Buick News

Late last month, General Motors in North America released a Buick concept car rendering that could be a postcard from an alternate future where large sedans are still relevant.

Holden has finally been given some good news by its parent company, General Motors has told its Australian bosses they are allowed to raid the candy store.

Global new-vehicle sales are on track to reach the 100-million mark in the next couple of years, with the Chinese market responsible for more than a quarter of that number.

From sketching Holden Commodores to designing every car in the General Motors world: one man’s epic promotion

While mainstream brands Ford and Honda wowed the crowds with fire-breathing supercars, the top end of town was more about whetting appetites of buyers in the huge and lucrative US market with production-ready models.The Alfa Romeo 4C is already a sellout in Australia, with 180 hands up for just 120 coupes.Now the demand is certain to jump even higher with the unveiling of a 4C Spider.The open-air 4C is more of a targa car than a full-on convertible, because the mid-engined layout puts the powerplant where the roof would normally fold away.The 4C is already the most charismatic car of the current Alfa generation, with a carbon-fibre chassis, gorgeous shrink-wrapped body, and turbocharged 1.8-litre petrol engine that makes 177kW and 350Nm of torque.The Spider keeps with the lightweight promise of the coupe, weighing in at less than 900 kilograms.The car is expected to arrive in Australia in the first quarter of next year.The new Q7 was the focus of the Audi stand and it was a technological tour-de-force.The show car had a new 10-inch computer tablet that can be used by back-seat passengers to control the radio and to watch their trip progress on the navigation system, much like a passenger jet.There's also an advanced radar and camera system that enables the Audi Q7 to accelerate, brake and steer itself automatically in stop-start traffic up to 60km/h.And the technical wizardry doesn't end there. The new Q7 can reverse a trailer into position using cameras and radar via a touch pad in the centre console.The new Audi Q7 is due in Australian showrooms later this year priced at about $100,000.There are no details on the engine and no concrete plans for production, but the Buick Avenir — French for "the future" —turned heads both in Detroit and Melbourne.A joint effort between Holden's styling studios in Port Melbourne and General Motors' design centres in Detroit, the car was built here and shipped to the US just before Christmas.It was unveiled by former Holden boss, and the current president of GM North America, Mark Reuss.For now, the Buick Avenir is just motor show tease, but Holden insiders say the striking limousine will likely be made in China and sold globally.It may also come to Australia as the eventual replacement for the Holden Caprice.The German sports car maker unveiled new versions of the 911 Targa and Cayenne SUV.To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Targa (half coupe, half convertible) model, Porsche has launched an all-wheel drive GTS version. Power is boosted by 22kW over the Targa 4S to 316kW, enabling a 0-100km/h sprint of 4.3 seconds.The Cayenne Turbo S betters that time by 0.2 of a second.Both models will go on sale in Australia in the second quarter of this year. The 911 Targa GTS will start at $305,300 and the Cayenne Turbo S will sell from $284,700.Toyota's luxury brand Lexus whipped the covers off the long awaited high-performance version of its mid-size limousine, the GS. Called the GS F it is powered by a high-revving 5.0-litre V8.The only problem is, while the peak power of 348kW is reasonably impressive, that only kicks in at close to 7300rpm and torque — the grunt that gets you moving — is a more modest 527Nm. A $45,000 Holden Commodore SS has more (530Nm). Expect it in Australian showrooms late in 2015 or early 2016 priced beyond your pay grade.A concept with more curves and contours than Kim Kardashian previews Infiniti's take on a 2+2 sports coupe.The Q60 concept will morph into the production car by 2016, powered by a twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6 engine.The steer-by wire system already seen on the Q50 is also used here, along with Infiniti's Intuition system, which can store details on audio, airconditioning and seat position preferences for up to four drivers.When it finally arrives in Australia the road-going car will be expected to compete with Audi's swoopy A5 and the BMW 4 Series.There's no news on prices but the current Q60 starts at $63,990.A new heavyweight contender has joined the ranks of crossover coupes.The GLE Coupe is a curvy high-riding four-door SUV that will compete with BMW's X6.Two versions were at the Detroit show this week, the full-on 63 AMG and the (slightly) less aggressive GLE 450 Sport, with a diesel-powered 350d and GLE 400 to follow.The X6 was originally the answer to a question that no-one had asked, but has become a big global sales success.The newcomers are part of a wholesale overhaul of Mercedes-Benz's wagon range in 2015 that includes the replacement for the mid-sized GLK SUV and the new GLA Shooting Brake.There is no talk yet of prices, but the GLE Coupe is certain to have a starting price beyond $100,000 when it arrives here in the third quarter of this year.A new group of 6 Series "halo" cars took the spotlight for BMW in Detroit as the German company celebrated its fourth straight year of sales growth with more than two million deliveries in 2014.There are only minor changes to the M6, 650i coupe and Gran Coupe but global marketing boss Ian Roberston says the trio will be part of a global focus on growth."These are clearly the sportiest and most luxurious 6-Series vehicle we have ever built. We are launching a lot of new products again," he says.

