Filed under: Sedan, Europe, Crossover, Buick, GM, Opel

To help build the Buick brand, General Motors has turned the Opel Insignia into a Buick Regal, and in the fall, the Astra will become the 2012 Verano. These new products are proving to be a shot in the arm for Buick, but will the magic work the other way around?

According to a new report by GMInsideNews, we may soon find out. The site claims that The General will make room in the Opel lineup for the next Buick Enclave and LaCrosse. The move would likely make sense from a cost perspective, giving GM economies of scale thanks to increased production, while also adding to the Opel lineup without significant engineering expenditures. The General could also take advantage of its global footprint by building the Opel version of the LaCrosse or Enclave in the U.S. or even China, where labor is cheaper than in Germany.

Can GM succeed in turning the LaCrosse and Enclave into future Opel models? Hard to say, really. On one hand, if GM pursues this path, it will likely reap substantial savings from shared engineering costs between Buick and Opel. On the other hand, the Enclave and LaCrosse are quite large for most European cities and tastes, and GM will need to offer competent diesel and four-cylinder petrol powertrains for the models to have a shot at strong sales.

Opel to get next-gen Buick Enclave and LaCrosse originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 Jun 2011 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Sedan, Europe, Crossover, Buick, GM, Opel

To help build the Buick brand, General Motors has turned the Opel Insignia into a Buick Regal, and in the fall, the Astra will become the 2012 Verano. These new products are proving to be a shot in the arm for Buick, but will the magic work the other way around?

According to a new report by GMInsideNews, we may soon find out. The site claims that The General will make room in the Opel lineup for the next Buick Enclave and LaCrosse. The move would likely make sense from a cost perspective, giving GM economies of scale thanks to increased production, while also adding to the Opel lineup without significant engineering expenditures. The General could also take advantage of its global footprint by building the Opel version of the LaCrosse or Enclave in the U.S. or even China, where labor is cheaper than in Germany.

Can GM succeed in turning the LaCrosse and Enclave into future Opel models? Hard to say, really. On one hand, if GM pursues this path, it will likely reap substantial savings from shared engineering costs between Buick and Opel. On the other hand, the Enclave and LaCrosse are quite large for most European cities and tastes, and GM will need to offer competent diesel and four-cylinder petrol powertrains for the models to have a shot at strong sales.

Opel to get next-gen Buick Enclave and LaCrosse originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 Jun 2011 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Sedan, Europe, Crossover, Buick, GM, Opel

To help build the Buick brand, General Motors has turned the Opel Insignia into a Buick Regal, and in the fall, the Astra will become the 2012 Verano. These new products are proving to be a shot in the arm for Buick, but will the magic work the other way around?

According to a new report by GMInsideNews, we may soon find out. The site claims that The General will make room in the Opel lineup for the next Buick Enclave and LaCrosse. The move would likely make sense from a cost perspective, giving GM economies of scale thanks to increased production, while also adding to the Opel lineup without significant engineering expenditures. The General could also take advantage of its global footprint by building the Opel version of the LaCrosse or Enclave in the U.S. or even China, where labor is cheaper than in Germany.

Can GM succeed in turning the LaCrosse and Enclave into future Opel models? Hard to say, really. On one hand, if GM pursues this path, it will likely reap substantial savings from shared engineering costs between Buick and Opel. On the other hand, the Enclave and LaCrosse are quite large for most European cities and tastes, and GM will need to offer competent diesel and four-cylinder petrol powertrains for the models to have a shot at strong sales.

Opel to get next-gen Buick Enclave and LaCrosse originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 Jun 2011 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has awarded the 2011 Buck LaCrosse a Five-Star overall safety rating.

The news comes as the NHTSA has introduced more-stringent tests and tougher requirements for vehicles to receive its highest rating in its New Car Assessment Program.

The LaCrosse erarned five stars in the Overall Frontal Crash and Overall Side Crash categories.

“Car buyers today want the peace of mind that comes with buying a vehicle they know will help protect their family,” said Tony DiSalle, vice president of Buick marketing. “This five-star overall vehicle score for safety shows Buick can equip an affordable luxury midsize sedan with top safety features.”

Click here to read more about the LaCrosse’s safety features how the NHTSA determines its safety ratings. – Will Stewart, blog editor

Filed under: Spy Photos, Sedan, Performance, Buick, GM, Rumormill

Wherever cars are produced or tested, there will be spy photographers waiting to snap photos. Michigan is a hotbed of such activity, and one shooter's lens has just caught a white Buick LaCrosse being driven to a local fast food joint for lunch. Spying a LaCrosse wearing Michigan manufacturer plates is nothing special, but a quick glance of the wheels and brakes reveal this to be one special sled. You're looking at what we're hoping is a 2012 Buick LaCrosse GS.

While we don't know what's under the hood, we can clearly see this Buick is wearing the 20-inch rollers pulled from an Opel Insignia OPC. According to the photographer, the wheels are wrapped with Bridgestone Potenza summer tires size 245/40R20. Behind the wheels sit larger front rotors and calipers. We can only hope that an equally exciting engine is nestled within this LaCrosse's flanks.



[Images: Chris Doane/Brenda Priddy & Company]

Spy Shots: Are you the 2012 Buick LaCrosse GS? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GM sells millionth car this year in China and, of course, it's a Buick. Because the Chinese? They love Buicks. [Bloomberg] More »