GM Currently Weighing Production Viability Of Buick Avenir
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Buick undoubtedly surprised the world when it unveiled the Buick Avenir concept at the North American International Auto Show back in January.
Even unveiled alongside the Chevrolet Bolt EV and the 2016 Volt, the long, flowing four-door concept stole headlines around the world. Many even called it the star of the show.
Which made us all the more sad when we heard rumors it wouldn’t make it to production. While we heard it would herald a new design language for Buick and that many of its best bits could be seen on future vehicles, we were downright depressed when we heard it would never sit under showroom lights. Well, we have good news Avenir fans.
Like many of you speculated, it seems the Avenir isn’t actually dead yet. Quite the contrary, the company is currently examining its production viability.
“We always do business cases on things that are very nice and attractive like that. So yeah, we’re absolutely… you know looking at… you know, it was such a hit, what would it look like in production, what would it cost to do it. So that’s where we’re at,” Mark Reuss told Autoblog at the New York International Auto Show.
The question is, does Buick want to fish in the waters of the Cadillac CT6? Both are supposedly based on the Omega platform and both are said to share a 204-inch length.
Should Buick take the leap and offer an Omega-based luxury flagship to elevate the brand? We whole heartedly think so.
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Build it yesterday! Love the way they swoop the back end down instead of giving it the high wedge shape.
It has an entirely different personality than Cadillac…I would rather go for a beautiful car that is more understated than the chrome of a Cadillac. I’ll bet others would too. I miss the Riviera, and this is a reason for people to come back to Buick.
The chrome of a Cadillac? Didn’t see much chrome on the CT6.
Just something here tells me this is farther along than GM is willing to admit. With the CT6 in the spot light now I suspect they want to give it the media attention for a while then once this one is closer to production it will be announced.
My gut tells me the Holden version will be the replacement for the Zeta.
It’s a tough choice. I bet their willing to make it but the big question is what will the effect be on Cadillac? Sales are slipping at Cadillac and they are just now are getting into full size vehicles again. It might work if the Avenir is toned down to more of a Lincoln or Acura level of quality and features with a higher price to curb sales from the Cadillac’s offering. The design is stunning and will sell, but it can’t be allowed to impede on Cadillac.
This car was not just the star of the show (Detroit) this year, it’s the star out of every show that I’ve ever been to. I spent over a half hour just admiring, and taking pictures of it. Buick needs this car to both elevate their status, and to fill the voids left as Cadillac pushes further upmarket in price and towards performance and tech over comfy boulevard cruiser. The major obstacle is that this car far outshines the CT6 in design, and would sell for much less, Cadillac may be pushing hard against a production version seeing the showroom floor.
That’s not a Buick!
That’s a Holden
Here in Europe want to see as representing Opel car like the Omega/Catera in his days
I think it would be well received in Europe.
I like the designs coming out of the Australian GM design bureau.
If GM is truly committed to making Buick a high tone, upscale luxury brand with its own distinctive design language that can go toe-to-toe with anything and everything Germany and Japan can produce, it will put the Avenir into production. Building it is as much a commitment GM has into being a world class auto company as it is a sign of its self confidence.
My folks are waiting…. Just do it!!
Build it and bring it to OZ to replace the Calais or Caprice/Statesman
The Avenir has to happen. Buick needs a range topping vehicle and the Omega platform needs the economies of scale the extra volume would bring.
Give Opel and Holden one also.
So why make this, but not the elmiraj? GM too scared since being bailed out
Tired of GM not taking risks! Elmiraj, ciel, avenir, riviera, cien, sixteen. such a waste. Any of these vehicles would have taken this company to the next level. For GM not to have a car over 100k is a travesty. As big of a company it is, its not acceptable.
Having a $100K plus vehicle has to be justified.
There has to be the brand equity for customers to want to spend S – class money on it.
GM still does not have a brand to justify that kind of positioning, yet.
Cadillac is working on it by building a good base of quality premium offerings.
So when they offer a CT8 or something in that segment it will be accepted.
How do you explain the Escalade being Caddys best selling model while also the most expensive, ATP @85k. If people think its worth it they will fork over the coin, its up to GM to make people believe their cars are worth it.
Those were not risks as they were not real cars. Stop confusing show cars that would be difficult to build as they were and even more difficult to sell.
Just because you can build an expensive car does not mean it will make money or sense. You have to earn the right to sell in this segment and they are not there yet.
This Buick is not going to be cheap but it also will not be $100K as who would pay that much for a Buck. I expect $50K-65K.
