The news comes as a shock, but not a tremendous one, as buyers continue to shift into crossovers instead of sedans. According to Automotive News, an insider familiar with Buick product planning has let it slip that the Buick Verano will not see a new generation in the United States.
The compact Buick Verano was introduced to bridge the gap between an affordable compact car, and a luxury vehicle in 2012. The Verano found success upon its introduction, but Buick customers have shifted towards the Encore, effectively assuming the Verano’s role as an entry to luxury.
General Motors declined to comment on the matter, but stated it is “focused on selling the one we have.” A GM spokesperson added, “we have not announced plans for a next-generation Verano.”
The Verano was part of the initial “white space” motif Buick has run with for the past few years, as the brand introduced niche offerings to coax buyers into showrooms. The Buick Encore was also one of those niches, and has turned into a near segment leader.
The news may also coincide with the rumors of a D2XX based Cadillac sedan on the way. Should Cadillac pursue an aggressive price point, the Verano would have made it difficult to do so.
And so, the crossover craze claims another victim.
Comments
No shock here. I am glad they tried it but it just never really took off to what it could or should have been.
The Encore has showed where the market is today.
I’m a bit upset by this news, and I never really cared much for the Verano in its current state. The styling is a cross between dated, and not that attractive (hate the angry eyebrow tail lights). The fuel economy is also lackluster for a car of this size. I had high hopes for a replacement based on images of the Chinese spec Verano. With the Regal moving up in size, it seems like an updated second generation would have a bit more space to breath in the lineup too.
It mostly opens them up for the non overlap so Cadillac can have a premium subcompact on the D2XX platform, allowing them to place a $6K-$9k premium on it. I can see them taking the 2.0T 8AT combo from the Malibu adding IRS and ViPer Strut with better leather swathed all over. I’m thinking 4 door ELR WITH liftback design.
This isn’t good. If anything, the A3/CLA-fighter would IDEALLY be the Verano. All it needed for the next generation was comparable performance variants, a stylish exterior, and a nicer interior.
It can’t be a Cadillac. The Lexus HS was a shining example of how that works for non-German entry-lux compacts. The Germans are reaching downmarket towards Buick, Volvo, Acura, Infiniti, etc. Cadillac should not follow them.
Verano is a nice looking car. Personally I prefer the instrument panel layout and interior design in the Buicks over the direction that Chevrolet has gone. I am not a fan of the square looks of the dials and gauges. My friends from Germany that live and work here have had many different brands of cars. The wife always said she couldn’t find a car that performed like she wanted with the biggest complaint being the lack of a standard transmission in a quality car. As a GM retiree I mentioned to her husband that the Buick Verano has a standard transmission option and they were both surprised and had never considered a Buick. She has had 2 over the last 4-5 years and wants another one. They both put a LOT of miles on their vehicles for their work so they trade on a regular basis. They will be very disappointed when they hear this news.
It was a sweet little car. Too bad it wont be around for another go.
If Buick is having a hard time selling the Verano , which is a small luxury car shouldn’t that send a message to Cadillac that this part of the market would not be worth the time and expense bringing their D2XX to market as a car but instead a CUV .
Agree with this statement. I think this was a nice looking car and see quite a bit of them on the road. I keep hearing how all sedans are dying off do to the SUV and crossover faze. Are car companies really thinking that this faze will stick for decade’s and its wise to get rid of sedans. Look what happen in the mid 2000s, soon as the 2008 crash happen, you could not give away free any SUV. I just wonder how these decisions that GM and the other car companies are making now, show bad product planning say 10 years from now when and if the market taste change.
I was thinking the same thing, GM PDT. I’m certain most people are jumping to the conclusion that the demise of the Verano could make room for a D2XX-based Cadillac. But this oughta serve as proof that it’ll difficult for Cadillac to effectively compete in the sub-compact luxury segment, especially if they’re unsuccessful in moving Veranos off the lot!
Too bad about the Verano though. I was hoping GM would bring the new Opel Astra over and give the Buick treatment. And that Chinese version actually looks quite good.
Even then, I think Cadillac should be capitalizing on the Alpha and Omega architectures. Maybe they can have a D2XX CUV as a Q3/X1&2 competitor, but that needs to be the only application.
I never understood what business problem the Verano was designed to solve.
Maybe it made sense in China as the Excelle, or in Europe as the Opel Astra, but here, it was stuck between the Regal and the LaCrosse. It won’t be missed.
Actually, it isn’t and never has been stuck between the Regal or the LaCrosse. It has been under the Regal since its inception.
The problem it solves is one called the Acura ILX, previusly called TSX.
Problem is Verano Turbo outpaced Regal GS. A non-GS Buick car zooming past a GS car.
I think Astra will formally come stateside as a Buick, and that will replace Verano. Which is what Verano was, anyways.
Ok – still never made any sense to me.
The Verano is a C-Segment car. The Regal is a D-Segment car and LaCrosse is E-Segment. I think that this story is false. The second Gen Verano is gorgeous car.
Alex,Nice to hear from the one who knows.
so I guess my hopes of a Buick version of the Astra are over. At least they gave us the Cruze hatchback. No wagon though.
Or hatchback. That’d make sense to me, but Alex will correct my misbegotten opinion ?
This is the argument that critics of a potential D2XX Cadillac vehicle should use; that the US market may not be interested unless the resulting Cadillac product is a CUV featuring front-wheel or all-wheel drive.
The U.S. (or whatever other global) market IS interested in the D2 Cadillac sedan and/or hatch… much like they are interested in the Audi A3, MBZ CLA, and whatever will result from the new FWD BMW platform (probably next-gen 1 series). They are also interested in a crossover off the same platform, as well as a crossover off the Alpha platform.
The question is, how will the D2 vehicles impact the rest of the lineup? As long as the answer is to move the other vehicles up in size, luxury, and price, then it will all work out well. Audi and Mercedes are the prime examples here.
Buy an Encore. Drop a Yukon on it once. BOOM. You’ve got a Verano.
I’ve always had great respect for the Verano. At my local dealership the Verano outsells the Regal 3-1. Unfortunately, Buick sedans outside of the Midwest have little cache among the 45 and under segment. They all want little BMW’s, Mercedes, Lexus’s, Camry’s, Altima’s, Sonata’s, Mazda’s etc. Buick sedans are not on their radar.
If going for the younger buyers… you have to consider their needs. I know a young lady who bought her smaller Prius hatch for the vibrant orange as much as the fuel savings.
I believe the Verano was to get buyers into the place so that they could be upsold to pricier sedans. I didn’t feel ‘the love’ of a Verano by itself. Heck — one dealer even rolled their eyes at the prospect of an Encore VS. the ludicrously larger Enclave.
The new Buick Verano was introduced in China in April 2015, one year ago.
see http:// media.gm. com/media/ cn/en/buick/news.detail.html/content/Pages/news/cn/en/2015/april/0419_verano.html
There would have been plenty of time to introduce it on the North American market.
What does that tell us that this has not happened?
I was looking forward to the new verano without the ugly waterfall.
It makes you wonder what if Buick grafted the nose from their Avista concept car to 2017 Verano and made the 200 horsepower LWC 1.6L DOHC-4v 4-cyl turbo from the Cascada as the base motor or as a mid-range option.