Tag: featured

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Buick Retail Sales Flourish in April, Up 35 Percent

Demand for fuel-efficient vehicles propel Buick’s 19th straight month of sales gains

DETROIT – Buick achieved its 19th consecutive month of retail sales gains in April, growing 35 percent year over year with total sales up 51 percent. The brand’s sales to individual customers also have increased 45 percent and its total sales are up 43 percent, calendar year to date.

“Luxury car and crossover shoppers as well as our dealers have made Buick the fastest-growing major automotive brand in the United States,” said Brian Sweeney, U.S. vice president of Buick & GMC Sales and Service. “With more new models coming to our showrooms this year, we expect Buick’s momentum to continue.”

Buick also is the fastest-growing brand among African-Americans, according to a recent Polk report. Buick increased annual registrations among African-American car buyers by more than 72 percent in 2010 – nearly 20 percentage points higher than its nearest competitor.

Interest in Buick is on the rise among consumers in general. At Main Street in Motion, a touring test-drive event that pits Buick against other brands, exit polls revealed that public opinion of Buick improved by 125 percent and purchase consideration improved by 65 percent.

Retail sales of LaCrosse increased 5 percent in April, with total sales up 8 percent. The full-size sedanrecently received a five-star overall safety rating in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s New Car Assessment Program. LaCrosse sales are expected to grow even more this summer with the introduction of the 2012 LaCrosse with eAssist™, which is expected to deliver class-leading highway fuel economy of 37 mpg.

With crossovers gaining in popularity, Enclave momentum continued to grow in April with retail sales up 6 percent and total sales up 14 percent, year over year. One reason for the Enclave’s sales success is its fuel economy, 24 mpg highway (2WD), which is better than any eight-passenger crossover.

Enclave, a four-time winner of Consumer Digest’s Best Buy award, has the highest conquest rate of any Buick, with 48 percent coming from non-GM brands. Approximately 40 percent of all Buick buyers come from non-GM brands and 18 percent come from imports.

In April, Buick markets with year-over-year increases included Miami, Houston and Boston.

“It’s pretty amazing,” said Mark Nazaradi, general manager of Williamson Buick Cadillac GMC in the Miami area. “Just about every Buick buyer we see is trading in a Lexus, BMW or other import brand.”

One year after its launch, demand for Regal continued to accelerate in April, with retail sales up 19 percent and total sales up 24 percent month over month.  The boost reflects increased availability of the all-new Regal CXL Turbo, which accounted for 32 percent of the sport sedan’s retail sales in April. The turbo’s 2.0-liter direct-injection four-cylinder engine delivers better horsepower and torque than the Acura TSX, and with its manual six-speed transmission, it also delivers better fuel economy with an EPA-rated 32 mpg highway.

The Regal lineup will grow in the second half of the year with the introduction of the high- performance 2012 Regal GS and fuel efficient 2012 Regal eAssist.

 

 

Posted on by — Leave a comment

One Year Later, Buick Regal Still Turning Heads

Blend of contemporary styling and high quality attracting import owners

DETROIT – Jaclyn Yuppa of Atlanta considers herself an early adopter. The 31-year-old Duke MBA and Fortune 50 marketing professional favors handbags by new, lesser-known designers, likes to try the latest niche cuisine before it goes mainstream, and prefers driving a car that isn’t commonplace. That’s why she recently traded her Mercedes for a new 2011 Buick Regal luxury sport sedan.

“The Regal turns heads,” Yuppa said of her experiences driving around Atlanta’s uptown Buckhead district. “Complete strangers have told me what a great-looking car it is. They’re usually pleasantly surprised to find out that it’s a Buick.”

Yuppa is like many new-to-Buick owners in that she cross-shopped luxury imports, but was won over by the Regal’s luxury amenities, contemporary styling, fuel efficiency, overall high quality and value. In many cases, Regal, which launched from Germany one year ago this month and is now produced in Canada, is the first domestic vehicle these buyers have considered, much less owned. By early 2011, one in three Regal buyers was trading in an import vehicle, according to Power Information Network (PIN) data.

“The addition of nicely styled, more efficient, fun-to-drive products like the Regal opens Buick up to consideration by a completely different set of buyers,” said George Peterson, president of AutoPacific, a marketing research and consultancy firm. “They will tend to be younger, and young-at-heart, more adventuresome and more enthusiastic about the cars they drive. The fact that the Regal is attracting these people to the brand shows Buick is on the right track.”

