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  • William Maley
    William Maley

    By William Maley •

    Buick Envision: To Import or Not Import?

      Buick Has Some Tough Questions to Answer With Bringing the Envision Over

    If there is one vehicle that Buick dealers would like, it would be a model to slip between the subcompact Encore and full-size Enclave crossovers. Buick does have such a model, the compact Envision crossover which has been on sale in China since last year. In fact, some Buick dealers were polled about this very vehicle back in 2013. Two years on, many are scratching their heads as to why the Envision isn't here.

     

    "It would fit perfectly in the Buick lineup at a time when crossover sales are growing fast. I'm sure a lot of Buick dealers wish they had it today," said Jack Nerad, executive market analyst at Kelley Blue Book.

     

    Now many believe that the Envision will be coming to the U.S. sometime next year. According to Automotive News, it's likely that the Envision will be imported from China. This will likely be GM's first Chinese vehicle to be imported to the U.S.

     

    But there are some complications to this. First, General Motors is in the middle of negotiating a new contract with the UAW. Union leaders would likely balk at the decision of importing a vehicle from China.

     

    Buick is also trying to satisfy the growing demand for crossovers in China. In the first half of 2015, Buick has sold 57,413 Envisions. This puts sales of the Envision on track to over 100,000 units at the end of year. This could mean a limit of how many Envisions can be exported from the Shandong province plant in China.

     

    Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

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    regfootball

    if it looks like that turd, no, its not good enough to succeed here in a big way........

     

    I hadn't been on here recently for a couple weeks because my dad passed away. Before that event, he had desired to get a Passat TDI.  He left instructions for mom to do as she wish but that they determined they would trade the DTS and S-10 and get one newer vehicle.  So I've been helping mom start to determine what SHE wants......she wants a crossover for ability to haul boxes and the taller seat height.

     

    She loves the new Terrain my aunt has.  I showed her the Equinox, she likes that too.  (She didn't like the looks of the Encore although that would be PERFECT for her in her cramped condo parking garage.  I have no plans to show her a Captiva.

     

    What I am finding out is for GM lifers there is not much of a path from the Terrain and Equinox to the SRX (which she probably can't afford).  Buick's volume is in the tank and they desperately need something to represent in the segment where imports are starting to dominate and where Edges and Escapes sell in bunches too.  A buick 2 row crossover that is Terrain or Edge sized would fill the gap rightly.  

     

    BMW is going to go nuts unloading zillions of X1's...i know that may be smaller than the Terrain etc. but BMW will clean up in price points where something like this Buikc could jump in and be a needed godsend for all the Buick dealers.  It may even save the brand.

     

    Buick can't live on just the extremes of the small Encore and the huge Enclave

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    oldshurst442

    Buick needs a CUV in between the Encore and the Enclave....but not this Envision....I envision (cool pun, huh?) a CUV sporty with  European flair...not Chinese flair...

     

    4737927042085142835.jpg

    7553258564284646.jpg

     

    These are of a future Opel SUV rendering I found....THIS is kinda the look that the North American Envision and Enclave should follow through with...a family of CUVs and SUVs that follow this form...

     

    There is a tad of Buick Avenir in that...the article says that Opel's Monza concept is very inherent in that design...

     

    http://www.worldcarfans.com/115031090283/future-opel-flagship-suv-rendered

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    ZL-1

    What I read on the other GM forum was that the new Opel CUV (NG Opel Antara) was supposed to be the "Opel-ified" Envision, but it was apparently cancelled and sent back to the drawing board... I don't know if that means the US will skip this generation of the Envision, or if it will be imported from China just to add a few sales and have a presence in the segment until a NG appears...

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    frogger

    Very bland looking thing, hopefully something better is in store than that for NA.. Encores can get up there in price so to price out higher than that, it needs to have some "flair" as others mentioned.

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    ccap41

     

     

    I will not support a Chinese imported Buick.

    +1

     

     

    Haha, dude you realize there's an actual +1 button on these forums..?

     

    YES! but I wanted to put emphasis and let you know IIIII did that.  lol

    • Agree 2
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    cp-the-nerd

     

     

     

    I will not support a Chinese imported Buick.

    +1

     

     

    Haha, dude you realize there's an actual +1 button on these forums..?

