Category: Buick News

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Buick Retail Sales Swell 90 Percent in February

Regal Posts Best Month since Launch as Fuel-Efficient Turbo Attracts New Buyers

DETROIT – Buick, the fastest growing major automotive brand in the United States in 2010, delivered its 17th straight month of retail sales gains with a 90 percent increase over last February. The brand’s total February sales also improved 73 percent year-over-year, thanks in part to the increased availability of the new fuel-efficient Regal CXL Turbo.

“Buick is gaining great traction in the midsize sedan, full-size car and crossover segments, thanks in part to very positive word of mouth,” said Brian Sweeney, U.S. vice president of Buick & GMC Sales and Service. “We fully expect the arrival of the fuel-efficient LaCrosse with eAssist and all-new Verano luxury compact to attract even more new customers to the brand.”

Approximately 38 percent of Buick buyers come from non-GM brands, including nearly 18 percent come from imports, calendar year-to-date.

Regal, which has the highest conquest rate of any Buick calendar year to date at 46 percent, enjoyed its strongest sales month since its launch last spring. Regal’s retail sales in February were 55 percent higher than in January.  Regal’s total sales were up 59 percent compared to the same period – 21 percent higher than its previous highest month (December).

Regal’s recent sales gains are fueled in part by the increased availability of the all-new Regal CXL Turbo, which accounted for approximately 25 percent of Regal’s sales in February. On the open road, Regal Turbo’s 2.0-liter direct-injection four-cylinder engine delivers 220 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque, better than Acura TSX. Regal Turbo, which is now available with manual six-speed transmission, also delivers better fuel economy, with an EPA-rated 32 mpg highway.

“Regal sales are expected to grow even more with the arrival of the new Regal with eAssist and high performance Regal GS later this year,” Sweeney said.

After enjoying its strongest sales in history in 2010, Enclave is on its way to having another strong year, with retail sales up 45 percent in February compared to the same period in 2010. Total sales for the luxury crossover were up by 38 percent for the month.

LaCrosse, which Car & Driver magazine recently honored with a 2011 Editor’s Choice Award, also had a strong February, with a 28 percent increase in retail sales and a 7 percent increase in total sales.

 

 

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Buick Regal Turbo Gets Industry-First Turbo Direct-Injected Engine with Flex-Fuel Capability

PONTIAC, Mich – The 2011 Buick Regal Turbo is the first direct-injected turbocharged production car capable of running on any blend of gasoline or E85 ethanol, joining more than 5 million flex-fuel models General Motors has produced over the last 15 years.

The turbocharged Ecotec 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder engine that powers the Regal will help GM reach its goal of offering more than 50 percent of its production in flex-fuel models by the end of 2012.

Attendees at the National Ethanol Conference in Phoenix will have the opportunity to drive the Regaland the flex-fuel GMC Terrain during conference breaks today.

Compared to earlier versions of the 2.0-liter Ecotec turbo, GM powertrain engineers have significantly upgraded the new engine to accommodate both E85 and to incorporate refinements.

Since ethanol requires a richer air-fuel mixture than gasoline, flex-fuel engines need higher flow-rate injectors.  However, a flex-fuel engine can potentially have any combination of gasoline or up to 85 percent ethanol in the tank, so a sensor in the fuel system measures the blend in real-time.  This allows the engine management system to automatically adjust the mixture to provide improved performance and reduced emissions and fuel consumption.  Stainless steel fuel lines provide extra corrosion resistance to ensure that the Regal Turbo meets GM’s stringent durability requirements.

In the past, improving power output and reducing fuel consumption and emissions were often conflicting goals. By delivering fuel directly to the combustion chamber, the high-pressure injectors can now provide a more precise mixture for optimum combustion.

Turbochargers use the energy in the hot exhaust gas flow to drive a compressor that forces more air into the combustion chamber for on-demand power delivery. The twin-scroll turbocharger on the Ecotec engine provides two inlet paths to the turbine to maximize the kinetic and thermal energy delivered to the turbine.

“Lag and reduced vehicle launch response is one of the age-old concerns with previous turbo engines” said Ecotec chief engineer Mike Anderson.

“Drivers would step on the gas to accelerate and then have to wait for boost and power to be generated,” he said. “The twin-scroll turbocharger helps the engine generate power and torque when the driver needs it for passing maneuvers or merging onto a highway even at low engine speeds.”

