Buick, On Its Way To Axing Sedans Altogether, Trims Mexico Lineup To Include Crossovers Only
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Buick Mexico’s lineup has been trimmed back to include crossover models only, with only the Encore, Envision and Enclave listed on the automaker’s website at this time.
While General Motors Mexico has yet to provide an official statement on the matter, it does seem as though the Regal and LaCrosse have suddenly been dropped from Buick Mexico’s product portfolio.
This move is in line with our belief that Buick is on its way to becoming a crossover and SUV brand. As we outlined in a previous article on this subject, the Regal is the only Buick sedan left in the automaker’s U.S. lineup and it is being built under a contract agreement with Opel, which GM sold to PSA Group in 2017. Its future is therefore uncertain, and if the Regal were to be discontinued, Buick’s lineup would consist of crossovers and SUVs only.
Additionally, Buick is not known to have any new sedans or crossovers in development. As we exclusively reported in February, the automaker’s dev engineers are currently busy working on five new crossover models that are expected to arrive before the end of 2020. Some of these new Buick crossovers will be next-generation iterations of current models, like the new Encore, while others will be all-new entries. Some will be available in both China and North America, but others will be China-only or U.S.-only products.
In addition to the next-generation Encore, this crossover/SUV offensive will also include the next-generation Envision, a new B-segment model for China, the production version of the Buick Enspire concept and the new three-row Buick Envoy.
The new Encore, which will debut as a 2020 model year vehicle, is expected to be the first of these crossovers to arrive, with a debut date set for sometime this year.
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Machete Mary must go! Her bad decisions (and I am not just talking about her choice of clothes and “hairstyles”) are killing the company. Stock will keep dropping so maybe there will be a shareholder revolt brewing soon.
*insert major eye roll*
Couldn’t agree more, James.
Jeez, James, don’t go after her hair and wardrobe.
Something more insightful, like, will Buick get rid of Cascada (actually, done), LaCrosse (done) and Regal, and become an all-SUV/CUV marque in the US … and Mexico’s the first step ….
and what that’ll mean to Buick/GMC dealerships, where it’s all trucks and SUVs …
or how Buick’s struggling with Enclave sales, and sales-star Encore is now offering incentives…
and how this Mexico move may be a precursor to a US move …
there are questions to be answered about the Barra era, but let’s leave her hair and wardrobe out of it, shall we?
Don’t let your misogyny get in the way of facts. Since Barra started in 2014, the stock has been performing well and she led GM’s investment in autonomous and electric technology and set the company up for a stable future. Just because you don’t like her cutting sedans doesn’t mean that it’s incorrect. I myself thought it was a bad idea for Ford to cut it’s entire car lineup in favor of SUVs but with the direction the market is going in, SUVs and trucks are here to stay.
Not like any of that matters to you. Based on your critique of her looks, I have a strong feeling you disliking her has more to do with her being a woman vs her business decisions.
AUTONOMOUS??? Who the heck, over the age of 35 is getting into an autonomous car anytime soon??? Its a FANTASY unless the GOV makes it the LAW & redesigns the roadways at a staggering cost!!
The roads don’t have to be redesigned. The autonomous car can already read the road and the traffic flow, just like every other driver.
From coast to coast in North America, everyone knows what a red octagonal sign looks like and what it means when you come upon an intersection. Computers can already see and recognize the same shape, and they can already slow the car to a stop.
If you can teach a human what a stop sign looks like and where to find or expect them, and what to do when you approach one, you can teach a computer to do the same thing.
Computers can learn the existing roads. The governments dont’ have to spend massively to do for autonomous car what humans already do.
#Uber “autonomous” already ran down & killed a person in the road at night. Should have been a ROUTINE event for an autonomous vehicle to avoid with night vision cams. But it FAILED the simplest of manuevers for a “computer” programmed car.
I drive part time for Uber. I can’t wait to see these genius “Autonomous” vehicles handle the 1000’s of “issues” at bars, restaurants, music halls, parking lots, etc that come up when just picking up or dropping off a rider. Gonna be a NIGHTMARE. It ain’t all easy “freeway” driving.
That accident with Uber was with prototype software, and inattentive driver, with Volvo’s safety features turned off, with a pedestrian who was jay-walking while wearing no reflective clothing on a poorly lit road.
I read the brief, and I agree with Ubers decision to settle out of court. I doubt may human drivers would do any better; even the one behind the wheel didn’t see the victim.
After all, the autonomous car has to learn to drive just as you did.
Also, Uber isn’t the leader in autonomous cars, and I wouldn’t use their one failure to marr the entirety of the multi-faceted, privately funded push for autonomous cars.
+1 Jeremy. Anyone who has a problem with the market changing in favor of SUV’s and CUV’s needs to take that up with their friends, their neighbors, and their co-workers. Next time a sedan-lover sees a lone person driving in a huge hulking Escalade in a parking lot, that sedan-lover needs to confront the driver and rant to him about how he is destroying the sedan market with his choice of vehicle.
Bad idea IMHO. First, everything (and I mean everything) is cyclical. So maybe now SUV/CUV/Crossovers are hot. But they won’t be in 2 (or 4 or 6) years. Let’s play this out: So the SUV/CUV craze is huge NOW, but in 4 years when the sedan or some other form of vehicle is then popular and Buick (GM, Ford, Chrysler) have no sedans, then what? Don’t get me wrong. I don’t think Buick needs 5 sedans, but certainly need to keep one mid-sized like the Malibu size and one larger size like the Caddy XTS. Maybe they won’t sell tons of them, but they will be there. Offer them. Make them affordable premium (better than Chevy, Honda and Toyota), but not too close to Caddy. Give them real names or keep a name people now know. Stop changing names and dropping car just to bring them back later while catching up the those who kept sedans.
With that said, I personally drive a 2018 Buick Encore. Fantastic small CUV and I like it a lot. Great MPG, great comfort and I got it at a very good price. Overall, I love it even after a year. But I’ve also been driving some form of SUV for years before they were the “in” thing. But again, everything is cyclical and the SUV craze will too come to end at some time.
Buick has bit a brick wall. Much of this is about 1) Weak brand position (the space between “premium” & luxury, 2) Poor, stale marketing, 3) Sales beside GMC AKA the other premium people mover brand.
Buick needs to move further upmarket with adverts to match. Buick needs a halo, one based off Camaro and similar to Avista in bother coupe and Sedan with the performance of Dodge Charger and Kia Stinger in kind minutes v the silly Hell Cat-marketing jazz.
Buick must keep one sedan. I don’t care where it comes from. Possibly the next Opel Insignia couple be sourced from PSA provided it is of high enough quality. When the trade war is over a Chinese import would not shock me.
This is more sad news to us CAR people. So sick of seeing nothing but 5 door “station wagons” all over the damn place and absolutely no proper sedans/coupes to look forward to. I drive a Charger RT and I’d gladly buy another. I would love a CT6-V or CTS-V for a proper sedan upgrade but I can’t afford it right now. I have absolutely no interest in a wannabe SUV and Buick has sealed the deal with keeping me out of their section of their showrooms. I’d love a true truck like a Sierra or Yukon but just can’t do a tall station wagon (CUV). If Buick were to build a CT6 based Flagship they’d get my attention, or a Camaro based coupe (call it Regal or Grand National), drop in a LT4 and I’d be first in line!
They are making a HUGE MISTAKE, I would buy and Enclave but not the rest the Envision and the Encore are real loosers. I will keep my LaCrosse and buy an Enclave maybe when the 2018-2019 start showing up on the used car lots. New ones are over priced.
@Kevin Schubert:
I can certainly agree with you that it’s a mistake. However, I’m responding because I have a real (serious) question about what you wrote. Above, you say “Envision and the Encore are real loosers.” (sic)
Why? I’m just curious because I’ve owned an Encore for a year now and it’s been a fantastic car. It does nearly everything very well and does nothing badly. In fact, I work for a Volvo and Mazda store and I can personally attest to the fact that the Encore is a much better driving car than the Mazda CX5 with better quality. It’s even to anything from Volvo but with much better reliability.
So I’m not trying to get into a verbal argument, but really curious to know why you say that.
First of all do people know that the Buick Regal sport back is a hatch back and you would never know to look at it!
I hope this not building sedans will come back and bite then on the ass! All the foreign manufactures are smacking their hands together and laughing all the way to the bank! I do not want a a suv, crossover or truck! Many people I talk to say the same!
Buick should do an experiment, fill a white space: Sport Back with glass roof that opens at the B-Pillar giving full and total access to the interior.
In addition the seats must ‘Stow and Go’ to create a flat surface. PSA does something similar but calls the sedan a wagon.
Many people still like sedans. GM must find a new way to package cars. Using the bones of LaCrosse could save R&D dollars.
It’s getting to be the time to give what’s left of Buick to the Cadillac dealers along with GMC .
There still are too many dealers to service the shrinking lineup from GM.
AVISTA AND RIVIERA!!
Why would investing hundreds of millions, maybe a billion dollars to bring TWO LOW VOLUME NICHE VEHICLES TO MARKET help Buick ?????? They might do well enough in China, but that would only make you angry.
I read alot of st***d things on these pages and this one ranks near the top!
GM has killed Buick in the U.S. it might as well join Olds, Pontiac, Saturn, and Hummer.
