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Buick Excelle GT Breaks 100,000 Unit Sales In China

China’s Buick Excelle GT — what we will know as the Buick Verano — has managed to break 100,000 unit sales after launching merely a year ago, with sales averaging roughly 8,000 units a month.

As far as passenger cars priced between RMB 150,000 and RMB 200,000 go, the Excelle GT is number one in the segment, and makes up 20 percent of total market share, according to the press release.

Is the success of the Excelle GT a sign of things to come with the Verano? Possibly. We for one look forward to some seat time in it, and you can check out our first impressions here.

Former staff.

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Comments

  1. This car confuses me, on one end I like it… But really I don’t think it fits well. Exterior design could be a little more agressive taking Buick into a more Lexus or German designed theme. Maybe I am wrong but this vehicle is to generic to be a Buick…

    Reply
    1. What is Buick?

      Reply
  2. I guess what I am saying is this vehicle lacks the personality of the newer buicks that I would like to see. It seems to be a rebadged Cruze a little to much so, I know its on same platform. But then again I have not seen it in person.

    Reply
  3. Maybe what this car is is more of a mass appeal car that brings in a range of buyers that would not normaly shop buick, then they see the other lineup and get the upgrade.

    It’s funny I saw an old late 80’s Buick Century next to a Lacross, I thought wow 2 completely different worlds. This is Buicks real problem their legacy.

    Reply
  4. What is Buick, Buick is a semi-premium brand catering to an older more affluent demographic attempting however to reach a larger demographic by creating product that provides value 4 the money.

    That my take…

    Reply
    1. Right. But why would someone buy a Buick over a Lexus?

      Reply
  5. What Buick should be:
    A semi-premium brand catering to a broad demographic including younger up and comming more enthusiast driven drivers, cars would have a more aggressive look similar to the new regal and appeal to a buyer seeking a German type refinment but desiring more value 4 the money as well as a lower price point.

    Reply
  6. Alex;
    I think value 4 the money, yet cars that have that refinment as well… People are drawn to Lexus because of a percieved quality and because Lexus does an incredible job marketing its products.

    The Lexus buyer is someone who has shoped the market considering a range of other premium vehicles but settling with a Toyota oops I mean Lexus, because that’s what makes them comfortable…

    I don’t think rebadging Opels is the entire solution either though.

    Reply
  7. They would choose buick over lexus because of the value and the styling. Lexus tends to be conservative when it comes to styling. I will tell you this the only vehicles in buicks lineup that are actually buicks are the enclave and the new lacrosse, vehicles that wete drawn up for the brand which mirrored successful sales . The regal and verano are after thought rebadged vehicles , I can say the same thing about the enclave because it shares the same platform as the equinox. It just shows that GM really had a team developing the enclave. Buick really needs a cuv and some form of a coupe to reel in the potential buyers that they are after….

    Reply
    1. I think the comparable Chev to the Enclave is the Traverse.

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  8. either way you know what I mean 😉

    Reply
  9. I guess by more aggessive drying I would mean Acura-esque, Mike has a point nothing wrong with a few rebadges, but buick stateside needs its own identity…

    Reply
  10. Design not drying, the Enclave is beautiful well designed and seperates itself well from others on platform…

    Reply
  11. buick has to compete solely to lexus period all these rebadges are just hindering the brand in the long run. I believe that buick can become the bread and butter in GM’s lineup there to worried about cadillac, I really don’t want to get started on cadillac :-/

    Reply
  12. Mike you are absolutely right Buick should be getting more investment, it cannot become like pontiac, the what do we do with this division, division. The bread and butter, much like back in the day. Ford is seperating Lincoln so it can define its own future, GM should do the same with Buick.

    Reply
  13. YABADABADOO!!! Ford is on the ball when it comes to there product and there is rumors that the lincoln that we know is going under a huge transformation. They have there own unit that lives,breathes and concentrates on lincoln . If cadillac wants to be serious on taking the germans they would have to separate themselves from gm and just become there own unit to focus on caddy’s. For gods sake the cts is a good car but the interior and tech is stonage with no major mid cycle refresh . On top of that the ATS should have been on showrooms by now I don’t understand what is taking so long. I got off topic buick itself should have there own unit as well and sepearte dealers . The gmc/buick has to go that’s old gm. Buick needs there own space ,great customer service and a more premium/luxury at there showrooms. It’s the little things….