The only thing that was all show on the Elmiraj and Ciel was the interior. With only minor tweaks the exterior was production ready. I personally like the CT6 but I understand if the average consumer doesnt get blown away by it. Now put the ct6 interior on the elmiraj skin and Caddy would have changed the game. Instead its a nice vehicle with some nice tech.
It seems like the bean counters have too much control and have final say on products which is truly a shame. Avenir will not get built because it would step on the toes of the CT6 and it makes too much sense to build it.
I completely disagree with you. The CT6 is the best-looking car in the class. Its styling, to me, is better than that of the Avenir. Of course, all of this is highly subjective, but the CT6 has an imposing presence. The Avenir looks nice, but has nowhere the presence of the CT6. Remember, the Cadillac will battle the world’s best luxury sedans – the S-Class, 7 Series, LS, and A8.
The CT6 is creating a segment, doesnt compete with the German 3. This car is a sports sedan with all the creature comforts of a flagship. I never said i didnt like the CT6, i think it will be a something special. They just played with my emotions with the Elmiraj and Ciel. Maybe the CT8 will make me forget the Elmiraj, i sure hope so.
Bud I have news for you that they were no where near production just as the Sixteen.
First they were ground up built on no platform in GM production. Second some of the styling and other bits would never make production.
GM is looking to do a car along the lines of the Elmiraj but they are lacking a platform that has a wheel base capable of what they need to be similar to the show car. This may be part of the new coming investment as something similar and more up to date for 2020 could be in the cars.
I hate to break it to you but up to last summer the CT6 was as good as it was going to get. But with the changed brought in August and positive reactions to the Elmirge it appears to have upped the expectations and investment so we may see similar but it will take 5 years.
You really have to understand where some of these show cars come from. The Cadillac show cars were 100% show and not production. They run and drive but they can only see limited use as there is nothing production there.
On the other hand the Buick here is bases on a production platform that just was shown, Smaller wheels and video screens and other details could change this to a production car pretty fast. With Holden and Buick involved here it could make it easier to move this car to production.
But keep in mind the CT6 is not in production yet and it is the one getting the spot light as it was the first for the platform. Like the Impala followed the XTS the Buick could just be a year behind. Everything happened at its own pace for a reason.
There is more to this than bean counter. I hate to break the news to you but car guys make the product and the bean counters make sure they don’t bankrupt the company doing it. I hate to say it but they are necessary evil and even Lutz the biggest car guy in the industry states so in his book.
Tell me what about the Elmiraj’s exterior was not production ready besides a B pillar? No platform you say, so the almighty Omega cant handle it huh, right. What are your credentials again? You seem to think you know alot of GM plans.
Lets start that it was built on a one off show car platform that had no crash testing or any real world engineering. This is not an Omega car nor was the Omega engineered to be of this wheel base based on the comments from GM. This was the major issue here.
Side impact standards and roll over standards were not tested and with the a full hard top like that it would lead to either a pillar for strength or a lot more structure to pass the standard and even more added weight,
The nose would have to see some changes as leading with the grill in this fashion would not meet bumper standards.
There are many more things internally that would come into play. I am not even an engineer but I can see many points that need tweaked for real world driving. An engineer could find many more.
Note that you may see them drive this car but it is limited and generally not on roads that go over bumps or the like or the car would be damaged.
There are two kinds of show cars, those that are build on working platforms that are production and those that are one off. Most production based cars are working cars where one off’s run and drive and generally have many issues that will have to be address in production.
Even The Camaro 5th gen show car was not a real car. It could not be driven hard and they had to find a way to adapt the Zeta to fill the roll with compromises. Be it they kept it close there were many changes. Even at that they had things they should have changed but did not that they later regretted like the interior. The Camaro team wanted to change it but GM held them to the show car.
I expect GM will have something similar to the Elmirage but it will be updated as 5 years can change styling. Also it is a car that will have to live in the real world.
Right now Mark Ruess has stated months ago they had platform that conformed to the wheel base they needed. Now that there is 12 Billion in investment at Cadillac we may now be able to address that but it is still too early to call.
I love the car too but reality is part of this and you have to factor that in. Not trying to bust your bubble. Even the 4 door convertible the roof structure alone would be a major issue let along chassis rigidity.
This is what I feel is a case that it did well and it’s time is coming but it has to follow its own past. Not only is the Cadillac having to have it’s time but if it replaces the Holden and Vauxhall too then you do not want to announce it now and let the car get old before it is ready for production. The Zeta is not going away this year.
