InvictaMan

Glad this image was able to generate this level of discussion, because when I saw it, I thought that a smaller Buick with that level of style would be great for the NA market. This harkens back to the seventies when Buick and Oldsmobile sold a load of Apollos and Omegas due to their economy over the barges. No rebadge, this will not fare well for Buick's rennaisance. Do it on a solid, modern platform, with unique skin and interior and push it to the edge with hybrid technology options. It will drive the younger crowd to the buick doors just like the TL, and in a less dressy, economy package — the TSX, did for Acura. Small Buicks need not equate to Cobalt or G5, even Cimmaron, if it is executed under the new Buick mantra.

Cool, thanks for the info.

Was wondering if anyone ever commented on what this car was, is it a real concept or a chop? I ran across this image in my files, and with all the talk about a smaller Buick lately, just wondered if it had significance.

There are some things you can see, though heavily camouflaged. The center stack on the interior is the same as the previous illustration. Wish I could understand what detail is included in the sweeping area from stack to side vent. The rocker panel includes an indented, rectangular shape that looks very much like the Riviera concept's lighted chrome strip. I like the larger sun roof too.

For the Velite lovers. An interesting comparison.

What Buick wants, what Buick needs. As I stated at that topic: Can we overcome cute for common sense? As much as I hate to say it, Skylark is a great name for a convertible and it has recent history. Some of them were actually nice for their period. It would be a matter of marketing — make the bird look noir or aggressive, like the Robin symbol in the later Batman movies. Not cute, like the previous rep of the model. Match the bird to the aggressive, sporty styling. This would relate more to a younger audience. Riviera is a great name, but it doesn't fit historically on a convertible. It needs to be a big coupe.

I suggest the following changes: LeSabre = Regal, it has great heritage, including sporty spin-offs. Ranier = Invicta, has history, sounds victorious in a sporty way and sounds great as "Enclave and Invicta" siblings. and as much as it pains me to admit it.... Rendezvous = Skylark, can we overcome cute for common sense? It would be a matter of marketing — a noir version of the bird in logo, like Robin in the later Batman movies.

I particularly like the remote driving feature. Take a look at the artist's rendering. There is no driver, and that thing is tearing down the road. Nice car, BTW.

Oh man! Build it over here as well. I don't see a need to change a thing. This design is completely worthy of the Riv name, just like the Chinese Park Avenue is of the same. This is a fine Renaissance — just market in the US with the same strategy and voracity as China and you will have it made. Buick needs to latch on to "The Great American Motor Car" in their NA advertising. The US is still the birthplace of Buick, am I the only one that has caught on? If Buick kills their rep here (or forbid, the brand), they will loose all credibility in the Chinese marketing. If you are building on heritage, you need lineage. GM needs to capture it while it's hot. Take these joint effort Buicks and market them as the spawn of the new world birthplace. It is the international respect of the Buick brand, instead of just the American icon. Buick, wise up, give us a Buick that will reflect America as the world's partner, with pride in American achievement. This country needs a positive image, and this kind of achievement deserves recognition and would ring in with NA consumers like apple pie, just in tort form and fashion. Man, I love marketing.

And on that note, let me give kudos to the agency that produced the Enclave brochure. It is as much a work of art as is the car. I was hoping to see new and exciting photos, especially representing a broader range of color options, but that is what can be done at the web site (which seriously needs to be updated and refreshed in that nature more often). Other than the desire to see more detail about the engine, console, storage, etc., I thought the presentation was very nice. I highly suggest a matte varnish on the cover, with the Enclave typography in spot gloss varnish. Not only would it look hot, it would be soft to the touch, and it wouldn't fingerprint nearly as bad as the existing gloss varnish. Love the cover image, the interior page graphics, layout and the pure lavishness of the whole brochure.

Well, yes they have..... I decided to give the sales rep another try, so I called him and asked if he had received my messages and he said yes. I told him that I was disappointed in the lack of response. We will see where it goes from here, I say never burn bridges. What motivated the call was the knowledge that the brochures were finally available. I have yet to receive either of the two I ordered on-line. I was very excited to hear about the offering of the two new colors. I truly wanted black, so I have Carbon Flash Metallic with Cashmere interior to fill that need (though unfortunately it does cost more). But now that I see the full range of available combos and swatches, that are more true to reality, I honestly think I prefer the Blue-Gold Crystal Metallic with the Cashmere interior. I've got the feelers out on availablity of both. If we can meet together on the price (the Conquest $1,000 helps) then I may just be a proud Enclave owner. Things are looking much better, and I have moved on to talk to other dealers, so I now will have choices. Thanks for asking!

Mine is a BIG complaint. The whole vehicle needs to be "blacked out." I am blown away that they are not offering this, of all vehicles, in black. Sheesh!

