Back From The Dead: Buick Excelle Returning To China
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Buick China has reversed its decision to kill off the popular Excelle nameplate and announced a new model will head to showrooms.
The Buick Excelle, not to be confused with the Excelle GT, was always one of the brand’s most affordable models and started around $13,000. In 2016, Buick announced the Excelle would depart after 13 years of production.
The brand was light on details surrounding the reincarnated Excelle, but the small sedan always shared underpinnings with Daewoo and the Opel Astra. It’s unclear what underpins the new car with Opel out of General Motors’ control. We do see some resemblances to the Chevrolet Cruze, however.
Buick did note the modern design, which adopts the brand’s latest styling motifs. They include the winged grille element and Avista-looking grille assembly. The car is also 0.43 inches longer than its previous Excelle, which led to a wider body.
Details on the Excelle’s launch weren’t provided in the announcement, but the car should find a lot of love. Since 2003, Buick has sold nearly 3 million Excelles in the country.
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Now bring the Verano back to North America please…
With Ford and FCA going mostly out of the sedan business maybe GM sedan sales will go up. One can only hope
That is classier looking than any other front drive compact offered for sale in the U.S. by General Motors… or any other manufacturer for that matter.
So much better than Cruze. Capable of competition with Civic which looks very upmarket these days.
Looks to me like a rebadged Chevrolet Cavalier (the new Chinese version), which is based on the first gen Cruze.
The Chinese-market Cavalier is not based on the first-gen Cruze.
It’s based on a mix of D2 and a China-specific architecture, officially known as the GM-PATAC Platform K. Info:
http://gmauthority.com/blog/gm/gm-platforms/gm-patac-k/
OK. Still based on the Cavalier though.
I believe they do share the GM/Patac K platform. Reached out to GM China for official clarification. Will write back if/when I hear back.
Buyers in the United States saw Buick’s Verano as being an expensive version of the Chevrolet Cruze; but it might have been different if Buick had something else under the hood like the LWC 1.6L DOHC-4v 4-cyl turbo from the Cascada as it would have gave Verano buyers something Cruze owners could only dream about.
Not sure anyone realized that the Verano and Cruze were related…
The Verano had something Cruze owners dreamed about – the LTG 2L turbo four. I disagree that the first-generation Cruze and Verano were badge-engineered. They shared a platform, automatic transmissions and perhaps rear windows. They had different engines, interiors and body panel. The 1.6L should have been a big part of the Verano’s 2014 mid-cycle enhancement that it never got. I keep hoping Buick brings the second-gen hatchback to the US, especially the GS trim.
The Excelle’s platform is the one that the future Opel Corsa should have to use…