Car and Driver: One and Done? Next Buick Verano May Not Be Sold Here

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Come 2017, the Buick Verano may join former Buick nameplates like the Rainier, Terraza, and Lucerne. In other words, the Verano may not live past its first generation—at least not in the U.S.

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Automotive News reports that increased crossover sales have convinced General Motors to drop the compact semi-luxury sedan after the 2017 model year, despite the existence of a redesigned, second-gen model that’s already on sale in China.

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Buick PR chief Stuart Fowle dismissed the story as “speculation,” saying: “We have no future plans for the Verano to announce and are focused on selling the current model.”

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The second-generation Buick Verano, sold only in China.

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If the Verano is indeed dropped, it’ll be due more to Buick’s focus on SUVs than on the car’s failure in the marketplace. The Chevrolet Cruze–based sedan, which debuted for 2012, sold more than 40,000 units for each of the first three years, tapering off to 32,000 in 2015. The Verano has outsold the Acura ILX, Audi A3, and Lexus CT200h by considerable margins (save for 2015, when the new A3 hit a record 36,000 sales).

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Looks pretty nice inside, too—but we may never see it.

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• These Are Indeed Buicks: Buick Launches Three New Sport Touring Models -
• Instrumented Test: 2016 Chevrolet Cruze 1.4T Automatic -
• Instrumented Test: 2013 Buick Verano Turbo Manual -

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We’ve praised the Verano’s quietness and its adoption of features such as lane-departure warning years before other compact cars would offer them. For 2013, a 250-hp turbo four with a six-speed manual joined the mix, priced to sell (fully loaded, a 2016 Verano Turbo is just under $32,000). These days, when a Hyundai Elantra can be optioned past $27,000 and the A3 is more popular than ever because it’s a sedan, a second-gen Verano should be pitch-perfect. Even with the redesigned Cruze offering more advanced safety features, comfort, and flashier style, we’re not convinced the Verano should be sacrificed when there’s an all-new, better version ready and waiting.

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