End of the Buick Verano after 2017?

[Benzadmiral]

Story here: http://www.autonews.com/article/20160509/OEM/305099966/sun-sets-on-buicks-verano

Once again GM is giving up on something that could pay off in a little longer run. Gas prices won't always be this low. (And are Americans that stupid, that they show no interest in a car that's easy on gas when fuel prices are down? "Think of the money you could save!" But noooo . . .)

 

[wemay]

Originally Posted By: Benzadmiral
Story here: http://www.autonews.com/article/20160509/OEM/305099966/sun-sets-on-buicks-verano

Once again GM is giving up on something that could pay off in a little longer run. Gas prices won't always be this low. (And are Americans that stupid, that they show no interest in a car that's easy on gas when fuel prices are down? "Think of the money you could save!" But noooo . . .)


I'm in 100% agreement.

As is the case with the Dodge Dart and Chrysler 200.

 

[dishdude]

Nice car, hate to see it go. Small cars will be back in demand next time gas prices spike.

 

[BrocLuno]

A lot of families need a "station wagon" or a mini-van. The stigma of either is a reason to go SUV or Crossover. They seem cool and do the same job. Most are not really off-road capable, but will get you to a camp site, push through light snow drift, etc. Just more versatile ...

I like some of them and they are pretty good on gas for the interior volume

 

[double vanos]

I'm just hoping that GM doesn't end Buick in 2017!

 

[Benzadmiral]

Originally Posted By: double vanos
I'm just hoping that GM doesn't end Buick in 2017!

Same here. I only discovered what a great value Buick is in 2007.

 

[FutureDoc]

It will be fine. They will just add more features to the Cruze and gain a bigger bump there. If need be, they will just slap a Buick badge on the Cruze again.

The real reason it is gone is that the Encore is doing very well. Mother-in-law bought one and she loves it and gets 33mpg highway. If she is willing to pay more for the Encore over the Verano, well that makes the business sense to nix the Verano and get $3K more for each smaller, cheaper Encore.

My issue is that I would have considered it if it was not "too soft". It is a shame that it was not a modern "Integra" and it would have been excellent and filled a gap. However, a manual with a 2.0T was already 30K... if you could even find the 6-speed. Turbo + Manual for 24K and we would have been rocking.

 

[Andrew1972]

Cruze fills the gap and can have added trim levels to match the interior. No loss IMHO.

 

[Andrew1972]

Originally Posted By: double vanos
I'm just hoping that GM doesn't end Buick in 2017!


It only exists here becuase it's profitable in China and sells well there.

 

[CT8]

Originally Posted By: Benzadmiral
Story here: http://www.autonews.com/article/20160509/OEM/305099966/sun-sets-on-buicks-verano

Once again GM is giving up on something that could pay off in a little longer run. Gas prices won't always be this low. (And are Americans that stupid, that they show no interest in a car that's easy on gas when fuel prices are down? "Think of the money you could save!" But noooo . . .)
Yes the Americans are that stupid.

 

[RudeRED]

+1
How soon everyone forgets how painful $4 a gallon gas was a few years ago. The US manufacturers are slowly sending all of their small car production out of the country. When the next recession hits, or gas goes back up to $4 a gallon, large truck and SUV sales will slow and so will our US production numbers. Mexico and China will gain sales....

 

[Ethan1]

It's just a Chevy Cruze...

 

[JHZR2]

According to the buick website, the Verano is EPA rated 21/32, while the Encore is rated 25/33... So its not clear why the Verano would do Buick any good in terms of fuel efficiency-minded buyers...

And Ive always thought of true econobox lines turned "luxury" cars, like this, the little acura, etc. to be stupid. For posers who want to show off yet dont have the means to buy the real thing.

