Berlin City's GM Superstore

Monday January 10, 2011
Laughed at for decades as a poseur luxury brand, the folks at Buick might be the ones chucking now. And that little smirk might turn into an all out bellow as Buick is poised to begin threatening seriously established luxury automakers from Germany and Japan - at least when it comes to the sales race.



At the unveiling of the all new 2012 Verano compact luxury sedan at the Detroit Auto Show, Buick announced that it is now the fastest growing luxury brand in the U.S. with sales spiking 52 percent in 2010. That puts Buick ahead of established brands like Acura, Infiniti, Lincoln and even Audi.

Better yet, 40 percent of Buick sales are conquest, not just from other automakers, but from brands outside General Motors.

Leading the charge for Buick is the LaCrosse, with sales up 120 percent in 2010. Buick aims to grow that further in 2011 with a new eAssist hybrid system that will give the car 37-mpg on the highway - way ahead of any competitor. Don?t want a hybrid?  No problem: Buick will toss in the V6 as a no charge option.

Another hugely successful model for Buick in 2010 is the Enclave SUV. On sale for 4 years now, 2010 proved to be its best year, up 50 percent in sales.

Certain to help grow Buick further, the new Verano is based on the same platform as the Chevy Cruze and shares many of the same suspension parts including the Watts Z-link rear end that was designed to offer the best attributes of an independent rear suspension (namely, handling and ride comfort) with the best parts of a torsion beam setup (being lighter, less expensive and taking up less space).

Under the hood, the Verano will get GM's 2.4-liter Ecotec 4-cylinder, delivering a sizable step up in performance over the Cruze. Power is rated at 177-hp and 170 ft-lbs of torque and when matched to a six-speed automatic will achieve 31-mpg on the highway. Buick is also planning to offer a version of its turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine, which makes 220-hp and 258 ft-lbs of torque in the Regal Turbo. A 0-60 mph time of 8.0 seconds is promised for the base engine, so look for a turbo model that might dip into the 6s.

Perhaps more important is the overall refinement with soft-touch materials throughout, ambient lighting and minimal gaps between panels.

Outside the Verano is styled more like the large LaCrosse than the Regal, with a prominent waterfall grille. Standard rolling hardware includes 17-inch wheels, although 18s are optional.

Pricing for the 2012 Buick Verano will be revealed closer to its on-sale date later this year.

January 10, 2011 - The Chevrolet Volt was named the 2011 North American Car of the Year at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit on Monday.



The Volt, a type of hybrid that runs on electricity for 40 miles and then uses a four-cylinder gasoline engine as an electric generator to extend the range by an additional 300 miles for long trips, beat out the all-electric Nissan Leaf and the Hyundai Sonata.

Ford's redesigned Explorer crossover vehicle was named Truck of the Year.

Both awards are presented by a jury of 49 automotive journalists and compiled by Deloitte, the national accounting firm.

"It's a great honor to be recognized as the North American Car of the Year," said Dan Akerson, chief executive of Chevrolet owner General Motors Co.. "Since development began, we believed the Volt had the potential to transform the automotive industry."

This was the fourth time GM has won the Car of the Year award.
Previously, the Volt was named Motor Trend's 2011 Car of the Year and Green Car Journal's 2011 Green Car of the Year.

The Explorer win was the seventh time Ford Motor Co. has won the Truck of the Year award. Last year, its Transit Connect commercial van won the award. The Explorer edged out the Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee, the other truck finalists in the competition.

LOS ANGELES - The 2011 Buick Regal  won the Car of the Year Award from NADAguides, a leading provider of vehicle pricing and information, at the Los Angeles International Auto Show on Wednesday.

The Buick Regal beat 10 other contenders based upon a combination of factors, including performance, styling, design, fuel economy, safety features, cost of ownership and price point.

"The Buick Regal has had a revolutionizing effect on Buick," said Troy Snyder, director of product development for NADAguides. "The brand is definitely on the right road and it?s clear that the Regal is just the beginning of Buick great vehicles to come."

In September, when NADAguides honored Regal with its Car of the Month Award, the publication praised the sedan's fuel-efficient 182 HP direct-injection 2.4-liter Ecotec four-cylinder engine and Four-Link Independent Rear Suspension for providing a smooth ride "fit for a king."