Hey, if the style and the quality are there, sure they would. GM has to get over this competition thing with Cadillac. It simply falls to a matter of taste. Do you like hard edges or smooth curves? Buick has to reinvent themselves to survive, and based on what I hear is their target market, they are going to have to tip-toe into sacred Cadillac territory. Cadillac has always been an over-priced and blinged-out Buick and vice-versa. Cadillac is more for the starches and Buick more for the style-seekers. GM just put Caddy on the front burner for revamping. Now it's Buick's turn. Just burns my soul to see GM make this effort in China and not here in America, their birthplace and home market.

Wow, go away for a while and look what pops up. Very nice! This is exactly what Buick needs if it is going to compete with Lexus, Acura, Infinity. I would put that interior, especially the back seat, up against M-B any day. And I'm in agreement on the exterior. It is hot, just add the Buick ports and Enclave rear. It would also be nice to see a variation from the standard Holden headlight pod. Make it more Enclave so that it won't look like every other WM out there. Just makes one wonder.... why on Earth would Buick dealers, who are crying for business, tell GM they were not interested in this car. When you put Lucerne where it belongs, as a LeSabre replacement, this is the perfect flagship. It would not even be in the same price range, so how could they even be concerned about canabalism. I'd rather have this as my draw and make the profit off of it, and then position my sales staff to sell Lucernes to those who come to admire, but don't have the means. Is there anyone in the marketing department at Buick? Hello? I hope GM has a surprise in order for us with Buick over the next couple years. If these are the models we will be getting, Buick really could become a competitor. Once again though, I don't see these models sitting at a mid-range dealership. They need real credibility. B-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l !

I agree with your thoughts about how a dealership is only as good as its owner/management. I was thinking more in the broader sense of marketing and positioning Buick in an outlet that has more focus on their target market, which is Cadillac dealerships IMO.

Thanks for the insight. The sales person offered this opportunity, to allow him to order an Enclave of my desire in his initial preproduction order. So I would guess that it is not an issue of availablility, but more that he dropped the ball. The only glitch is that I was expecting black (charcoal, ebony, whatever) to be an offering and was stuck with the delima of settling for something else. I offered Cocoa and Red as alternatives. I am going to contact competitive dealerships. I have researched and found three others within a range that is reasonable. Thanks for the support folks, I hope it works out.

It was the Enclave, and the other Lambdas that did it. They have taken the formula for my Pilot and matched or improved upon in in every way — in design and style, and especially interior. I'm tired of driving a utilitarian box, and have you watched the evolution of the Pilot.... uhhhhglyyy!. I'm impressed with the new MDX. Took a while to get used to the nose, but hey, I respect them for breaking the mold. I would simply like the opportunity to buy American. And I can't see another American car out there that surpasses the Enclave. I just have issues with the direction GM is taking with the brand, I'm worried about paying too much for a vehicle that will never match the resale value of my Honda and I expect the same quality of dealership as the reputation of the brand reflects. I'm in my later 40s and have traded up to the point where I am ready for a little luxury and style. Buick excelled at this in their hay day, they just lost their direction with poor execution until the LG Park Avenue, and more recently the Lucerne and the Enclave. Quite frankly, I don't blame Buick for this so much as I do the brass at GM. The fact that my sales person has yet to contact me for nearly a month, since I sent my desired Enclave order, is not good. And I have contacted Buick several times for literature over the last two months (since it was first offered on the Enclave web site) and they keep saying it will be to me in a couple of weeks. Not seen a thing in the mail, not even a teaser yet. This is poor marketing — to make promises that you can't or won't deliver. I'm remaining hopeful for the model and the brand, but the disappointment has leaned me toward holding off and waiting to see how things go with the introduction, instead of buying now. It is definitely going to take a joint effort of everyone that is in the Buick chain of command, marketing, sales and service to make this work. I know things have been rough, but don't drop the ball when things are looking so good for Buick's future.

Ouch! Bulbous, boxy and boring. The interior is so bland, it's gonna need one of those snooze alarms to avoid increased crash statistics. My first thought was, gee, what a chunky thing. Ford does futuristic better than retro.