They have to tie this all together so Europe, America and Australia get it around the same time as with the Volumes we will see they will all be built mostly in one plant.
The devil is in the details of building a car not the simple lets do it. If it were only that easy.
GM will make the announcement when it is time right now is too soon.
If Lincoln is going to have the Continental in China, then Buick needs this!
I think it will be built but fwd or red is up in the air . The fwd is what most buyers choose in todays world and the front end isn’t overly long . AWD here is a mut option . The rwd would be more of a hand full in City driving and parking . As a business type , frankly I would rather Buick build another CUV…..the new family sedan .
No, FWD isn’t what most buyers “choose”. Instead, it is simply what is available to most buyers. What mainstream full-size vehicle is available in RWD today? With the exception of the Chrysler 300, none! So let’s not assume that FWD or RWD plays a determining factor in selecting a car.
That said, the Avenir would look terrible on a FWD platform and would defeat the purpose of being a flagship Buick.
Chris Ecclestone asks: “What mainstream full-size vehicle is available in RWD today? With the exception of the Chrysler 300, none!”
The larger Mercedes (from C-Class on upwards) and all BMW have RWD. Audi have up to A8 FWD as basic configuration, but AWD as option.
Don’t want to rain on everyone’s parade, but GM said it was weighing the production viablity of the Elmiraj too. If I were Cadillac and they rejected the Elmiraj but gave Buick the go ahead on this, I would be raising holy hell. I can’t see them doing the Avenir without significantly watering it down (particularly the interior).
There is a lot more going on than what you have read.
Just let things go a bit and I think things will all work out. Keep in mind that many of the people involved in getting the CT6 into production are still working on the car and could be needed for the Buick project when they are done.
It is not like GM has a separate group of people for each division. This has been the problem at Cadillac as the same people designing Chevys are the same ones they use to design Cadillac’s. Not that Chevys are bad but the fact is Cadillac need to be separate all together if it was to grow. That is why post CT6 they will get their own design and engineering staff.
To understand this one has to look big picture and understand how things work internally and how money is spent to grasp timing of programs and why things all do not happen at once.
GM right now is like a old house being restored. You only have 5 guys and so much money per month to spend. You can set it up to budget and schedule each room as a project and work your way from room to room as you build your way to a complete overhaul of the house. GM is the same way as they can not do it all at once as the money and man power there can only take on so many projects at a time. GM is a large company but the work they have to do is even bigger. It is amazing on what they have already done but they still have to take it one project at a time.
Just look at Chrysler post bail out. They have two new cars that were re purposed Lancia cars not all new. Also they have just refreshed the 12 year old RWD cars. Not much here compared to all GM has already under taken.
Frankly there are things much more viable that Buick could do to strengthen its brand image and its line-up, and they could probably do it right now:
1. Make a GS version of each car — the Verano would be awesome in GS form, particularly if it got AWD and MRC. If Consumer Reports liked the Regal in GS form imagine how they would be wowed by a GS version of a compact like the Verano. Also, a GS Cascada would be open-top driving manna from Heaven.
2. Get rid of the base model in each car. This would give the Regal some pricing breathing room between it and the LaCrosse.
3. Give us the Gramd National and GNX already!
4. Now tha the XTS is going to be killed off, lengthen the Lacrosse, and give it a more luxurious interior. It is too close to the Regal in size, and it might as well get some of the XTS’ goodies. While Cadillac may need to shake itself free of the XTS’s demo, there is no reason for GM to cede that part of the luxury market completely to Lincoln.
I dont believe we will see this “exact ” car from Buick , but something close to it . Buick needs a halo car that can compete with Lincoln and even Kia domestically . Cadillac’s CT6 is going for a completely different clientel so their wont be a competition between the 2 brands . Think of the Avenir as a cheap CT6 . And I dont mean the Avenir would be a cheap car in quality , just cheaper than a CT6 . And the price point would look like , a high line Buick Avenir costing the same as an entry level Cadillac CT6 . And the Buick would help with the cost of the new platform and the engineering that has already been spent on the CT6 . Two different cars going for two different markets .
Mid year 2018 as a 2019 model would give Cadillac time to establish the CT6 and perhaps Bring out the CT 8 about the same time. I know mid 2018 seems like a ling time but it gives them time to move everything slightly up and do all the nesary testing and certifications. Once Cadillac get established folks will be more willing to accept them in the Mecedes class and allow Buick to move up a little. I also agree with Robert in his assessment of what Buick needs to do but they still need this car to be complete.