     

    YES! but I wanted to put emphasis and let you know IIIII did that.  lol

     

     

    Yeah but you still didn't click the button! MY REPUTATION IS AT STAKE.

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    ccap41

     

     

     

     

    I will not support a Chinese imported Buick.

    +1

     

     

    Haha, dude you realize there's an actual +1 button on these forums..?

     

    YES! but I wanted to put emphasis and let you know IIIII did that.  lol

     

     

    Yeah but you still didn't click the button! MY REPUTATION IS AT STAKE.

     

    Hahaha Wow, I really thought I had already done then and then I was like, fk it. I want to add the "+1" to put emphasis.. and completely forgot about the actual click! :banghead:

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    ocnblu

    Olds 442 has posted a sweet render.  It even has a sweepspear.  All it needs is a proper waterfall grille and some ventiports and it would be a winner here in the states.  The Chinese Envision is absolute milquetoast... somehow off in a hard-to-pin-down way.  Like a Chinese knock-off of a Buick.

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    Drew Dowdell

    Olds 442 has posted a sweet render.  It even has a sweepspear.  All it needs is a proper waterfall grille and some ventiports and it would be a winner here in the states.  The Chinese Envision is absolute milquetoast... somehow off in a hard-to-pin-down way.  Like a Chinese knock-off of a Buick.

     

    Ive always liked the interior of the Chinese Envision, but the exterior looked like just another Vue-ick.   I see lots of Captiva in it. 

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    oldshurst442

     

    Olds 442 has posted a sweet render.  It even has a sweepspear.  All it needs is a proper waterfall grille and some ventiports and it would be a winner here in the states.  The Chinese Envision is absolute milquetoast... somehow off in a hard-to-pin-down way.  Like a Chinese knock-off of a Buick.

     

    Ive always liked the interior of the Chinese Envision, but the exterior looked like just another Vue-ick.   I see lots of Captiva in it. 

     

    Thanx BLU for the credit...

    Ive seen interior pictures of the Chinese Envision and I too, think its a snazzy interior.

    One thing I like about Chinese Buicks...is that the interiors are nicely done.

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    regfootball

    Bad news. Saw this local newspaper this morning print edition and its online. The bad PR is already cemented

    http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN0QN21E20150818

    X2. We need the envision to ditch echoes of VUE / captiva

    Olds 442 has posted a sweet render.  It even has a sweepspear.  All it needs is a proper waterfall grille and some ventiports and it would be a winner here in the states.  The Chinese Envision is absolute milquetoast... somehow off in a hard-to-pin-down way.  Like a Chinese knock-off of a Buick.

     

    Ive always liked the interior of the Chinese Envision, but the exterior looked like just another Vue-ick.   I see lots of Captiva in it.

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    ocnblu

    Buick, the absolute bedrock genesis of General Motors, the iconic number one US automaker forever... sending the lion's share of production overseas.  Enough to make one puke.

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    oldshurst442

    Buick, the absolute bedrock genesis of General Motors, the iconic number one US automaker forever... sending the lion's share of production overseas.  Enough to make one puke.

    To be fair...

    Buick sales in Asia are @  about 1 000 000 units...combine Opel sales of the cars that Buick sells States side and that figure surpasses 1 000 000...by at least another 200 000.

     

    Buick sales States Side....220 000 units....that would be 1 000 000 units that GM sells more OUTSIDE the US for those very same Buicks...

     

    Let us not forget...that Oldsmobile also sold 1 000 000 units at one point in time...

    What does that mean?

    I dont know...alls I know...Buicks that are sold in America are Chinese based and German based cars....in which the world is gobbling them up at Oldsmobile breaking records...Its good that Buick has moved the emotion meter States Side...but Buick needs more emotion from the domestic buying public if it wants Buick to be continued to be sold here...because we all know what happened to that other once great American nameplate from GM's umbrella that also sold 1 million units...

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    hyperv6

    First you need to consider that GM is going into talks with UAW and CAW. What better leverage for Ingersoll or Oshawa than a Buick SUV. Word is the Terrain is moving to Springhill last I heard so that would open a slot.

    As for the other Buicks like the Regal I would not be surprised if it is used as leverage or even moved to Germany as it originally was produced there. Opel could use the plant volume and the price point would permit it to be done.

