Buick Verano Sales Total 494 Units In May 2017

Buick Verano sales decreased in the United States and in Canada during May 2017 as dealers continue to sell out of the remaining inventory of the discontinued model.

Buick Verano Sales – May 2017 – United States

Buick Verano deliveries in the United States totaled 494 units in May 2017, a decrease of 76 percent compared to 2,070 units sold in May 2016. In the first five months of 2017, sales of the premium compact sedan decreased 74.7 percent to 3,211 units.

Sales Numbers - Buick Verano - May 2017 - United States

Buick Verano Sales – May 2017 – Canada

In Canada, the Verano recorded 172 deliveries in May 2017, a decrease of just under 80 percent compared to 837 units sold in May 2016. In the first five months of the year, Verano sales totaled 1,374 units in Canada, a decrease of 57.5 percent compared to the first five months of 2016.

Sales Numbers - Buick Verano - May 2017 - Canada

The GM Authority Take

Production of the Buick Verano was discontinued for North America at the GM Lake Orion factory in 2016, and the sales figures observed in the months following its discontinuation — including these results for May — represent the sell-off or remaining vehicles in dealer inventory.

Meanwhile, GM launched an all-new, second-generation Verano in China in 2016. However, the automaker did not do so for North America. In September 2016, a GS variant of the new model was spotted undergoing testing at GM’s Milford Proving Grounds, presenting a slight amount of hope that the second-gen Verano will make its way to North America at some point in the future. Now, almost a year later, any hope for an American-market second-gen Verano has dwindled.

China-market 2016 Buick Verano

One factor that be playing against the Verano’s future in North America is associated with the rise in popularity of crossover utility vehicles at the expense of sedans such as the Verano. Another circumstance potentially preventing the introduction of the second-gen Verano in North America is GM’s recent sale of its Opel-Vauxhall division to PSA Group. Opel was responsible for the majority of engineering work on the Verano, its European platform mate — the Opel Astra family — along with the Delta 2 platform on which the vehicles are based. For its part, GM has stated that its sale of Opel will not hinder its product development plans.

And one final reason that GM has decided against replacing the Verano in North America is a future Cadillac model that would be in the same segment as the second-generation Verano. Last year, we reported that Cadillac is working on a new compact sedan to slot below the Cadillac ATS replacement. Expected to wear the Cadillac CT1 or Cadillac CT2 nameplates, the model is rumored to ride on the same D2 platform as the second-gen Cruze and Chinese-market Verano, and compete with the likes of the Audi A3, Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class, and the next-gen Mercedes-Benz A-Class sedan. As such, we wouldn’t hold our breath for the second-gen Verano to reach American shores.

Reporting by Francisco (Frankie) Cruz. GM Authority Take analysis by Alex Luft.