Holden designers have stolen the spotlight at the Detroit motor show before the curtains have officially been lifted.A brand-new Buick concept car was unveiled at a preview event on the eve of North America’s largest autoshow on Sunday evening in the US, about 11am Monday Australian Eastern Standard Time.A finishing touch: the car was unveiled by former Holden boss Mark Reuss.The Buick Avenir -- French for “the future” -- was a joint effort design between Holden’s styling studios in Port Melbourne and General Motors’ design centres in Detroit.However, Holden built the car by hand before it was airfreighted to the US just before Christmas. “Australia is really good at some of the bigger luxury cars,” said Mr Reuss.“The car was built in Australia at Holden, in their shops, and the interior and the exterior was a joint effort between (Australian and US) studios.”For now, though, the Buick Avenir is just motor show tease. The company wouldn’t say what type of engine is under “the hood” but Mr Reuss did confirm it was rear-wheel-drive, like the current Holden Caprice luxury sedan. “We don’t have any production plans for it right now … we want to see what people think,” said Reuss.However, Holden insiders have told News Corp Australia that the Buick Avenir will likely be made in China and sold globally.It may also come to Australia as the eventual replacement for the Holden Caprice, once the Elizabeth car factory falls silent in late 2017.If the Avenir goes into production it will become only the second Chinese-made global vehicle designed in Australia; the first was the Ford Everest SUV unveiled late last year.The Buick Avenir will not reverse GM’s decision to close the Holden factory but it does underline Australia’s transformation into a design and engineering hub, rather than a manufacturing hub, for the automotive industry.For example, Ford Australia now employs more designers and engineers than it does factory workers.GM executives would not speculate where the Buick Avenir might be built but the chairman and the president of GM’s joint venture in China, SAIC, were present at the unveiling.Furthermore, of the 1.2 million Buicks sold globally last year -- a record for the 111-year-old brand -- 920,000 were made in China.The unveiling of the Buick Avenir in Detroit solves one mystery. When Holden announced its factory shutdown there was speculation the next Commodore may come from China.However, what is now apparent is that Holden designers were working on the Chinese version of this new luxury Buick.Instead, the next generation Holden Commodore will now be sourced from Opel in Germany, coming full circle from the 1978 original, which was based on a German sedan at the time.Buick may have a stale image overseas but it is enjoying a resurgence in the US; the fifth year of growth in 2014, up 11 per cent on the previous year. It is also now GM’s second biggest global brand behind Chevrolet.

Exhibition celebrates special concept cars that introduced stunning design and amazing innovation.

Here's looking at you, Buick. The convertible driven by Humphrey Bogart in the classic movie Casablanca will go under the hammer in November as the star of a memorabilia auction.The 1940 Buick Model 81C trunkback convertible phaeton was one of just 230 built that year, and still has a desirably low odometer figure of about 42,000 miles (68,000km). The inline eight-cylinder engine was reconditioned -- along with most of the mechanical parts -- in the 1990s, and the brown canvas folding roof was replaced.However the interior shows water damage marks, and also burns in the cloth upholstery -- rumoured to be from Bogart's ever-present cigarette, so the new owner may decide not have the car reupholstered.Film house Warner Brothers also used the car in other movies, including High Sierra, but it's Casablanca for which it is best known -- appearing in a supporting role for the iconic "we'll always have Paris" farewell scene at the airport.Bonhams will put it on the block on November 25 as part of the What Dreams Are Made Of: A Century Movie Magic auction in New York, with an estimate of up to $500,000.That's a far cry from the millions paid recently for movie cars such as the replica Ferrari from Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and the James Bond Lotus Submarine -- bought by Tesla owner Elon Musk. And they didn't even come with Bogart's cigarette scars.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott 

