic, GM says the combination should deliver 30 mpg on the highway and 20 mpg in town.

It will be interesting to see if the 182 horsepower, 172 pound-foot of torque inline-four will be able to effectively motivate a car of the LaCrosse's size, but either way, plugging the capable engine in the Buick ought to give GM a unique selling point against V6-only competitors like the Lincoln MKZ.

Buick says it expects about 25% of LaCrosse buyers will check the four-cylinder box at purchase time. Check out the official press verbiage after the jump.



[Source: General Motors]

For all those weeping and gnashing their teeth over the loss of the 2-Mode Hybrid Saturn Vue, a ray of hope may be on the horizon from a seemingly unlikely source. According to a posting on GM-Volt.com, there's a possibility that an upcoming sub-Enclave crossover from Buick could be granted access to the sophisticated hybrid technology that GM had initially intended for the latest Saturn Vue.

The world may have gotten a sneak peek at the new Buick 'ute on a recent CBS News piece that featured an interview with GM design head Ed Welburn. As the rumors go, the new CUV will share the same platform as the soon-to-be-departing Saturn Vue, so it theoretically shouldn't be too difficult to port the technology over to Buick for a 2011 model year release. Of course, there still remains the possibility that the 2-Mode could also make an appearance in the latest Chevrolet Equinox or Cadillac SRX. Either way, you can check out the CBS News footage after the jump or read more about the possibility of a Buick 2-Mode at the link below.

[Sources: GM-Volt.com, CBS News]

Surviving the initial bankruptcy shakedown, yet still struggling to stay afloat, the Buick division of General Motors is introducing a new advertising campaign starting this weekend - adding to the handful of all-new campaigns it has launched since 2002. The new offensive, aimed directly at the intended audience of baby-boom drivers, carries the theme "Take a look at me now."

Before you start humming that familiar Phil Collins song, GM wants to assure all of us that we are heading down the wrong path. After all, Mr. Collins actually named his hit "Against All Odds" (and it served as the title song for an Eighties movie bearing that same name). This is a different agenda, unrelated to the song, conceptualized by the company's hired ad agency to drive traffic into the showrooms and get warm bodies behind the wheel. This campaign delivers a pointed approach, says GM. We'll buy it... until they tell us next year's ad campaign is "Take me home."

[Source: The New York Times]

The brand's demise next year will mark the end of the Pontiac G8, but there's a faint glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel for the Aussie-built sports sedan. Speaking with Automotive News, Tom Stephens, General Motors' vice chairman of global product development, said "there's still discussions on" resurrecting the G8, "but Chevrolet already has several sedans. How many sedans do you need to cover the waterfront?"

His comments don't imbue us with much hope for the G8's future, particularly after GM CEO Fritz Henderson has clearly stated that no Pontiac models will live on within the "new" GM. Although there's a groundswell of enthusiast support for the General to replace the Impala SS – due to be killed next year – with the G8, or possibly offer the rear-wheel drive sedan as a Buick model, the idea doesn't seem to be gaining traction within the automaker.



[Source: Automotive News – Sub. Req.]

Opel's Insignia OPC is one of those "available elsewhere" cars that's got us licking our chops. The Insignia is headed to North America as a Buick, and enthusiasts everywhere hope the hotshot OPC version gets widely propagated. What's not likely to make any trans-Atlantic journeys is a wagon version of Opel's performance-enhanced sedan. Spy-shooters have nailed an Insignia OPC Sports Tourer running about uncamoflaged, and the wagon's got its sights trained on Audi's S4 Avant.

Built up from familiar General Motors pieces, the Insignia OPC Sports Tourer uses componentry we've seen before. The 2.8 liter turbocharged V6, six speed manual, and all wheel drive system with eLSD torque vectoring is a recipe cooked up by the Saab Turbo X, albeit Opel's version is spicier, with 325 horsepower on tap. Euro-flavored performance wagons are a delectable treat, but it doesn't look like the Insignia OPC Sports Tourer will be added to Buick's menu for North American automotive diners.

[Source: Carscoop, Photo: Carscoop]

Further bolstering rumors that the Buick brand is set to receive rebranded products from GM's European Opel division are reports from GM Inside News indicating that a small car based on the Astra platform – initially planned for the now-defunct Saturn brand – has been transferred to Buick's entry-level luxury division.

Assuming these rumors are true, we can expect to see the new Buick in North America in late 2011 as a 2012 model. At this point, nobody is sure if the car will show up as a hatchback or as a sedan or what the car will be named. Skylark anyone? No?

We're hardly convinced this is good news for Buick. While Buick-GMC dealerships that are about to lose the Pontiac brand might disagree with our take, we have to wonder if an entry-level Buick might compete with upper-level versions of the upcoming Chevy Cruze. Sound familiar to anyone else?

[Source: GM Inside News]