    I believe there is much more to this than what we are being told. All the Automakers are holding their cards to make deals here soon and new products are the Trump cards. {not the Don}

     

    If they bring a SUV in from China like this the volume would be very small. I also do not think the profits from there would be all that great either. Lets face it GM does not own all the company in China and would have to share revenue. In Korea they own it all but not China. What is it 46%?

    Edited by hyperv6
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    Drew Dowdell

    First you need to consider that GM is going into talks with UAW and CAW. What better leverage for Ingersoll or Oshawa than a Buick SUV. Word is the Terrain is moving to Springhill last I heard so that would open a slot.

    As for the other Buicks like the Regal I would not be surprised if it is used as leverage or even moved to Germany as it originally was produced there. Opel could use the plant volume and the price point would permit it to be done.

    I believe there is much more to this than what we are being told. All the Automakers are holding their cards to make deals here soon and new products are the Trump cards. {not the Don}

     

    If they bring a SUV in from China like this the volume would be very small. I also do not think the profits from there would be all that great either. Lets face it GM does not own all the company in China and would have to share revenue. In Korea they own it all but not China. What is it 46%?

     

    I understand there are plenty of spots of Oshawa now.

     

    I see most of the pearl clutching is over Buicks being built in China, but I think the biggest advantage to GM is building them in Europe.  They already have 30% to 40% excess capacity in their EU factories, so what better way to fill them than with a premium product that is relatively low volume.  Building Regals in Russelsheim would be a rounding error for that plant (it used to produce Astras).

     

    Apparently the SRX is moving from Mexico to Springhill along with an unnamed GMC mid-size crossover.    Unless there are other products going in to the Mexico plant, I can see the Envision being built there and GM just (Le)sabre rattleing China at the UAW.

    I think the only way a Chinese built car (and especially a Chinese branded car) sells in the USA is if it is dirt cheap.  a made in China car is a tough sell. 

     

    How many people really know where their car is built?   Most german SUV buyers think their car was built in Germany without question.  I can just hear the gasps of denial if they were told their "Ultimate Driving Machine" or their "Best or Nothing" was built in North Carolina or Alabama respectively. 

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    regfootball

    What I hate here, using the buick suv as a plant bargaining chip. How it should work, clearly there is a market need for the buick dealers, get it to market instead of delaying it and using it as a tool.

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    Cmicasa the Great
    While I hope to hell this is all false. I have to ask. Why is it OK to buy vehicles made in Japan, Europe, and Korea then? Outside of the quality fears, what exactly is the motivation behind people being hypocritical on this matter? Personally I hate all of them. But what we have here is the possibility of an American company selling us foreign made product versus a Foreign company selling us Foreign made product. 

     

    Just asking. Its like my confusion as to why so many Americans hate the UAW, yet to get back at GM, Ford, and Chrysler, decided to buy a VW, BMW, or Benz despite them being made by a Union that is much more Gov't intertwined than our own auto union. 
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    ccap41

     

    While I hope to hell this is all false. I have to ask. Why is it OK to buy vehicles made in Japan, Europe, and Korea then? Outside of the quality fears, what exactly is the motivation behind people being hypocritical on this matter? Personally I hate all of them. But what we have here is the possibility of an American company selling us foreign made product versus a Foreign company selling us Foreign made product. 
     
    Just asking. Its like my confusion as to why so many Americans hate the UAW, yet to get back at GM, Ford, and Chrysler, decided to buy a VW, BMW, or Benz despite them being made by a Union that is much more Gov't intertwined than our own auto union. 

     

    There is a difference between China quality and Japan, Eurpoean, Korean quality. Also, my opinion at least, Those other contries aren't basically slave driven. The chinese govn't does what it wants to do within its borders. There has been for as long as I can remember. And to help our that country with our purchasing dollars, in my books, is a no go. Small things are easy to just say screw it and buy. A $20/30/40/50,000 vehicle.. no thanks. I can' buy cheaply made stuff elsewhere and give my purchasing dollars to a government I at least don't hate.

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    regfootball

    Build it where the Captiva is/was built.  The UAW will still hate that, but at least it isn't built in China.

     

    Was that Spring Hill?

     

    MexicoSorry for your loss Reg.

    Thanks Drew. I will miss Sunday night chats on the phone with him about GM metal and other cars.

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