Consumer interest in Buick, the fastest-growing mainstream automotive brand in the United States, is on the rise. At Main Street in Motion, a touring test-drive event that pits Buick against other brands, exit polls revealed that public opinion of Buick improved by 125 percent and purchase consideration improved by 65 percent.

Another recent convert to Buick is Joshua Hutchison, a 23-year-old Kentucky Wesleyan College graduate and software engineer who chose Regal over cars made by VW, Toyota and Nissan.

“When I was looking at cars with my friends they tried to steer me toward foreign automakers, but the Regal is the absolute perfect car for me. I love it,” said Hutchison, who drives 70 miles a day commuting between Kentucky and Indiana. “I spend a lot of time in my car, so comfort is key. The Regal rides as smooth at low speeds as it does at high speeds, and handles like a sports car without having a sports car’s rough-riding suspension.”

Regal’s chassis and structural systems deliver a dynamic driving experience on par with the best import sport sedans in the segment. This solid structure and Regal’s relatively long wheelbase support more precise suspension tuning without losing the quiet, refined ride and road manners expected of a Buick. In addition, Regal’s firm, highly bolstered seats were benchmarked against the top import competitors for comfort and support.

On the Regal Turbo, the available Interactive Drive Control System changes the driving dynamics by altering suspension, shift pattern and steering sensitivity through the variable effort steering system. Tour mode offers a comfortable, relaxed driving experience for long journeys. Sport mode enhances road-holding capability. And the standard, or default, mode is optimized for all driving situations.

When equipped with a six-speed manual, Regal Turbo gets an EPA-rated 32 mpg on the highway, which is better than the Acura TSX and Volkswagen CC Sport. On the open road, Regal Turbo’s 2.0-liter direct-injection four-cylinder engine delivers 220 hp and 258 lbs-ft of torque – also better than its rivals.

With its sweeping silhouette, coupe-like profile and sculpted body lines, Regal exemplifies Buick’s contemporary design aesthetic also embodied in the 2011 Enclave crossover, LaCrosse full-size sedanand the upcoming 2012 Buick Verano compact luxury sedan. Regal’s fenders, for example, are flared to wrap around the tires.

“Regal has a very athletic stance, which is the opposite of what people expect from Buick,” said David Lyon, executive director, global design. “The mix of aerodynamic sheet metal and contemporary sculptural elements make Regal look dynamic even when it’s parked. The look gives Regal a signature like nothing else on the road – an individuality that car buyers are attracted to. People can expect to see more of that from Buick going forward.”

 

 

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Buick Sales in China Surpass 3 Million Since 1999

Shanghai – Shanghai GM announced today that sales of Buick products have surpassed 3 million units since the joint venture began offering its original vehicle brand in 1999.

Buick has become one of China’s fastest-growing passenger car brands. With Shanghai GM’s rollout of its new Buick brand strategy in 2008, sales have increased by more than 100,000 units annually.

Shanghai GM has introduced the Buick Intelligent Performance (BIP) system, which merges European-style suspensions and powertrains with American vehicle communication systems. It is enabling Shanghai GM’s Buick portfolio to fully meet the demands of domestic consumers for products that can handle varying road and weather conditions, lower fuel consumption and emissions, and provide improved performance.

This is in line with Shanghai GM’s Drive to Green strategy.  The adoption of technologies such as intelligent direct injection has greatly improved the efficiency of Buick products built and sold in China.

Buick has more than 400 4S stores across China and offers the award-winning Buick Care aftersales service brand. Shanghai GM’s design partnership with GM’s Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center (PATAC) joint venture in Shanghai has resulted in the development of a series of new and upgraded Buick models including the Excelle GT and XT passenger cars and all-new GL8 luxury MPV.

At Auto Shanghai 2011, Shanghai OnStar announced the introduction of a mobile app that will enable Buick owners who subscribe to activate all of the functions on a traditional vehicle key fob – remote start, horn and lights, and door lock/unlock – securely from their smart phones.

Shanghai GM is a joint venture between GM and Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. Group (SAIC). It builds, imports and sells a comprehensive range of Buick, Cadillac and Chevrolet products.  In 2010, Shanghai GM became China’s first passenger car maker to sell 1 million vehicles in a single year.  It ended the year with domestic sales of 1,033,307 vehicles.