Is Buick Overreaching?

For a brief while, Buick seemed to be the post-Bankruptcy success story of "new" GM. Growing amidst the success of the Enclave crossover and re-envisioned LaCrosse sedan, GM's trishield brand was undoubtedly on the upswing.

The excellent Regal sedan, a lightly reworked Opel Insignia, launched to good reviews yet hasn't gained much traction in the entry-lux segment. The Verano, a Cruze-based compact sedan, is just trickling onto dealer lots but hasn't cracked 800 sales in any of the last few months.

In early 2012, Buick debuted the new Encore subcompact crossover which will also be sold in other markets as the Opel Mokka. Encore is stubby at 168.5" long and 69.9" wide, and the few Buick design cues present (namely the headlights, grille, and ventiports) look vastly out of proportion. The only available drivetrain, a 1.4L turbocharged 4 cylinder mated to a 6 speed automatic transmission, should be good for 140 horsepower. Encore shares its Gamma II architecture with Chevy's diminutive Sonic subcompact.

As GM's self-described "Lexus fighter", Buick definitely has large shoes to fill. Is there demand for a Buick the size of a Cruze, or Sonic? Is the Regal's less-than-stellar sales report a conviction of the car, or the concept of a Buick in this segment? Would the money spent developing Verano have been better spent improving the already good Cruze? 

Buick is still nailing what Buick has always nailed: Big, comfortable, conservatively handsome vehicles. The LaCrosse is superb, and the Enclave, though dated, is still quite good. Regal's few shortcomings are mostly rectified by recently announced 2013 model upgrades; adding eAssist mild hybrid technology to the base engine and adding an automatic transmission to the performance-oriented GS trim level. Verano, while virtuous, still doesn't strike me as something which fits with the brand, while creating too much infighting within the Buick showroom. Encore strikes me as misguided at best; a highly compromised product which would fare much better wearing a bowtie. 

I can see some logic behind GM's two-pronged luxury strategy with Buick and Cadillac. What I can't understand is the lack of a cohesive image and mission for each brand. With Verano, and especially Encore, they seem to be throwing whatever they can at the proverbial wall and seeing what sticks. Going forward, Buick and Opel will be developing largely identical products together for use in both lineups. For GM's sake, I hope the future is much more LaCrosse and much less Encore.