Thanks for the input folks. I really want to leave Honda and go back to Buick (something that I would have not imagined after 25 years of Hondas), but when the sales staff and dealership is as I outlined above, how am I to feel comfortable about making the change. I have enough issues with Honda. My Pilot purchase was a nightmare, and the dealership is a farce riddled with management, customer support and service problems. Honda is more worried about covering up their fallacies than supporting me as a loyal customer. My thoughts were... maybe I need to support American car makers. It will help my country, I can help save the Buick brand from demise and it couldn't be worse than what Honda has turned into over the past 4-5 years. This is Buick's (and GM's) shining moment; an advantage to get in there, impress potential buyers who are looking to go upscale from their Asian utilities and grab some sales from disgruntled Honda and Toyota buyers. If Buick would market their products with the same pride in heritage as they are in China, and provide models that relect that pride, they could do quite well I think. But they have to keep in perspective their target market... which has little in common with Pontiac, Chevy and GMC, other than some shared underpinnings and parts. The new generation of potential Buick buyers are internet savvy, upscale, admire the modern style and technology of the Lexus' and Acuras that Buick could do so well, and they can really appreciate the lineage and heritage of the Buick Motor Division. Learn a lesson from China and apply it with some good old American patriotism. Buick is making strides, they just need to get this dealership thing worked out, or they are going to scare off a strong percentage of potential buyers. When I contacted the Acura dealer about comparing pricing and deals with them vs. the Enclave, they jumped all over it. Their dealership reflects a premium car (my dog can do without the massage, but hey, I'll take one). They are professional, established and I get the feeling that they really expect to be there in a few years when I come back to trade again. Buick deserves the same atmosphere and positioning as this, and Caddy. Otherwise, Acura is willing to match me up in an MDX for some change more than what I am seeing as Enclave pricing on the Buick web site. Car and Driver (as well as other respected automotive pubs) support their product as a good investment, and that carries a lot of weight when considering purchasing. I think Buick gets far more criticism than they deserve, I just want to see them get up and spank the competition. It's all about how you represent your company and product. You only get one first impression.

I think the problem is not with the names, but how GM plundered the validity of the names by not keeping up with the competition. Tapping in on Buick history for names is not a bad thing, as long as you make the product appealing to the current market. Buick slipped on this in the later part of the 20th century and now they are struggling to overcome these stigmas. If you slapped the name Electra or Invicta, two very marketable names with today’s buyers, on a Velite... I think young folks would snatch them up. And better yet, the forty-something set (like me) and above would take pride in reviving the nomenclatures on models that are deserving of their heritage. I agree that Skylark and Skyhawk and even LeSabre are not valid in today's market. The first two were great in the 70s (remember the Buick Freedom commercials with the soaring hawk?), and LeSabre was always lame (it was a GM concept car from the dawn of time), but it worked for that period. They are just too cutesie and gimmicky. As stated above, today's consumers are more image conscious and sophisticated. They prefer names with an edge to them. And please God, let their please be no more alphanumeric possibilities left. Talk about a marketing nightmare, who can tell them apart?

How is everyone feeling about their local BPG dealership? Mine is in Hickory, North Carolina. The old stand-alone BPG was sold to the local Chevrolet dealership and man, has it gone down hill, especially on customer service. I've been working with one of their sales reps, the "Corvette Specialist," and he runs hot and cold. No real personal attention, no feeling of being somewhere special like the old Buick dealerships. I sent him my desired Enclave almost a month ago, "so that I can get it in the pipeline and get it for you early," and I haven't heard a word from him since. Earlier, I made an appointment with him to test drive an Acadia, and when I showed up, he was gone. Some kid had to take me out and I knew "way" more than he did about the Lambdas. I even knew more than "The Specialist" about the cars. If I'm going to lay down anywhere near $43,000 for a Buick CUV, I expect better service and a nicer dealership. I know this has been hashed before, but IMHO, Buick should have been paired with Caddy. Especially if they are going to go after the Lexus' and the Acuras and the Lincolns. You can make all the great design strides you want, but the sale of a near-luxury car, at a near-luxury price deserves the total upscale package. These two brands are much more compatible in a marketing sense, and if Buick is going to be short-changed on models, the competition is even more minimized. I think they would perfectly complement themselves and the money spent on revamping Caddy could do double duty when it comes to bringing new shoppers into the dealership to look at Buicks. They are trying to save the brand... aren't they? I'm in marketing, so I guess I have a more jaded opinion about what GM is doing with dealership consolidation.

I like the changes, especially more so since the press pictures are out. I am even liking the LaX light duo with the new grill now. I think the revisions are giving Buicks an edgier look, like Acura. This is a good direction for setting Buick style apart from other GMs. Guess we'll have to wait for the new models to get the real Supers, but these will do fine for now. It shows promise of great change as Buick evolves. And I doubt seriously that Buick spent a great portion of their development dollars on these models. They have fluff for marketing, not dramatic model revisions. We'll see the fruit of that money by 2010.

I have been excited about this car like no other, not since I bought my 1990 Honda Accord. I see the same problem coming that I experienced when purchasing my 2003 Pilot. Sacrifices to deminish brand competition. At the time, Honda was concerned about canabalizing MDX sales with the new Pilot, so they didn't offer a sunroof on the EX model (a long tradition with Honda) and they did not offer complete color combinations (including black with a tan interior, a color combination that is a stanard for high-end car buyers). Buick is offering this perfectly gorgeous vehicle, that would look killer in black, and they don't offer anything anywhere near it (charcoal, ebony, whatever). And they are targeting high end buyers! A serious blunder for the market.... guess that will help sell a few more Acadias and Outlooks, though Buick has them hands down on style. Buick! Get it right!