Thoughts on Buick picking up where Saturn left off?

[[ChaosweaveR]]

Let me clarify for a second...what I'm aiming at is Buick picking up where Saturn left off, as far as bringing Opel/Vauxhall models to the US. Saturn was giving us the Vectra as the Aura, the Captiva as the Vue and we were getting the Astra even.

With Saturn axed, GM shifted plans for the 2nd gen Aura, and gave us the revival of the Buick Regal in the form of the Opel Insignia. The Buick Verano is based off the Opel Astra, and soon we're bound to receive the Opel/Vauxhall Mokka as the Buick Encore. GM was clever with the Vue rebadged them as their global name of Captiva and sold as Chevys here.

Ford is finally giving us the European spec models we've been denied of, GM is sort of doing it, but not in the "average car" manner Ford is. I mean, there's the Chevy Cruze, but that's about it as far as cars go. The Captiva is the second now.

Thoughts?

[Ringo64]

With gas price and MPG a pain point that has been in Euro for a while now and it is slowly becoming more of a priority here when Americans are buying cars. I think it is a good route for GM to start with some of the Euro vehicles they know sell well over there instead of engineering something else for America. That's why we're seeing this happen more. Nothing against these cars, I like them a lot, I just don't think they would have brought them over without that pain point in mind for America.

All and all I think it's good. I don't really want to see all the Euro cars over here replacing our Engineering but its good for select cases, as stated before because they know it works

[6 Shooter]

WFC's

[Frosty]

It has always been GM's plan to globalize its platforms in order to minimize costs. This reduces costs by having to design fewer regional specific cars and the costs of designing, tooling, and building them. We will see that come even more clearly with the introduction of the new, second generation Colorado pick-up. It is currently being built in Thailand for the Asian market, Brazil is next for South America, and Wentville Missouri for North America. The Chevy Volt is being sold as the Opel/Vauxhall Ampera too.

Buick has always had a strong relationship with Opel and I don't expect that to change. I remember when the Opel Kadett was imported and sold as the Buick Opel here in this country. It was a good looking two-seater but these roadsters were not popular in those days.

However, GM plans to do this to all their brands. Right now, Chevy and Cadillac are considered GM's only true global brands. Buick is in North America and China, GMC is in North America only, Holden is in Asia and the Middle East, Opel and Vauxhall are European and Middle East specific. GM DAEWOO is Asian and North America so far.