After '10 LaCrosse, what else is coming?

[buickguy]

I'm wondering since GM says it will focus on Buick and make Pontiac a niche brand, what is next for Buick, since Saturn and Saab look like history.

1. Will the G-6 convertible and Saab convertible become a Buick ragtop?

2. Will the Vue become the Rendezvous?

[wildcat]

I'm not so sure that Saturn will be "history." GM sends mixed, confusing, and confounding signals, especially with its present financial crisis. What LaNeve said (there are options for Saturn) most recently contradicts what Lutz said (too many brands, inferior marketing).

At the same time, what PCS predicted still seems plausible (Pontiac eventually out, Saturn in its place in the B-P-G channel).

What I'd like to know is has GM officially announced that future Buicks will share design language with Opel, or has someone assumed this because of the Chinese Regal? If it is official, will Buicks adopt Opel's design cues or vice-versa, or do they mean, more generally, that each will stem from a "flowing" and "beautiful" idea? It wouldn't be appropriate to, for instance, give Buick's sweepspear to Opel. Will Buicks be blatant rebadges of Opels, or only on selected models? What does that say for brand definition if a car can be one brand in one country and one brand in another?

How can GM not build a new Buick Riviera?

If GM claims to - finally - "get it," how could they continue with the name "LaCrosse"? Are they still going to call it "Allure" in Canada? I never heard or saw one person asking that the "LaCrosse" name be retained, rather that "Invicta" should be used. Why does GM ignore what people are asking?

Further, GM supposedly was going to align Buick NA product with Buick China product, yet, despite the passage of time and the fact that Buick NA has but three models ( ! ), they haven't even accomplished that yet. GM seems to change plans on a whim and/or be caught flat-footed time after time.

So, you see, I've got lots of questions but no answers.

Edited January 7, 2009 by wildcat

[Robert Hall]

I assume the Chinese Regal (Insignia) will be the next US Buick after the '10 LaCrosse/Invicta/whatever. There was a thread on this recently.

[wildcat]

And, after the vehicle which moltar said, probably a Delta Buick.

[ZL-1]

And, after the vehicle which moltar said, probably a Delta Buick.

the question is will it be the NG Astra with a Buick grille, or a Chinese-designed Buick, i.e. a heavily reworked Cruze?

Edited January 7, 2009 by ZL-1

[Robert Hall]

the question is will it be the NG Astra with a Buick grille, or a Chinese-designed Buick, i.e. a heavily reworked Cruze?

Well, the cheap and quick approach would be a Cruze with a Buick grille and badging...

[wildcat]

My guess... and that's all that it is... is that it will be a (hopefully heavily-reworked) Cruze, since GMNA is playing up "the Cruze this, the Cruze that, blah-blah-blah." I also suspect they won't give every Opel to Buick but may save some for Saturn (the smaller, cheaper models) as part of a B-P-G channel.

Of course, we all read Fritz Henderson's comments that, to the effect of, Saturn just wasn't successful.

So who knows?

[Robert Hall]

My guess... and that's all that it is... is that it will be a (hopefully heavily-reworked) Cruze, since GMNA is playing up "the Cruze this, the Cruze that, blah-blah-blah." I also suspect they won't give every Opel to Buick but may save some for Saturn (the smaller, cheaper models) as part of a B-P-G channel.

Of course, we all read Fritz Henderson's comments that, to the effect of, Saturn just wasn't successful.

So who knows?

Yeah...Saturn is a big question mark now...I'm wondering where they will end up, they sort of overlap with Chevy, Buick, Pontiac and GMC now...where will they be in 5 years?

[wildcat]

And, I believe that PCS told us that Buick will become something different, not defined how it was in the past.

[regfootball]

i am almost to point C where i say, kill saturn buick AND pontiac. keep saab.

but i am still in the camp to do this. make buick / gmc and pontiac part of chevy channel. IF you keep saturn, fold it into saab and cadillac.