The 2.0-liter Ecotec turbo produces 258 pound-feet of torque from 2,000 to 5,500 rpm making it feel like a much-larger V6 engine while still delivering four-cylinder efficiency.”

Other changes to the turbo engine for 2011 go well beyond the addition of flex-fuel capability.  The 2.0-liter Ecotec turbo has a new precision sand cast aluminum cylinder block that provides better durability while transmitting less noise and vibration than lost foam casting used previously.

The end result is a quieter and more refined power plant that helps the Regal achieve best-in-class levels of noise, vibration and harshness while delivering the performance expected of the best import sport sedans and the ability to operate on current and next-generation renewable biofuels.

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Families Flock to Enclave, Sales Soar

Every Second Buyer of Luxury Crossover Leaves a Non-GM Brand

DETROIT – With a baby on board and another on the way, Rick and Heather Suchocki of Surprise, Ariz., needed a new family hauler, one with enough room for strollers, playpens, diaper bags and the other necessities of a growing family.  They decided the Lexus in their driveway wasn’t cutting it anymore, and started shopping crossover utilities including luxury imports and – much to their own surprise – the 2011 Buick Enclave.

“I’d never thought about shopping Buick before, because I’d never pictured myself in their older models,” said Rick, a 41-year-old grocery store manager. “But the Enclave is designed for my generation. It has great styling and ride quality. It’s very quiet, luxurious and roomier than the other crossovers we shopped. We couldn’t get our baby seat into the back seat of the Lexus RX350, but it fit perfectly in the Enclave. It’s lived up to our expectations, and then some.”

Exceeding expectations is something at which Enclave excels. The luxury crossover enjoyed its strongest sales in history in 2010, with total sales up 28 percent, and retail sales nearly double what they were in its first year on the market. After having its best retail month ever in December, Enclave’s retail sales grew in January by 37 percent compared to the same month in 2010.

Enclave is a four-time winner of Consumer Digest’s Best Buy award, and was recently nominated for About.com’s 2011 Readers’ Choice Award in the “Best New Crossover Vehicle” category.

“As a contemporary people mover, Enclave has a high level of luxury appointments and is, at a glance, very upscale,” said George Peterson, president of AutoPacific, a marketing research and consultancy firm. “The fact that Enclave’s retail sales are so robust is testament to the appeal of the product itself and Buick as a brand as well. As the economy continues to improve, prospects for the Enclave do as well.”

Enclave has the highest “conquest” rate of any Buick, with 51 percent coming from non-GM brands, approximately half of which are import brands.

“Enclave has brought a new kind of customer to our showroom – young professionals with families who previously owned an Acura or Lexus,” said Tim Fitzgerald, general manager, Bowser Buick GMC of Pleasant Hills, Pa. “They have very high expectations for styling, interior amenities and quality materials, and they’re finding out that the Enclave delivers in all of those respects and more.”

One of the hallmarks of interior quality is quietness, and Enclave is the only crossover in its segment that benefits from QuietTuning, a Buick-exclusive engineering process that reduces, blocks and absorbs unwanted noise from entering the vehicle’s cabin. Noise-reducing components include an acoustic-laminated windshield, laminated safety glass for front doors, triple-door seals, flat-blade windshield wipers, and aerodynamic rearview mirrors.

Among Enclave’s many interior amenities are three rows of seats that accommodate up to eight passengers, offering more space than the Mercedes R-class or Acura MDX. Enclave’s second-row seats feature General Motors’ Smart Slide system, a feature that allows easy entry to the third row with the pull of one handle. With Smart Slide, the second-row seat cushion flips up while the seatback slides forward, providing more room for passengers to enter and exit the third row.

Enclave’s smooth car-like driving experience is attributed to its stiff structure, its purpose-built suspension and aerodynamic shape, the latter of which contributes to Enclave’s 24 mpg highway (2WD), which is better fuel economy than any non-GM eight-passenger crossover.

“Buick has come a long way,” said Lori Ashmore Peters, an attorney and mother of two in Dallas, who recently traded in an SUV for an Enclave. “Honestly, I had some reservations about buying a Buick at first, but the Enclave’s ride, handling, styling and amenities sold me on it. I would definitely consider Buick again.”