1967 Buick Riviera Base Hardtop 2-door 7.0l No Reserve on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2015 Buick Verano offered with six-speed manual after all

Good news, boys and girls (well, at least those of you who still like shifting for yourselves). Buick got in touch with us to correct some information that it had mistakenly announced; namely, that the 2015 Verano will lose its optional six-speed manual transmission. Apparently, that announcement was incorrect, and the compact sedan will indeed continue to offer a manual option for 2015, despite what we're certain is a low take rate. Additionally, the Desert Dusk Metallic paint that was said to come as part of an Appearance Package is no longer part of the deal. With that out of the way, we now return you to your regularly scheduled automotive-obsessive broadcast...

New Buick Envision model spotted in China, expected here this year

At GM Capital Markets Day in February, GM North America president Barry Engle said the U.S. market can expect "updated models of Chevrolet Equinox and Traverse, Buick Envision and Enclave, as well as GMC Terrain." We've seen the Equinox and Traverse, and although we weren't aware, we've seen the Envision. Buick showed an EV crossover concept in 2018 called the Enspire, and it was thought to preview an eventual production model called the Enspire that's been spotted in various places testing under heavy camouflage in the U.S. GM, in fact, applied to trademark the Enspire name twice in the U.S. The model's final production form got an early reveal in China thanks to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and according to GM Authority, a branding redirection has led to the crossover being called the Envision. Assuming this is the model that comes to the U.S., it will share dealer space with the current Envision imported from China. Motor1 writes that Chinese site Auto Home alleges the name Envision S will distinguish the new product, and the tailgate in the low-res photo plausibly shows an S after the model name. That doesn't mean it would get the S suffix here, though. It's not clear if the coming crossover grows in size compared to the standard Envision the way the Encore GX expanded a touch over the Encore. The marquee difference will be that the new Envision is more luxurious in looks, equipment, and features. There are few details, but it's thought the Envision S sits on the same E2 platform as the Cadillac XT4, and will use the same 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder in the Cadillac paired with the automaker's nine-speed automatic. In the XT4, that mill produces 237 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, but across all its applications in the GM stable it makes anywhere from 230 to 237 hp.    What we can see is that the new CUV takes the Envision name in a more dynamic direction, starting with a trim upper front fascia that puts narrow headlights astride a wide grille clearly derived from the concept, the lower front fascia with chrome-lined outer intakes that recall the Aston Martin DBX. A diffuser-looking silver trim piece in front is mirrored in back. A sloping roof helps create the slim profile, leading to a trim backlight, thin taillights, and strong horizontals on the bumper that emphasize width.

2013 Opel Cascada

The Future Buick Verano Convertible?
I wasn't wearing a pedometer while in Germany covering the Frankfurt Motor Show this year, but it's safe to say I walked more than a few miles between press conferences, shooting cars and trekking back to the media center on the first day alone. For this reason, it didn't take much convincing from General Motors for me to duck out of the Messe a day early and drive some of its latest Opel models. No, this didn't include the all-new Country Tourer, but I was able to drive the Opel Mokka (our Buick Encore), the Opel Adam and the Opel Cascada.
I focused most of my driving time behind the wheel of the Cascada, which went on sale in Europe earlier this year, since rumors are swirling that a Buick version of this convertible "could happen soon." Buick hasn't had a convertible since the Reatta, and GM has been lacking a non-performance, budget-minded convertible since the Pontiac brand - and its G6 - was dropped, so adding the Cascada to Buick showrooms could further help the reemerging brand compete in the near-luxury segment. Although the weather was too chilly (and occasionally rainy) to enjoy the Cascada with its top down for very long, I was able to clock a fair bit of drive time behind the wheel on roads ranging from the autobahn to tight roads in small, quaint villages.