    Reply
    1. Case in point: Lincoln is getting its own design studio. Much like Lexus, Infiniti, and Audi.

      Reply
  14. Going after Lexus is the best competitive strategy for Buick. The “semi premium” segment is slowly on its way out… and, outside of Acura, has very low volumes with below-luxury prices (meaning low volumes AND lower profit margins). It’s defined by the likes of Saab and Volvo. Why compete with something that’s going away when you can compete with something that’s going to define the future?

    Lexus, on the other hand, is a luxury leader. Gong after Lexus makes a lot more sense since it sells in low (luxury-level low) volumes but high margins per vehicle. And Lexus ain’t going anywhere anytime soon.

    Reply
  15. Alex- agreed; GM would probably say they do have a Buick specific design studio, IN CHINA…

    Unfortunately, China and US markets are night and day…

    Reply
  16. Mike/Alex-
    What are your thoughts about the excelle/Verano how do you see it fiting into Buicks line up… Just curious…

    It’s definately not a Lexus fighter in my mind; or is it don’t know haven’t seen in person.

    Reply
    1. Having seen and sat inside (but not driven) the Verano, I really like the product… the car for what a car is.

      However, I’m still trying to figure out what it’s supposed to do and how it will fit in with the overall marketplace. It’s very close to the Lexus IS in terms of size and overall proportions; and given the fact that most IS buyers opt for the (rather castrated) 2.5 V6 (250) model, I think it’s safe to say that most IS buyers don’t care about performance, instead buying the car for its smooth and isolated ride, composed driving behavior, and the overall image (and brand characteristics) that Lexus offers.

      That being the case, I think the Verano 2.4 would do well to lure some of those IS250 buyers away from Lexus. As such, I think it can command a higher price point — something along the lines of $25-27 base starting price WITH a slew of premium features such as remote start, hands-free entry, push-button start, electronic tilt/telescope steering wheel, and a number of soft-touch materials in the cabin.

      However, it looks like the Verano will start in the low $20s — which really perplexes me… this means that the Verano will compete in a segment of its own — and in this case, that’s not a competitive advantage.

      Reply
  17. Interesting, its funny at end of the day Lexus had to start somewhere, complete Toyota rebadges.
    Maybe this is GM’s mindset, build the brand then have a foundation for more formalized Buick platforms.

    Reply
    1. Yeap, they started as Toyota rebadges… but they’re note anymore. Lexus has its own design studio while collaborating with Toyota on platform development. But they only collaborate with Toyota up to a certain point on architectures, each making their own modifications (sometimes major) to achieve their own INDEPENDENT goals.

      Today, the closest thing to a Toyota rebadge from Lexus is the ES350 (Toyota Camry) as well ast the LX (Toyota Land Cruiser). Having driven a 2010 ES350 for about a year and a half, it’s so far from a Camry that it’s totally a different car altogether.

      After thinking about this for the good part of the last week, I’ve come to realize that what Buick (and Caddy) need is autonomy from GM. They need their own 1) engineers, 2) designers, and 3) be responsible for their own Profit/Loss. With that, they will get their own marketing and auxiliary services. Certain functions can still be carried out by the parent GM, but not nearly as much as it is now.

      Reply
  18. My guess then is that there will be a base model with cloth seats, which is absolutely rediculous…
    Might as well call it a skylark or something. Buicks don’t need cloth… sell one trim level and add one or two options, done. For that matter have one engine making around 160 to 170 hp done good enough… sell for 26,000 at most 28,5 with all options and call it a day.

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  19. Alex you are absolutely right, GM develops an overall platform buick engineers collaborate and then take it refine it massage it, Buickiz it…
    They control their destiny, totaly agree…

    The Verano will probably do well because its not trying so hard to be something else… The price will be good… I guess GM knows what theyr doing… We will see, I to look forward to drving it.

    Is GM doing any national tours.where they let you drive the cars.

    Reply
    1. There are no Buick engineers. There are only GM engineers.

      Reply
  20. Manoli- We were speaking frm a point of view that saying this is what they should do, Buick being in charge of its destiny…

    Reply

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