NADAguides also noted Regal's use of Bluetooth® connectivity, OnStar, USB port for MP3 devices, and voice-activated navigation as clear indications that "Buick knows all about modern advanced technology."

"The NADAguides Car of the Year award confirms the growing momentum building around Buick," said John Schwegman, U.S. vice president of Buick & GMC Marketing. "The Regal delivers a dynamic driving experience that competes with the best import sport sedans in the mid-size sport car segment. Moreover, this smart, sleek, top-safety-rated car is helping to attract new customers to the Buick brand."

Based in part on customer demand for the new Regal, Buick's retail sales have grown 50 percent in 2010 as of October, with 39 percent of Regal customers coming out of a non-General Motors' make.

Regal also is a semifinalist for the 2011 North American Car of the Year awards, as voted by a jury of 50 automotive journalists from the United States and Canada. The sporty sedan has award-winning DNA, being based on the Opel Insignia - recipient of 31 prestigious awards, including the 2009 European Car of the Year.

DETROIT - The 2011 Chevrolet Cruze  earned five-star crash test ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), further building on the vehicle?s safety record in markets around the world. 

The Cruze was tested under NHTSA's revised New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) implemented this fall for the 2011 model year. The rating is based on more rigorous frontal and side crash tests in addition to rollover resistance testing. Under the new system, the three test conditions are combined mathematically into an "Overall Vehicle Score."

The Cruze is the first vehicle tested under the new rating system to achieve five stars in each of the individual crash impact conditions, leading to an overall vehicle score of five stars ? the highest rating possible.

"Cruze has achieved five-star crash safety scores everywhere it is rated in the world.  This is the direct result of our global engineering team's focused effort," said Jeff Boyer, General Motors' executive director of vehicle safety." These safety ratings reflect the confidence we have in Cruze's state-of-the-art safety technologies and overall crashworthiness."

The 2011 Cruze offers more standard safety features than any vehicle in its class and represents Chevrolet's commitment to continuous safety - before, during and after a crash.  Standard features include StabiliTrak electronic stability control, Panic Brake Assist and Enhanced Smart Pedal / Brake Override. The Cruze is the first car in its class with 10 standard air bags, including front knee air bags - a segment first. OnStar's safety and security package is standard. 

"Cruze is winning over consumers with its design, amenities, fuel economy and strong value for the money," said Chris Perry, vice president of Chevrolet Marketing. "The five-star overall vehicle safety score provides another great reason for small car buyers to consider Cruze."

The Cruze also received the highest-possible ratings of "Good" in front, side, rear and rollover crash protection tests by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which recognized Cruze as a 2011 Top Safety Pick.

By Michelle Krebs
As anticipated, General Motors announced its initial public offering -the first step in re-paying U.S. taxpayers - has begun and is valued at $13 billion, making it one of the larger IPOs.

GM said in its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission today that its first offering will consist of 365 million shares of common stock, at an estimated price of $26 to $29 a share. The automaker will also issue 60 million shares of a preferred stock with a liquidation amount of $50 per share.

GM also hinted at its third-quarter earnings, which will officially be reported Nov. 10. Preliminary figures released early to give potential investors more confidence to buy the new GM stock show GM earned between $1.9 billion and $2.1 billion in net income attributable to the common stockholders. On an earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) basis, GM made $2.2 billion to $2.4 billion.  Revenues approximate $34 billion in the past quarter.

For the first nine months of the year, GM estimates revenues totaled $99 billion. Net income for the first three quarters amounted to $4 billion to $4.2 billion, equivalent to $6 billion to $6.2 billion on an EBIT basis.

The automaker said it expects a "positive" fourth quarter on an EBIT basis but at a "significantly lower run rate than each of the first three quarters." It did not say if net income would be positive.

The automaker blamed that lower rate on the fourth quarter launching new models, like the Chevrolet Cruze and Chevrolet Volt, a different production mix and higher engineering expenses for future products. 

"We are extremely pleased with the level of progress the company is making," said Chris Liddell, GM vice chairman and chief financial officer. "We will deliver a solid and profitable first year post-bankruptcy, and we are continuing to improve our balance sheet and most importantly, the quality of our vehicles."

Earlier in the day, GM reported October sales, up only 4 percent below the industry average.

Michelle Krebs is Edmunds.com senior analyst and editor at large.