Autoblog

2013 Buick Verano Turbo

Seyth Miersma — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 11:57:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Buick, New Car Reviews

Not Luxury. Not Sport. Not Buick. Not Bad.

Those of you who still think of the Buick Verano as some sort of callously badge-engineered, gussied up version of the Chevrolet Cruze ("Why would anyone spend that much money on Buick's Cruze?" you may have been heard to mutter) have got the wrong idea. Entirely. Even in its most modest form, the Verano turns out to be a sedan that is feature-rich, insulated from wind and road noise in proper luxury car fashion, pretty good to drive and not bad to look at in the new school of high-nosed pedestrian-impact-regulated fashion. In a less modest form then, one that attaches the word "Turbo" to the moniker and plops a force-fed 2.0-liter four-cylinder under the hood, the Verano is downright interesting.

Of course, "interesting" is rarely a descriptor that fills one with lust - and so it goes with this example. There are two competing forces within this near-premium subcompact sedan, and the balance struck between them must resonate with any potential customer before the Verano Turbo can become a serious purchase consideration.

Continue reading 2013 Buick Verano Turbo

2013 Buick Verano Turbo originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Jan 2013 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

2013 Buick Verano Turbo [w/video]

Michael Harley — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 11:57:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Buick, First Drives, Luxury

Look Who Just Raised The Bar In The Compact Entry-Level Luxury Segment

We first slid behind the wheel of the Buick Verano, the American automaker's entrant in the $25,000 compact luxury segment, one year ago in the gorgeous Pacific Northwest. After motoring through scenic Oregon, we boarded our flight back home quite impressed with the small four-door. In our First Drive review, we mentioned that the General Motors offering had "exceeded our expectations" and that its combination of features and appointments "made a compelling argument for itself."

Our one gripe, however, was aimed at the Verano's standard naturally aspirated (NA) four-cylinder engine. With 180 horsepower and 171 pound-feet of torque, we found its performance rather lethargic in the 3,300-pound sedan. As we noted, "The power from the 2.4-liter was adequate, but much of its steam was lost above legal speeds when attempting two-lane passing maneuvers."

For 2013, Buick has handily addressed the power deficit by fitting its sedan with GM's turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder - an action that packs another 70 horses under the hood. Of course, there were other upgrades and enhancements to accompany the additional muscle.

We just spent a day in the heart of the Bluegrass State, on the other side of the country, putting the 2013 Buick Verano Turbo through its paces. Fall is a near-perfect time to visit Kentucky, and the Buick proved to be an excellent companion for touring the land of horses, tobacco and those wonderful bourbon distilleries.

Continue reading 2013 Buick Verano Turbo [w/video]

2013 Buick Verano Turbo [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Oct 2012 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

2013 Buick Verano Turbo priced from $29,990*

Steven J. Ewing — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 10:56:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Sedan, Buick, GM

The 2013 Buick Verano Turbo goes on sale this fall and General Motors has just announced that the boosted sedan will be priced from $29,990 (*including $885 for destination).

That base price gets you niceties like IntelliLink, a Bose audio system, heated leather seats, and a whole host of safety features including a rearview camera, blind spot alert and cross-traffic alert. A six-speed manual transmission is available as a no-cost option (hurrah!), and the only other available upgrades are a sunroof and navigation.

For comparison's sake, a similarly equipped Verano with the naturally aspirated 2.4-liter engine costs $26,850, including destination.

Under the hood of the Verano Turbo is GM's 2.0-liter forced-induction four that we've sampled in the larger Regal, good for 250 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. The EPA just recently released fuel economy figures for the Verano Turbo, and the baby Buick is estimated to achieve 20/31 miles per gallon (city/highway).

Scroll down for the official pricing release.

Continue reading 2013 Buick Verano Turbo priced from $29,990*

2013 Buick Verano Turbo priced from $29,990* originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 08 Aug 2012 10:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

2013 Buick Verano Turbo packs 250 HP, available six-speed manual

Steven J. Ewing — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 00:01:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Buick, GM

There has been many a conversation about the Buick Verano around the proverbial water cooler here at Autoblog Towers. And while it isn't necessarily the type of vehicle you'd think a group of car enthusiasts would get excited about, those of us who have spent time with the Verano have all become quite smitten with it. Our only wishes: more power and a manual transmission.

Enter the 2013 Verano Turbo, packing 250 horsepower, 260 pound-feet of torque and yes, an available six-speed manual transmission. This is perhaps the most excited we've been about a Buick in... um... decades?

Powering the Verano Turbo is - you guessed it - General Motors' 2.0-liter Ecotec inline-four. Buick states that the turbocharged Verano can sprint to 60 miles per hour in just 6.2 seconds and that more than 90 percent of the engine's torque is available as low as 1,700 RPM.

The Turbo model is packed with standard equipment, including all of the optional goodies found in the Leather and Convenience packages of the standard Verano. That means things like heated leather surfaces on the seats and steering wheel, a premium nine-speaker Bose audio system, sport pedals, dual exhaust and a rear spoiler are all standard, as well as Buick's IntelliLink infotainment system.

Pricing will be announced closer to the Verano Turbo's on-sale date later this year. Considering how well-received the standard car is, and how good we anticipate the new Turbo model to be, we have to ask: Why buy a Regal these days? With how excellent the Verano range is shaping up to be, this seems like a clear-cut case of fratricide on Buick's part.

Scroll down for the official press blast.

Continue reading 2013 Buick Verano Turbo packs 250 HP, available six-speed manual

2013 Buick Verano Turbo packs 250 HP, available six-speed manual originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 12 Jun 2012 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments