More on Buick in China
By Steve Shannon
General Manager, Buick
It's great to read all your comments about Buick and its rich heritage for styling and innovation. It's funny, I was writing about just one aspect of Buick's business — China — and it appears that many are not that familiar with what is going on in the U.S.
Since 2004, we have been steadily rebuilding the Buick brand, brick by brick, with vastly improved products that signal a renewal of Buick in the U.S.
Last month, Buick introduced the most significant product in recent memory — the 2008 Enclave luxury crossover SUV. The Enclave is Buick's first luxury crossover and it is the perfect vehicle for the times. It has all the versatility, functionality, and roominess of a sport utility and the ride dynamics of a high-end luxury car. Then we add what I call the 'Buickness'. The Enclave is library quiet, has a level of interior comfort and craftsmanship not witnessed in the segment, offers luxury-like features like a rear back-up camera and HID headlights that turn with the wheel, and technologies that are relevant and easy to use such as OnStar and XM Radio. This is all shrink-wrapped in a gorgeous exterior that's romantic and timeless. We hear you on styling! Check out the Enclave!
The Lucerne has also been a key to this renaissance of Buick we are enjoying now. The Lucerne is selling strongly, and its beautiful lines are attracting some interesting tuners and customizers, like this one from Rick Bottom. We had eleven different tuners go at the Lucerne at the annual SEMA Show in Las Vegas and the results were nothing short of amazing. Even for me.
We know we cannot let up, and we won't. It is good to know that there are others out there who understand and appreciate what Buick stands for. Thanks for your comments. Please keep them coming.
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I agree that Buick has come a long way in just a few short years. I’m also glad to see that you feel that the battle is far from being won for the way I see it, Buick still has quiet a ways to go.
All in all, the overall quality seems to have really been turned up a few notches.I would have no problem buying one and trusting it’s mechanical abilities. But to be honest with you, after seeing a number of Lacrosse and Lucerne models on the road, these cars still lack the touch of finese’ that makes a mid entry luxury car appealing. More importantly, these cars are still not attracting the same kinds of buyers as those who buy Audi, BMW, Volvo, or Mercedes. They are overall good cars, but bland just the same.
These days it pays to push for that extra level of refinement not only in styling, but in the small details as well.
For one, I can understand that desire to keep some heritage elements from the old Buick, but I don’t agree that some of the key styling elements fit the current reincarnation. Like the frumpy slatted grilles that remind me too much of Grandma’s 1997 Buick Lesabre’, or the overly plastic looking front end and bumpers that don’t break up the space at all but instead sheath the whole car in a sea of bubbly plastic. This is the same styling treatments everyone is accustomed to seeing on your typical domestic car like a Taurus. it makes the cars look anonymous.
Instead, what is needed is one more push into styling refinement that truly breaks with the traditions that got Buick into trouble the last time. Forget about what Buick used to be and focus on what it can become. You’re doing a great job in China. Now bring some of that same daring to the US and watch those cars sell like hotcakes.
Hello Steve,
As a Detroiter, everytime I am in China I am proud to see a hometown nameplate.
It was a wise move to move the low end cars like the “Sail” into the Chevy fold. Good decision.
The China “LaCrosse” looks great! Why wasn’t that car also made in the states? Review that decision and try to tool it up as fast as possible. It’s already designed! Make it the fastest product launch ever.
More importantly, these cars are still not attracting the same kinds of buyers as those who buy Audi, BMW, Volvo, or Mercedes. They are overall good cars, but bland just the same.
I think you have to be careful making a statement like this edvard. You aren’t wrong in that Buick attracts a vastly different audience from those automakers, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing. I’m 26 with a family of 7 and would never set foot in a Buick dealership. There is simply no point. However, my grandmother loves her Buick. The car is extremely comfortable to ride in and gets her down the road just fine. Buick is a brand that has always been synonymous with comfort and styling, and has always skewed toward the older demographics because of that. There is nothing wrong with that skewing, especially from GM’s perspective. They are setting up Cadillac to be the Audi, MB, BMW, Infiniti fighter. Cadillac is becoming edgier and more performance oriented. While this is great for GM, it also alienates a large percentage of Cadillac’s historical buyers (funeral home directors, and those not far from needing his services). I personally believe that GM wants these displaced buyers to have a brand to turn to in Buick. Cars that are handsomely styled, richly appointed, and comfortable to cruise in. Face it, how many 65 year olds need 350 hp and a sport suspension when the fastest they’ll go is 45 mph? Not many. So while Buick may not be for you or me, I do think that it has it’s place in the GM pantheon.
Two observations. First , let’s wait with praising the Enclave until it hits the market to see how it is perceived by the market and whether it is able to take market share away from the foreign makers. You can, in your opinion, have the best vehicle out there, but if it does not sell, who cares. My concern is that potential Enclave buyers may be turned off by the look and feel of the Buick dealers who in my opinion are not yet prepared to offer selling experience expected by the higher market customers.
Regarding Lacrosse and Lucerne, these cannot be seriously considered import fighters with their lack of refinement and features buyers expect. I was considering Lucerne (just after it came out) as one of the top 3 vehicles on my list (I still have affinity to Buick). Unfortunately as hard as I wanted to convince myself into Lucerne, I could not do it. Why? – the packaging was terrible. First, the 6 cylinder engine was from the prior era while the 8 cylinder was killing me on mpg. I needed a vehicle with HID, navigation system, stability control and 6 cylinder mpg highway. Navigation system was just plain unavailable. Lucerne with the 8 cylinder was slow (0 to 60 was much higher than competitors 6 cylinder vehicles, I could not understand why). Safety rating was 4 stars only. Fit and finish was not where it was supposed to be (maybe due to this to be an early production model, but still, Buick just cannot afford that if it wants to be in the game). I went with the japanese vehicle, though I consider myself to be a GM person (just build the Buick I want, please, and I will buy it).
The difference between the Chinese and American Buicks mistifies me. Why American Buicks cannot have the flair of their Chinese counterparts, it is beyond me. What’s the explanation for this?
One suggestion – do a better job promoting the fact that Buicks offer one of the highest quality based on JD Power surveys. As I am talking to people I am amazed that nobody knows that. But how can they know it, if you do not tell them? Why not create a marketing campaign around it? For example, show a tv ad listing all the imports by their name ( BMW, Mercedes, Infiniti, Lexus, etc) and have people being asked to name top five best quality brands (select the typical clients you are after, for example if you want doctors, show a doctor being asked, if you want a successful executive, show such type). Have people name what they perceive is the correct quality order (for example, Lexus, BMW, Meecedes, Audi, Infiniti) and then in response throw in Buick in the third place(after Lexus and Caddy). Show some posters in Buick dealerships about Buick quality and how it relates to imports. Get a list of the current import owners ( except Lexus) and send them a card showing Buick ahead of their current brand. There are so many possibilities to make it big and break through people perceptions.
Good luck in 2007, do your best.
I have a question about the Lucerne…. why haven’t you ditched the 3800 and 4 speed for the 3.6 and the 6 speed as the base powertrain yet? My Mom likes the car, but I have advised her to hold out untill that issue is addressed.
That Camry is looking mighty enticing to her. You get a much more modern and refined drivetrain than with the Lucerne. Maybe not the “sophistocation” of a Buick, but you have to admit that along with sophistocation must come a modern drivetrain.
You are loosing sales on that.
Buick is a great name with a great heritage. If GM gives them the right products then Buick will make money. If GM fails Buick, then all bets are off.
Product, Product, Product. That is what this business is all about.
The Enclave is a good start. But I echo the comments here pertaining to the LaCrosse and Lucerne. Both models have styling that, while attractive, is also derivative. You don’t have to squint too hard to see the 2000-06 Taurus in the LaCrosse’s styling, though the Buick is more elegant. The Lucerne, while a successful design, looks a lot like the front of a 2000-05 Mercury Sable met the rear of the current Passat.
The 3800 has served Buick well every year since they reintroduced it in 1975. But it’s time to move on. The Impala has more standard horsepower than LaCrosse and Lucerne with of a smaller, newer, more efficient engine with VVT. The LaCrosse, at least, needs the 3.6L VVT and 6-speed as standard, with a V8 (whether the 4.6 or 5.3) as an option. The Lucerne would do well with a standard V8, but the 3.6 V6 would suffice. However, it needs the 320hp we find in the STS.
I know that both cars are riding the final incarnations of much older (ca. 1988 and 1992, respectively) platforms, so I hope that these are simply well-executed stopgap measures that will be replaced in the next 2-3 seasons.
The LaCrosse moved the needle in the right direction. But not far enough. The Lucerne moved it further still. The Enclave, if it turns out to be everything everyone’s saying it is, seems to be the first actual step back into unqualified class leadership that Buick has made in a very, very long time.
Just make very, very sure that each subsequent product follows suit, and soon.
I live in Shanghai. Every time I see a China LaCrosse I think ‘wow.’ Its big, chrome-filled, stylish, and very unapologetically American. People love this car here. I see them everywhere. I would like to buy one, and then be able to take it back to the US when we move back. When I was home in December, and saw a US LaCrosse, it looked so tired.
I am proud to see Buick doing well here. I know that you would never sell small Buicks in the US, but cars like the China LaCrosse would do GREAT.
Buick needs to take more risks!
The brand needs to shed its Old Man’s Car image so it needs to start acting like a frisky teenager!
First of all you MUST build the Buick Vellite!!! GM must not tease us with a show car as stunning as that and never build it.
How about a big rear-drive sedan with BMW handling and performance? (start with a Holden Caprice?)
Have you seen the Holden Efijy concept? Man! that would make an awesome Buick flagship coupe!!
Desirable products is what Buick needs. GM has the talent, if it allows itself to take risks it will make amazing products!
Why does my dad’s CXL v-6 Lucerne ride rougher and get lower mpg than his ‘04 LeSabre did?
The Lucerne might weigh a little more, but the mpg is lower than he expected – around 23 or 24 average mpg.
Now, dad says “I had a good car and should have kept what I had”.
Buick has indeed come a long way in a few years, but now is not the time to rest on your laurels.
Anyone who’s driven in the Enclave would agree in all the aspects of quality & finesse in interior design you’ve mentioned. However, all said and done, it’s still a lemon to drive and the Lexus LX still remains the top choice in that segment.
Your initial quality is great, but that’s because you can catch those problems on the quality station on the trim lines. You have to improve on your long term quality and that will bear out in the JD Power surveys.
And yeah, last but not the least, you have to change the focus of Buick to make it a more youth oriented brand even if your usual customers are going to keep being the majority of customers.
Call us back when we see the brochures for the new GNX. Perhaps based on the holden rear drive platform with everything from a Turbo V6 to the Firebreather Small Block V8 or even a North South version of the Northstar.
Mr. Shannon: When will you improve the equipment on the LaCrosse?
I know someone that would have bought one a year ago if it had foglights on the CXL trim level.
Why hasn’t variable valve timing been added to the 3800 with a 6-speed automatic? This would cost very little to do and make this powertrain competitive. Many buyers like the 3800 as low sales of the 3.6L powered LaCrosse illustrate. Of course adding the 6-speed auto to the 3.6L would help.
There is no excuse for not upgrading the equipment level on the LaCrosse and Lucerne. Most of the equipment is available on the platform and just needs to be offered on lower trim levels. As a GM shareholder I am very disappointed that this has not already happened. Plummeting sales of the LaCrosse are proof enough that your current equipment offerings are unacceptable and are causing financial loss.
The 5.3L from the Impala SS attached to the 6-speed auto would be a better choice for the Lucerne since it has a better torque curve. It will also deliver 28 to 30 MPG in real world highway driving.
Buick must start advertising the high JD Power quality numbers that Buick has had for over ten years. It is the highest rated brand that has an affordable lineup. You cannot get more quality at a better price than Buick.
Fix the equipment issues and advertise a long quality history and Buick sales will improve.
Add the Velite, Electra (Statesman), Gran Sport and EFIJY to the lineup and Buick could be the most profitable GM division.
It will also give Buick a lineup worthy of the 60’s tagline “Wouldn’t you really rather have a Buick”
Most importantly it allows Buick to increase conquest sales as the new Saturn Aura has shown when the product has the style and content the market demands it will sell.
I don’t understand the delay on the Velite. It got rave reviews and had guys under 30 like me salivating for a Buick.The crowd at the auto show looking at the Velite was young. Successful men who don’t want a Saab or BMW, and want to drive an upscale American convertible that has room for 4-5 people. I don’t understand why Buick greenlights the Terrazza and the Rainier, but can’t produce a convertible. The Pontiac g-6 is not an alternative. Even a Lucerne convertible would be great. Vazir, have you driven the Enclave? How can you say what you did? Also, Buick is one of the top performing nameplates in long term quality.
I did some research into inline6’s comment that the Lucerne rides on a chasis dating back to 1988 or 1992, and boy is he right……
YIKES!
That is scarry. My Mom doesn’t like the sound of that. I was in high school when those cars were new (now wait – who’s dating themselves here?)
C’mon, GM. I guess you’re waiting for the kappas or deltas or whatever Neo-Greco alphabet nomenclature you call the chasis today to come up. Whatever the case is, those cars still need updating.
Of course the Chinese are buying Buicks. The Chinese Buicks are big, cool, and RWD, just like the cars that made Buick and GM great.
So when do we Americans get some of those?
I have a 2006 Lucerne and love it. Few suggestions.
express up and down windows
all wheel drive. Please!
Blue Tooth Telephone
Electronic tilt & Telscopic Wheel.
Smaller turn radius
5 or 6 speed transmission,
Buick needs to get the Lucerne out to the average consumer. Also, a six-speed transmission is a must and can’t understand why Buick has not placed it in the Lucerne yet.
One other major difference between Buick in China and Buick in the US: you almost never see a Buick taxicab. In China, the taxi is the US equivalent of a rental fleet car. To a Hertz customer, a Lacrosse or Lucerne is no different from a Ford Taurus. So get the LaCrosses and Lucernes out of the rental fleets and you’ll go a long way towards making Buick something people want to own again.
The Enclave has to be one of the most striking and beautiful designs in years. There is nothing on the import or domestic side that emulate it’s combination of elegance and strength. I believe it will be a percpetion changer for Buick. I’m glad the Tiger commercials have Tiger out of his golf duds and dressed stylishly….it matches the attitude of the vehicle perfectly. Way to go Buick…
People are crazy if they think
the Chinese Buicks are better than ours.
That said, Lucerne needs to be replaced on the Zeta chassis with AWD, and LaCrosse needs to go to a widened, lengthened Epsilon
RIGHT AWAY. You’ve cut the minvans, so spend some money on improving those core products. A more luxurious Lucerne should bear the name Electra, just like things used to be. Buick needs a 5-seat crossover, a shortening of Enclave, so there should be at least 5 Buicks. A Coupe/Conv Riviera off a shortened Zeta would be an awesome finisher.
Mr. Shannon: Can you explain why LaCrosse sales dropped 28% last month (Dec. ‘05 vs. Dec. ‘06) and 23% (2005 vs. 2006)?
This is unacceptable and a result of poor equipment selection that can and should have been corrected.
The LaCrosse CX has the content of the old Century Custom, which is tolerable but should have more available options.
The CXL omits the standard features (Fog Lights) of the Regal LS that it replaced in the market. Also omitted are critical luxury features such as navigation system and a 6-speed automatic.
The CXS is expensive, does not have the torque of the Regal GS and also omits the nav system and 6-speed automatic.
When will a proper 8-way power seat with (2) two-position memory and power recline be standard?
Why not put the Sierra 12 way power seats in LaCrosse CXL and CXS. It is sad when a truck has better seats than a luxury sedan.
And please I do not want to hear about how great a 2012 LaCrosse will be.
Fix what is on the market today.
The noted content problems could be fixed by the end of 2007 but GM will not correct them and Toyota will sell Camry and Avalon cars to disappointed Buick buyers.
Toyota will again boost its sales at the expense of GM.
A little wake up call – most of these buyers will never come back once they are lost.
The 1,096 LaCrosse buyers lost in December and the 21,597 buyers for 2006 did not buy a Lucerne in place of a LaCrosse. They probably bought a Camry or Avalon since those cars offer Fog Lights, memory seats, navigation systems and many other features that are not available on the Buick models.
Lucerne sales were up a meager 1.7% Dec ‘05 to ‘06.
These cars need immediate attention to boost sales (retail sales in particular).
If sales do not improve soon the Enclave will be handicapped with a low residual that will hamper initial sales.
The time for action is now, the question is will GM take action or think up more excuses?
Sorry to be harsh, but I would like to buy a new Buick but until these items are fixed, Buick is off of the consideration list.
well, buick seems to be a top seller in china, yet gm complains about big losses in the us. what is the problem then? is it just a cry for more sales here? i doubt that gm closing plants here is going to make gm’s expansion into china any less productive.
I am still driving my Riveria waiting for a new Buick that has the style and flair I want. BUILD THE VELLITE People still tell me how beautiful the Riv is and then some ask what make it is. They always seem surprised when I say its a Buick and disapointed when I tell them it is no longer made. I have had 8 Buicks and I want to be able to buy #9, all you have to do is make it.
Byron – Seattle
I wish GM would say something about a coupe of convertible for Buick. We got all excited about the Velite and then nothing. No announcement about production. All we hear is that this car will have Velite cues, and be inspired by Velite. How about just the Velite?
I am 63, and I don’t think I will ever be old enough to want a Buick. Yet I see pictures of the Chinese Buicks and get excited. Why has Buick virtually abandoned the US buyer who wants good handling, good performance, and all the luxury touches? Buicks are just not desirable cars in the US and have not been for many years. GM needs to drop Buick in this country, and use the money saved to develop Chevies, Pontiacs, and Cadillacs that are relevant to today’s drivers. Buicks need to go the way of Oldsmobile. For the record, I drive an Acura TSX, exactly the type of car that Buick could have built, but it is now too late.