It’s good to know that we’re not the only ones that can see the Opel Adam mini car and Cascada convertible as Buick models here in North America, as General Motors CEO Dan Akerson also seems to think so.
In an Automotive News report, Akerson was cited as wanting to see these youthful vehicles in Buick showrooms in America (as well as China), but there are a lot of roadblocks that are keeping these moves from happening. The biggest is perhaps the manufacturing costs. As both Opel vehicles are built in Germany, it would be an expensive proposition to import the vehicles — should they not opt to retool a facility here in North America for the project (which would also be expensive). Then there’s the whole cost to get the vehicles approved federally, allowing for their sale in the ‘States.
Still, those same road blocks aren’t stopping the Chevrolet SS from coming over from Australia, so maybe there’s hope.
Comments
I definitely see a market for the Cascada, it would be a great competitor for the Chrysler 200 Convertible and Volvo C70 Convertible. As for the Adam, I don’t think it’s necessary in the States.
I agree that the Cascada is a natural fit to compete with the Chrysler 200 (starting at $27,350) and the Volvo C70 (starting at $41,200). Hit a price point in the low $30K range and Buick would have a winner! As for the Adam, I am unsure about a fit in the near-luxury market that Buick plays in, but if the Encore is driving down the average age of a Buick buyer, then the Adam could only help.
I only have a problem with the sheet metal not being unique between Buick & Opel. Only a GM enthusiast like myself who keeps up with the latest is aware of the badge engineering job that is going on between Europe & America. The average Buick buyer in the US probably doesn’t care.
I think the Cascada is a done deal as a Buick, but have a hard time seeing the Adam made over to a Buick even though it would definitely bring the younger buyers around that they are looking for.
If they can overcome the cost obstacles to avoid making it laughably expensive, the Cascada would definitely sell over here. GM does not have a practical convertible anywhere in its North American lineup, and this car is beautiful as a bonus. Sure, they may do an ATS convertible, but it would be a different animal and the two would not leech many sales from each other.
The Adam is more of a question mark. It would be definitive proof that Buick is changing with the times, but enough people have to actually put their money down for one. Tough call.
Great to hear Akerson likes them though!
These are cars that will build a younger base for Buick in this country.
GM needs to get people of age and income that will be repeat buyers and not the retired guy that is buying his last new car that will carry him from retirement to death. I have had many in our family follow this formula so it not just a joke.
I think this is where Buick is going also with the Astra hatch. They need smaller cars and cars that will attract younger buyers. The Regal and Lacrosse will be replaced soon and be joined by an Alpha?
I think this is another case like the Chevy Colorado. No you can’t have it and we have no plans even though we like it. Then Ok since you insisted we will bring it in. GM has played this card many times.
If there was no intent they would not state a word publically from the top. In the past many below would politic for these cars but today they remain silent and the leaders just tease at it to test the waters or to hint at the future.
I fully agree, It gets to be very frustrating as to why these people (GM Top Brass) have to be this way.
Cascada is built in Poland so it should not be expensive. Adam could also do quite well since both Mini and Fiat 500 are doing reasonably well. It would depend on marketing and price.
I agree if the Adam is brought over to market it against the Mini and 500. More so the 500.
I’m so confused with gm’s strategy with buick. Where is the cohesive brand vision? Slapping a buick grill on another opel will not make it successful. They need buicks built fromthe ground up like cadilac. Otherwise they should just close the brand. Dito for gmc.
Don’t know why anyone would think the Adam would have trouble selling. Just follow the lead of MINI, i.e., enable significant customization, but with a common and very distinctive front facia that is uniquely Buick. Then get a little creative with the marketing. How about a heist movie wherein a group of hot babes steal some priceless museum pieces and get away in a series of souped up Buick Adams. The chase scene could run past popular landmarks in Washington D.C., in and out of the subway system, etc.
Verano hatch, The Adam Job. Lol. Btw just wondering if its possible to get three Adam’s in a Bedford VAL 😉
The facts are this and it is simple Buick has to fundamentally change as the path they have been on for the last 40 years has been a path of decline.
Yes they have had some bright spots but not enough to carry them into the future. The Gods honest truth is that if it were not for the China Market Buick would have been on the list with Pontiac, Saturn and Hummer.
GM here had a lot and still more to clean up. Now that Cadillac is moving up scale it has opened room for Buick in the middle to be more of what it can and should be.
The one mistake is to expect Buick to be just another high end Chevy like Pontiac became as that is a death sentence. This is what killed Mercury over at Ford. Buick needs to be its own car with its own flavor and it’s own products. To carry the cost for both it will be match with Opel.
The reality is and what GM is targeting is middle aged and younger professionals and to do that they need to build cars that are good MPG and fun to drive. The days of living off the Lesabre bought by pensioners is over.
I am from a family that has had many Buicks and all were bought buy people over 60 years old. Today most are no longer driving and many have passes on as my father and that has left those of use left to buy Buicks. The problem is they are not offering the products we want outside a GS but even then there are many interesting options at that price point.
I could easily become a Buick man with a Astra OPC with about 300 HP for a daily driver.