It almost seems that there is little difference between the CUVs at Buick and Cadillac content and price wise. Your idea makes sense. Either make all Cadillacs CUVs Alpha or Omega based, or drop Buick. As it stands now, Buick is the GM’s GEO division of the 2010s.
i think this is a move to reduce the overall number of dealers in the USA…again. Buick dealers will end up merged with GMC and Cadillac… altogether. Another cost saving measure…
Personally I quite like Buick. Moving away from sedans is probably good for their bottom line but I feel as though something is lost when they do that. Buick has an image problem- they’re “old people” vehicles- and sedans are really what defines a vehicle brand. What they need to do is redefine their design language to something that could appeal to a younger group, especially with their interiors, and they need to market their products better.
The Buick REGAL is NOT an “old people’s” car. Been driving the 2011 model for 4 years. Blows away the overpriced “Status” BMW 3-series, lexus, BenZ C-300, Infinity, Genisis. On par w Audi A4 for $15k LESS. See CR mag Auto issues 2017 & 2019.
I have owned a buick since 2000, I am a car driver, rented a century, that’s where it started, owned a lesabre, lucerne, lacrosse, tried an enclave, SUV not for me, now in a lacrosse, which I love, it saddens me that I will have to leave an American company to buy another car……
My wife has a Buick LaCrosse and I have a Buick Enclave…both are great cars and I do not understand the GM decision to discontinue the LaCrosse…I have been a faithful GM user for many years…3 Cadillacs, 4 Buick’s, 6 Pontiacs, 4 Chevys and 1 Olds….and now I need to go to a foreign sedan…Where have you gone General Motors ??
This idea of killing Buick sedans is nuts !
The other car makers are already saying they are not afraid to build sedans.
I have a 2019 Buick Lacrosse & a 2018 Buick Regal sport back, love then both.
I traded the prior Cadillac’s for the Buicks.
The leading “Consumer” magazine rates the 2017 & 2019 Buick REGAL at the TOP of their “compact luxury sedan category equal with the Audi A4 for $15k LESS. It’s ranked AHEAD of Acura TLX, Benz C-300, Genisis G70, 2 BMW 3-series AND Lexus, Infinity models in the category. Did YOU know that??? Probably NOT, because GM marketing SUCKS and has for DECADES!!! So the fine German Engineered & built Regal will go the way of the outstanding Pontiac G8 & Saturn Aura. Astounding Corp MisManagement, ignorance & incompetence.
this is one reason why I bought a Regal TourX as soon as I was able to make the trade up. It may not last another two years in the US market but being made in Germany and being 25% less expensive than a comparable BMW (that’s U.S. made btw) is a winner for my wife and I!
GM stupidity at it’s finest. Get the cars right after years of making not so great ones and then blame the consumer on why it is being phased out. They already killed off the Verano and now the Cascada and lacrosse are done. That leaves the Regal hatch and wagon as the only sedan based entries left for NA. I see zero nada zilch ads for this car or how it ranks very highly with CR as a great lower cost alternative to cars like the Audi A4 or BMW 3 Series. This just tells me that Barra could care a less and only has her one track mind set on self driving crap and all electrics at the total expense of what they currently offer.
An all SUV lineup at Buick means no more Buick’s for me, my mom or any of my friends and a continued market share drop. Are they dumb enough to actually believe that buyers will all just switch over to a CUV that currently are driving a Buick sedan? Insanity!!!!!!!!
Who else would you blame? The sedans don’t sell well enough to make a profit.
So using that logic we should also abolish all electric cars too since they sell in far lower numbers than everything else and generate little to no profit. Yeah I didn’t think so
I drive part time for Uber in a 2011, yes 2011, Regal RUSSELSHEIM. Fantastic handling car with a sharp interior. You wouldn’t believe all the UNPROMPTED comments from dozens of my riders on how great the car drove, how comfortable the back seats were and how good the car looked inside & out. Someone please advise the overpaid paycheck collectors in GM upper management & marketing. The product is solid.
I put 300,000 miles on a 1996 Buick Regal. Love, love, love that car. I had 2 Chevrolet Impalas since then. Both good cars, but not as good as my Regal. I have been shopping for another Regal. Now I know why I can’t find one. Crazy for GM to leave the US out of this market. My dad worked for Cadillac for 30 years and I try to buy Gm. But with the problems I’ve had with my Impalas and the high prices of GM products I’m actually considering a Ford.
I’ve always driven sedans and all of them but 1 were Buick’s. I LOVE my daily driver 2018 Regal Sportback and if Buick ever stops making a decent sedan, there is Audi, Lexus, BMW, Kia, Genesis, and even other GM sedans like the Malibu and Cadillac’s.
No need to cry about Buick stopping their sedan production because even if they do, there are so many other good choices.