Per the article:

Quote:
Deleting the Verano is a bet by Buick that it no longer needs a compact sedan as a gateway into the brand, a role that small cars have long played for mainstream and premium brands alike. At Buick, that mantle has been assumed by the Encore, a subcompact crossover launched in early 2013 that has fast become its highest-volume name-plate and No. 1 conquest vehicle. About half of Encore buyers are non-GM customers.


Id say the move was dumb if the Verano had better MPG marks, but it doesnt. Since the claim is that the new Cruze has a "more upscale design", Im not seeing a reason to play in this niche. Someone wanting to spend more than a cruze and less than the $24k Encore has a ton of other great options across manufacturers, and really isnt shopping an upscale enough dollar scale to be lucrative.

I always figured that the Verano was a way to amortize the Delta II platform a bit more... in a niche segment (the poser luxury segment).

Originally Posted By: RudeRED
+1
How soon everyone forgets how painful $4 a gallon gas was a few years ago. The US manufacturers are slowly sending all of their small car production out of the country. When the next recession hits, or gas goes back up to $4 a gallon, large truck and SUV sales will slow and so will our US production numbers. Mexico and China will gain sales....


Isnt that the truth?!? My greatest fear - fuel spikes again, small car sales jump, and then in all the MBAs intelligent decision making, we start importing Chinese Veranos... Likely meanwhile doing another cash for clunkers deal where we are dumping American iron for Chinese manufacturing...

But so many love their Chinese junk at any cost... Who cares if their neighbor loses their job over it?

 

[OneEyeJack]

The people in charge are finance people and lawyers. I'm not sure they could name the different models on site but they know how they perform financially which includes making them and distributing them as well as how they do at the dealers.

There are lots of stories about vehicles that required a lot of work to get them performing well in the marketplace, getting rid of the bugs and warranty problems and then just as all is well the vehicle gets cancelled. An example? How about the Pontiac Fiero? A friend that worked at corporate in the Fiero program said that at a point where the manufacturing process was all sorted out and the car was selling as fast as they could make them working 2 shifts, 6 days a week with never a backlog of more then 10 days at the factory distribution center the Fiero was cancelled. The decision to cancel whatever it was it was not a decision based on how many the dealers were selling.

 

[Merkava_4]

And I haven't even moved up to the Lucerne yet !

 

[sciphi]

This seems pretty silly. It was a Delta II platform car just like the previous-generation Cruze. So GM got a little more traction out of the platform, and could use corporate engines in it to make a unique car.

Are they going to give the Cruze an optional larger engine like the corporate 2.0T for 2017 to inhabit that space, or keep the capability in their back pocket in case crossover sales get soft again? The D2XX platform is certainly flexible since it's already doing sedan/hatch (Cruze) and crossover (Buick Envision) duty.

Not everybody wants a tiny hatchback on stilts.

 

[Andrew1972]

From what I can tell the entire line of Buick are fuel pigs compared to competition. Are the designs outdated? 21 mpg city is dreadful when you compare it to many small to mid size SUVs. Outdated engine?

 

[FutureDoc]

Originally Posted By: madRiver
From what I can tell the entire line of Buick are fuel pigs compared to competition. Are the designs outdated? 21 mpg city is dreadful when you compare it to many small to mid size SUVs. Outdated engine?


21/32 is not all that bad for the old GM 2.4 ecotec. Most buyers were likely not that obsessed fuel efficiency and would prefer that small bump in for 180hp and 170lbs of torque. If you are going to compare, most other "similar" car have smaller displacement/turbo with less than 150bhp like the encore. It is a conservative engine with conservative numbers but if you make it too efficient then all of Buick buyers would get worried that the gas will go stale before the grandkids would inherit it.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Buick has too many similar models, I mean there are very little differences in size, MSRP, fuel economy ... customers will confuse which to buy.

Honda and Toyota have very distinct car models: Accord vs Civic and Camry vs Corolla. If someone wants larger interior then pick Accord and Camry, they are more expensive and slightly better in performance but less MPG. If someone only has that much money then get Corolla and Civic.