Adam as a Buick would be priced TOO HIGH for our market. Old GM should never have dropped Pontiac as the Adam with its “sportiness” fits, not as a buick slush buck overdone and oozing with luxury. And the ugly buick grille.
Pontiac is gone so let it go. I have and I understand fully why and have no issue on the situation GM has.
Note I have driven and owned may of the best Pontiacs ever and I still have my Pontiac in the garage where it has been for nearly 30 years.
What’s wrong with old people buying Buicks there more old people every day. The problem is that Buicks don’t look as good as a Chevy and cost more.
Hummer was forced out by the Feds given a few more years it could have eliminated every bodies desire for a jeep.
“What’s wrong with old people buying Buicks”
Simple, old people aren’t cool. Someday, everyone on this blog will know and understand.
What is wrong with selling and targeting old people with Buicks?
It goes back to the old saying ” You can sell an older man a younger man’s car, but you can’t sell a younger man an old man’s car.” The many snow tops driving CTS and Corvettes is proof of that.
The thing you need to consider is that Buick really has not seen any of the new investment in the show room yet. The cars they have are for the most just place holders till GM can invest in Buick and Opel Jointly. To do so they had to make room for Buick where Cadillac is leaving in the price point of the market.
With the higher prices we can and will see much better cars with features they can not offer at $31K. There is going to be a gap between Chevy and Cadillac and Buick will be tailored to fit it. They can also easily fill the needs of what little Pontiac had contributed in the later years. Lets face it with out Pontiac GM has gain Market share so how much are they missed with their fancy over priced Chevys with underpowered drive lines. Lets face it the G3, G5 and G6 were not much of a line up.
As for Hummer it more the bad press and the lack of GM support for Hummer. the H2 and H3 were nothing more than rebodied Tahoe’s and Trail Blazers. But the Green tree huggers loved to attack them as killing the environment and GM just let them. These trucks were no worse and better than many other SUV’s on the road.
The other mistake was making Hummer a division and not a model under GMC. Lutz’s stated this was one of his greatest mistakes.
Like it or not GM has Buick and they will make it work once the new products they are working on arrive. We will see major changes in the next couple years and their show rooms will reflect some top quality products once the roll it out and replace the present old platform cars. The Refresh of the Larcrosse and Regal are nothing of what Is to come.
I must have been the anomaly as I was 46 and bought a Le Sabre “old mans car”. What a nice ride it was too. But I do have to agree they need younger buyers yet if they really want to survive.
I really want Buick to compete head to head with the higher end VW models and the lower end Audi models. This would draw people from older to younger as you see all age ranges in these cars.
It also would help Opel since it is no longer the value car for GM in Europe since Chevy has taken that role.
To be honest where I see Buick is where I think GM will take them and it will not be with any of the cars they have now. The SUV things will be more a North American thing but the cars will be truly global and more up scale. I could even see an Alpha used as a Riviera like coupe and the Lacrosse going to a RWD/AWD platform
Now before anyone gets upset later keep in mind Buick will fill the gap of between Cadillac and Chevy in that 30K to 55K range in price. It will over lap only the top line sedans like the Impala and LTZ Malibu. It will overlap the ATS but with a larger model.
GM just needs to make sure Buick is its own brand and not feel, look are act like a Chevy or Cadillac. They need their own image.
In the past the Buicks, Pontiacs and Chevy were all too much a like and that can no longer happen. GM has done a good job of sharing platforms and giving each car its own flavor. But Buick is one that has yet to set its tone. While Cars like the Impala and XTS share much they feel and look like totally different cars with different features. Buick needs to carve a slice with its Lacrosse replacement and the Same with the Regal.
Scott, I think you have a lot of logic there. I like where you are coming from on this. It sounds like a good direction for Buick.
It is just were I see GM going with this and understanding what they would like to accomplish.
The key here is the specific models and what they will offer that will be the key and are the open wild card here with GM being so dark on future models.
While I know they all will not be home runs they have got most of them right of late in the post Chapter 11 models like the CTS, ATS and Impala. The Transition cars like the Malibu and XTS that were started before the chapter 11 are good cars but are just a little behind what they need to be. I still term them good Triples.
In Buicks case we still have old product in the Regal and Lacrosse and many will see where this is all going once the new product is rolled out.
The main point is they can not go back and just rely on the old way of running Buick to pensioners and people who want the second coming of a GN coupe. We may get it in name but it will not be a quasi Muscle car. It will have power but it will do all things well not just the quarter mile. Think more of a GT Coupe like an Audi.
Scott, your comments are good and make sense with Buicks positioning however in Europe Vauxhall & Opel are already doing what you suggest competing with VW & Audi. The premium products sold certainly better that of the opposition from VW, Audi & BMW, excellent build quality, quality materials, desirable, high performance (both mph/ 0-60 or mpg depending on preference), great looks, luxury & image.
If GM does not allow Opel to export/sell its cars under the Opel brand in North America then GM should should at least be fair, and import every single Opel model that can be sold under the Buick in NA. Opel would have probably sold the Astra 5-door, Astra GTC, Cascada, Astra OPC, and the Insignia OPC (V6 engine) in the US. The Insignia Country Tourer could be sold as the Buick Country Tourer in the US and it is a great combination of a Crossover SUV and a wagon.
