The GMC Denali lineup, well at this point, we could call it a sub-brand, has been hugely successful. To this day, little content and flashier features mean big profits for the brand. GMC has been able to create cache with the Denali name, associating it with the finer things in life.
No, it’s not “Escalade” cache, but still, it’s a worthy name. Why are we talking about GMC when this story is about Buick? Because Avenir is being launched in the same vein.
Buick announced its intention to launch “Avenir” as its sub-brand with exclusive exterior, interior and trimmings with concept car inspiration for Avenir vehicles. We don’t know what exactly that will mean, but if Denali is anything to go on, expect extra badges and more premium appointments.
The question we’re bringing to you today is this: is the Avenir sub-brand a smart move for Buick?
It certainly has an incredibly successful blueprint in Denali. Furthermore, the Buick Avenir created a huge splash at the 2015 North American International Auto Show. It’s not a household name, but “Avenir” is definitely now associated with Buick. That’s building awareness.
As it sits, we dub the move as a smart one. Clearly, there are consumers ready to pony up for greater luxury and badge exclusivity. Where Avenir could go wrong, though, is in the execution. Too little differentiation and lack of content could make Avenir out to be a poor value proposition or worse, a glorified trim level. And even though “value propositions” aren’t the name of the game in luxury, Buick is certainly not at the stage where it can charge exorbitant price tags based on a badge.
Enough of us, though. We want to hear from you. Vote in our poll and definitely sound off in the comment section below.
Comments
The new Buick LaCrosse is the first model that has some Avenir accents. And the Hybrid version (using the Chevy Volt’s 5ET50 EDU) will be a great vehicle to get the best in quiet and smooth driving at a cost that very competitive with the ridiculously expensive imports.
Hybrid 3rd gen LaCrosse exists in China, though I doubt it will be brought to North America.
LaCrosse’s chief engineer in his video interview (posted on this website before) told they “optimized everything for a single powertrain” for North American market, indicating that he is not aware of GM bringing hybrid 3rd gen LaCrosse to North America.
LaCrosse hybrid would be a nice alternative to ES300h, IMHO, for those who want to spend less on gasoline and less frequently visit gas stations, after all.
These hydrid sedans often have limited practicality, though – just saw a person in ES300h two days ago, who confirmed that the trunk of ES300h is way smaller than that of regular ES350, and, to make matters worse, rear seats don’t fold in ES300h, pretty much removing the vehicle from a “family sedan” list in the sense of some cargo versatility, when needed.
Similar story was with 2nd gen LaCrosse eAssist (though it’s rear seats did fold, so it was not as impractical, as ES300h).
As a side note, I personally own regular 3.0 V6 2010 2nd gen LaCrosse and use it as a family sedan, which is possible with its deep (110 cm in depth with rear seats upward), though not so voluminous trunk, and folding rear seats (with child car seats being removed).
But small non-deep trunk together with non-folding seats in, say, ES300h, would be a no-go for me, personally.
With Avenir, I can see Buick becoming the Cadillac of old (full size, plush, Americana) and Cadillac moving to compete with the Germans by offering more “sporty” vehicles. I know Buick is trying to change its image and its average customer age. I don’t see Avenir doing that. And that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
I don’t understand why Buick doesn’t embrace it. Seriously. Why is it trying to chase the SAME customers as EVERY other high end?
Take old people for example. there’s millions of them. In fact there are more 60 year olds with $60k to spend on a car than 30 year olds, and no one wants them. Cadillac hates them. BMW hates them. Porsche Hates them.
When you have a brand like cadillac in your portfolio, take your Avenir, Go get the old posh people with money. Give them a nice comfortable big ride with all the fixin’s.
The problem is Buick intentionally holds itself back from having some of the luxury Items cadillac has. thats a problem. Why not target a different audience? Especially one thats underserved by the market?
I couldn’t agree more. I think Buick is trying to be Buick and Pontiac. The need to go back to being the “old man’s” car. They did it for decades and did it very well.
Since “Avenir” in this context won’t be a separate distinct vehicle, then, I suppose, it will be just a “glorified trim level”, plus, maybe, some other additional service, like a concierge service, free service / oil changes for N years or something like that.
Like GMC’s Denali and something more than “Ultra Luxury” option (with better leather and real wood) they offered on late 2nd gen LaCrosse.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I can’t imagine anything beyond these options.
Denali and Avenir is all the same thing. Added content that can be marked up more over the standard package. It all equals more profits and that is what it is all about.
To be honest the Denali Image at GMC has really grown and put an upscale light on the entire line so it may be more than just profit after all.
If this is right then the model would be..
Enclave Avenir
Envision Avenir
Encore Avenir
Lacrosse Avenir
Regal Avenir
Cascada Avenir
Leveraging whatever cachet and brand recognition the show car garnered by applying its name to some superficial trim packages on regular Buicks is just insulting. And business as usual. Way to go, Buick.
Since GM doesn’t have any cars upmarket from Buick, I think its a great move. Mercedes has Maybach, but Buick is just “Buick”.
You really would think a company like GM would have a highline brand already, but if they don’t, this sounds like a smart move to help move up market. They also need to make sure its super sporty, so it can beat out the BMWs and Audis of the world and capture all the 22 year old billionaires. Maybe they should take a slight design shift, maybe call it “Art and Science”? Be slightly edgier? Go RWD and more exclusive?
that would be amazing… A huge market potential.
GM has Cadillac upmarket from Buick and neither have any plans to produce the inspiring show cars that might’ve made status conscious luxury car buyers reconsider Buick and Cadillac. Instead we get trim levels .
There aren’t any 22 year old billionaires buying GM. Its in their progressive liberal bro code not to support the US auto industry (excluding Tesla); they’re all about redistributing US wealth across the nations. GM and what’s left of the big three primarily resonate with the Deplorables, most of whom can’t afford new cars anymore. America’s young billionaires (Moskovitz, et al) donate countless millions to keep the liberal agenda moving full steam ahead, all but assuring GMs slice of the US pie will continue to shrink. They could care less about the poorly educated unwashed masses and their patriotic attachment to domestic nameplates which in their view are essentially remnants of our country’s “shameful” past (as is the middle class).
I Know that’s right.
Almost a 50 – 50 split in the voting . It will be up to Buick to add more than extra satin chrome and badges .
Probably special wheels , maybe extra cost colors , their going to have to go to GM’s parts bin and add content that you might only see on a Cadillac . I’m a wait and see voter , it’s all in the execution of it all .
GMC surely likes what the Denali trim has done for them but this is an entirely different segment of buyers .
There surely is nothing wrong with targeting the over 50 crowd but will it be enough to get the younger crowd interested .
Time will tell .
Cooled seats, a pano roof option on the Encore, power trunks on all the sedans, power lift gate on the Encore, LED headlights, really easy things to add, the technology is there, the cost to implement shouldn’t be too much (save the bigger sunroof on the Encore) but these are features that resonate with buyers as still being upmarket even though they are quickly trickling down to the most mainstream brands.
Before they bring another division out? Maybe they should bring back Oldsmobile and Pontiac as I guarantee that those brands will have more Brand recognition than some new name plate. Just think about how much money GM wasted on marketing Saturn? Will Gm ever learn from previous mistakes? Instead of Saturn they could have easily imported or domestically built Opals for North America or they simply could have bought Toyota outright as they had enough money to do this in the 80s.