The Koreans starred, the Japanese mounted a comeback, and One Ford hit the headlines with an extended family of Focus-based newcomers that it is certain to make a big hit in Australia. But it was one car and the commitment of its company chief that made the most impact as America fought back on the opening day of the 2011 North American International Motor Show. General Motors is sparring its Opel Mokka SUV against a Holden version of the Buick Encore. The Encore debuted yesterday on the GM stand at the Detroit motor show while Opel made a less dramatic announcement by press release. Both vehicles share the Corsa/Barina platform and the engines. Yet in Australia, the Opel Mokka will become a stablemate model alongside the Astra as Opel cements its local marketing program. Opel starts launching cars - the midsize Insignia sedan and wagon, Corsa small car and the Astra - from July this year. The Mokka will join the range early in 2013, probably about the same time as the Holden Encore makes its showroom debut. Opel claims it is the first German manufacturer to launch a contender in the growing sub-compact SUV segment. It says that despite its 4.28m length, the SUV can seat five adults "in a commanding position''. The Mokka will be available in either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive (AWD) layouts. Engines will be a selection from Corsa and Astra, including an 85kW normally-aspirated 1.6-litre petrol; 103kW/200Nm 1.4-litre turbo-petrol; and a 93kW/300Nm 1.7-litre turbo-diesel. All come with a six-speed manual transmission with stop-start technology, with the 1.4 and 1.7 having the option of a six-speed automatic. Opel says that the Mokka introduces new technologies to the SUV B-segment. These include driver-assistance technology like the "Opel Eye'' front camera system and a rearview camera. The Mokka carries ergonomic seating that has been certified by AGR the German healthy back expert organization Aktion Gesunder Rucken. Like other Opel wagon models, the Mokka has the option of being fitted with the fully integrated, latest generation Flex-Fix bicycle carrier. The three-bike carrier is a drawer that slides flush beneath the rear bumper when not in use. Opel Australia says the Mokka will be available at international Opel dealerships from end of 2012 onwards, with details and confirmation for Australian release to be confirmed later.

The Koreans starred, the Japanese mounted a comeback, and One Ford hit the headlines with an extended family of Focus-based newcomers that it is certain to make a big hit in Australia. But it was one car and the commitment of its company chief that made the most impact as America fought back on the opening day of the 2011 North American International Motor Show. And the Buick Encore small crossover unveiled this week at the Detroit motor show could be among those new models. Holden boss Mike Devereux admits that there is an obvious SUV hole in their product line-up. "We need to expand our SUV line-up in Australia," he says. "One of the things that holds us back is we don't have a huge SUV line-up and that's an understatement. We'll have a couple of SUVs in the next couple of years." One of these new SUVs could be a Holdenised version of the Buick Encore. It's a luxury, 1.4-litre turbo four-cylinder, five-seater SUV somewhere between the size of a Toyota RAV-4 and a Nissan Dualis. "This is a segment buster," says Devereux. "It's in between compact and sub-compact SUV. I've sat in mules of this architecture and it's the right size. "People are downsizing; up-classing but downsizing. With a smaller vehicle you can afford more luxury. "We're seeing younger people who want all the luxury stuff but don't have kids yet and don't need size yet. Most people see small as cheap but this is busting that myth. "It's a pretty cool vehicle." Devereux's enthusiasm for the Encore will hinge on GM making right-hand-drive versions for other markets, but he's optimistic. "If you think about global architecture, which this is, it is highly unlikely that GM would make just one car," Devereux says. "This is a global product." Buick global design chief Ed Wellburn describes it as "Buick through and through. We strove for grace and beauty," he says. "It's the right size for the time, satisfying many customers' desires to simply their life and be more efficient." The design is not as fussy as previous Buicks with an elegant "waterfall" grille, portholes and just the right amount of chrome accents. Inside, it's luxurious, not ostentatious, with plenty of premium materials. Wellburn says the cabin is quiet, aided by an active noise-cancellation system not unlike those used in Bose headphones. Devereux is guarded about committing to such technology. On the safety side, the Encore has 10 airbags, 60 per cent high steel in the chassis, lane departure warning and forward collision alert. It arrives in US showrooms this time next year. When and if it arrives in Australia is yet to be seen. Buick is a little-known brand in Australia. But it's big business in China. Last year, GM sold about one million vehicles in China and half of them were Buicks. While Buick was sold in Australia several decades ago, it is mainly known among car collectors and movie fans who would have seen large-bodied sedans such as the Riviera wallowing around in film and TV chase scenes. It's America's oldest active marque with "horseless-carriage" origins back to 1899. It was known as a big, luxury brand for mature people, sitting slightly under the Cadillac in status. Holden boss Mike Devereux says the brand has evolved over the years. "It used to be for older buyers but now it's got relevance to younger people," he says.