GM is not going to export all the Opels here.
The major issue is one Opel is not seen here as a strong name with a lot of equity for most North Americans. Even with Buicks damaged name it is far better than for those who remember the rusted Opel/Isuzu hulks that littered the land scape here for a decade.
Second GM is not going to import everything. Trade issues, shipping issues and exchange rates play havioc with sales here. This is why most Asian company’s are now in production here as are VW, BMW and Benz. Especially anything that is classified as a truck.
GM needs the brand equity of the Buick name and to make use of the idle plants they have here. The UAW has been willing to work better with GM as they know they can farm the new models to any plant they want if they do not cooperate. They can build them easier in places like Lordstown now that the union knows that If they do not play ball they will get nothing.
The last thing GM needs here is another name plate 4 are enough for NA markets.
The German built Regal started at $26,000, while the Canadian built Regal starts at $29,000! BTW the U.S. has no horror duties on import cars like China. Opel vehicles that can be sold in higher numbers in North America should be built locally, e.g the Astra sedan. But what is wrong with the idea to import some beautiful niche Opel vehicles, which expand the Buick model range? Of course these models should be profitable.
Remember Saturn? Remember the Saturn Astra? 2007 till its demise…
All those Saturn Astra had been built in the Antwerpen Opel plant, in Belgium, which happens to be in Europe. The Antwerpen plant had been closed in 2009 or so.
And how did that work out, The car, the plant and the company are all three gone.
It is not what it cost to sell a car but what it cost to build it. Prices do not reflect the cost to build a car in all markets. Also GM kept the price down at the intro to spark interest like they do on many models.
I am all for the import if it was economically sound but it is not right now.
Also if you are going to bring anything here it had better be a Buick as GM does not need to duplicate marketing here. On brand only needs to be marketed in one market not two. GM would really like to consolidate Buick and Opel into one name as they would like to change Holden to Chevy. This could happen at some point but for now they are just rebadging their model in some markets to make the locals happy. The Holden site is basically a Chevy site and they are even stating the VF is a Chevy here in advertising. It makes me wonder if they will pull the trigger and just make them Chevy.
My Aussie customers for performance parts love their imported Camaro. Vettes and Trucks.
The plain fact is GM has 4 divisions here and until they get them all right they have no need to add to the burden.
” As both Opel vehicles are built in Germany, it would be an expensive proposition to import the vehicles” — this can’t be an unsurmountable obstacle in light of the fact that the first batch of 45’000 Buick Regal has been built alongside its Opel/Vauxhall twin Insignia in the Rüsselsheim Opel plant, i.e. in Germany.
Now where would it be cheaper to build these cars for the North American Market? Here or there.
With exchange rates and shipping here is cheaper.
The first Regal’s were only done there as they were not ready here to set the line up and did not want to wait a year. It was moved to Canada as the cost were cheaper.
If it were more profitable they would have continued to import them and as you can see they are no longer importing them. Labor unions are a major issue in Germany right now.
Many Euro companies are now building cars in the old Ex Comunist countries as labor is much cheaper there.
Even companies like Porsche are building cars in places like Bratislava Slovaki.
GM has their hands full in Europe right now as if it were not for the losses by Opel they would be doing so much better than they are. Ford is even taking major hits in their profits from their Euro operations.
I think some people need to get a look at the economy and financial climate of Europe and they will see why things are happening as they are. If it were not for the US and German government many countries there would have defaulted by now. The economies are on the edge and it has many companies nervous.
Right now Fiat is having major money issues right now. It needs to be watched as it will have a major ripple if they have problems.
Anyone note Peugeot and Citroen may now be handed over to GM?
They are not the only ones in trouble in Europe. We even have some major weak players in Asia too.
Development cost and labor cost are staggering and will take many down.
Gri778, I’m not 100% sure, but it seems to me that the year Regal production shifted to Canada , GM also happened to increase the standard features on the car and this increased its price considerably of course.
The Saturn Astra failed in good part because they misread the market for it. They figured the people who would want to buy it would want premium features but not be concerned about performance. So, they decided at least until sales took off (which never happened), they would offer only a higher trim level but not the best engine. This resulted in a Saturn Astra that was expensive and under performing. I thought at the time that this was a bad idea and it would fail. Yep. Now, if they bring over a fairly affordable Adam, though still with decent features, it may sell. And if they bring over a Cascada (and IMO GTC) that can perform decently, still at a reasonable price, those would definitely sell.
According to a note in today’s Mainz “Allgemeine Zeitung” about the content of an interview with Opel CEO and member of GM’s Executive Committee, K.T. Neumann, Neumann rejected in the interview the idea of seeking Opel’s future in China. The fate of this automaker would be decided in Europe.
But exports might help, he added, and disclosed that the management is evaluating the possibilities of exporting more Opel models to China and North America to be sold there under the Buick brand.
Watch this space for news about further growth of Buick with Opel cars…
The full interview is here in three pages.