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Looking back at how and why GM saved Buick

Still uncomfortably fresh in our collective minds is 2008, the year when the US economy tanked, auto sales collapsed, and both General Motors and Chrysler endured federally managed bankruptcies. Then 2009, when, among other draconian measures, the government task forces dictating what they were compelled to do to earn taxpayer financial support ordered thousands of dealers cut and GM to discontinue four of its eight US brands. Three of those chosen for GM's axe were fairly obvious: off-road icon Hummer had become politically incorrect, Swedish-born Saab was a perennial money loser, and product-starved Saturn had sadly sagged after its strong early start. On the other hand, high-volume value brand Chevrolet, luxury Cadillac, and high-profit GMC seemed clear keepers. That left Pontiac and Buick, both boasting strong brand heritage and histories but both languishing at the time with lackluster image and sales. Most believed that "old man's car" Buick would be killed and once-youthful Pontiac and its performance image would be revived. So few understood why when exactly the opposite happened: Buick lived, Pontiac died. One key factor was Buick's long, distinguished history in China. In the early 20th century, many of that country's most influential citizens owned, drove, or were driven in Buicks. By 1930, one out of every six cars on the roads in Shanghai was a Buick. So when GM launched vehicle production at a Shanghai joint-venture plant in 1999, the chosen brand was Buick. Today it remains GM's best-selling brand in that fast-growing market. Another was an appealing new design direction that began with a shapely 2006 three-row crossover concept called Enclave. Inspired by the Buick Velite concept convertible of 2004, its curvaceous "form vocabulary," GM Design vice president Ed Welburn said at the time, previewed coming Buick production car and CUV design. "The body shape flows, like there's wind blowing over it," he enthused, adding that the Enclave concept's richly trimmed cabin foretold "a renaissance in interior design for GM." And when the production Enclave arrived for 2008, followed by platform siblings from Saturn and GMC (and later Chevrolet), it indeed caught the public's eye and started selling well. And once past GM's painful and embarrassing bankruptcy, Buick has been on a major roll. Continuing to sell strongly in China while growing substantially in the US, it has enjoyed four straight years of global sales records.

2021 Buick Envision fuel economy revealed

Despite being revealed a few months ago, the 2021 Buick Envision has been lacking in in-depth details. But thanks to the EPA, we have a bit more information on the luxury crossover, specifically fuel economy. And it seems the new model is significantly more efficient than its predecessor. The only powertrain combination we have numbers for at the moment is the turbocharged engine with all-wheel drive. The Envision is expected to have a front-wheel-drive version, too, though an example with the old model's naturally aspirated four-cylinder is probably long gone. As for the turbo, all-wheel-drive Envision, it will get 22 mpg in the city, 29 on the highway, and 25 combined. That's the exact same as the old naturally aspirated, front-drive Envision, and it's an improvement of 2 mpg in town, 4 on the highway and 3 in combined driving over the previous turbo, all-wheel-drive version. As an extra bonus, the EPA notes that the new turbo Envision runs on regular gasoline, rather than premium like the old Envision. So not only will it use less gas, what it uses costs less. We're expecting the new Envision to go on sale early next year. While we know that the Envision will have a turbocharged engine, and the naturally aspirated one is probably discontinued, we don't know which engine it is. It could be an updated version of the old engine, which made 252 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, or it could be the engine from the Cadillac XT4, which makes 230 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The latter seems more likely, since the XT4 gets similar fuel economy. A nine-speed automatic and front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive are also planned for the crossover. Related Video:

Is Buick America's most daring mainstream car brand?

Considering Buick as an adventurous automaker seems a little odd at first thought. But with little fanfare over the last several years, the marque is transforming itself from a brand often associated with elderly drivers to a nameplate willing to take chances in niche segments. The gamble is already paying off with 2014 sales up 11.4 percent in the US to 228,963 cars. Given recent product launches, this experimentation is only likely to continue. The key to the transformation at Buick is its willingness to explore the so-called white space, according to Automotive News; the term refers to niches in the market without rivals as a challenge. In addition, the brand's position in the near-luxury space means that its products are cross-shopped by a large swath of customers. Without having a specific competitor, Buick has more room to experiment within its segment. "Designers love designing Buicks because it's not a paint-by-numbers brand," said Andrew Smith, director of design at Buick and Cadillac, to Automotive News. The company's strategy of going where others haven't is best exemplified by the Encore. The subcompact, luxury crossover came to market early, and Buick found serious success with it. The tiny CUV was the automaker's fastest growing model last year with a 53 percent gain and 48,892 units sold. With the test a triumph, the Encore recently got a sibling in the US in the form of the Chevrolet Trax. The upcoming Cascada is taking a similar approach. The non-sporty convertible segment is practically empty in the US, and this slightly redesigned product from Opel has the opportunity to become a leader in its niche. Of course, Buick's biggest recent surprise was the Avenir concept at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show. The car's swooping shape and use of materials earned it two EyesOn Design Awards against some tough competition. While the company's intentions for this flagship sedan aren't entirely clear yet, the vehicle does "test some of the future design language that will come on the next generation of Buicks," according to brand boss Duncan Aldred to Automotive News, which is definitely something to look forward to. Featured Gallery Buick Avenir Concept: Detroit 2015 View 12 Photos Related Gallery Buick Avenir Concept View 23 Photos News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Live photos copyright 2015 Drew Phillips / AOL Design/Style Buick Convertible Crossover Luxury buick encore buick cascada buick avenir