Zastava_101

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/12/02/2...dealer-letter/

According to the infomongers at GM Inside News, the automaker recent sent a letter to its Buick dealers inviting them to participate in an order study in an attempt to gain knowledge about what pricing and trim levels would be most attractive to potential buyers. The details, available after the jump, reveal that the Verano will be powered by a 2.4-liter inline-four (same as the Regal) that produces 180 horsepower and 172 pound-feet of torque, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission, and will be initially offered in four trim levels.

If the letter is to be believed, the base Verano 1SB (the alphanumeric likely being an internal designation) is estimated to start at $20,900. From there, the 1SD model adds Bluetooth, automatic climate control and remote start, and will be priced from around $22,100. 1SG models add a power driver's seat, heated mirrors and rear park assist and should command roughly $23,300. Top-trim 1SL Veranos will have heated leather seats, premium audio, a heated steering wheel and 18-inch wheels. Expect the top-rung 1SL to retail for around $25,600, with pricing reaching as high as $26,200.



Chinese Buick Verano:

Evil_Capri

Interesting! The competition in the "C" class segment is going to be very strong in 2012.

jsaylor

It's funny, despite the somewhat rich msrp the rest of the Verano is more believable as GM's mainstream C segment competitor than the Cruze is. Once again, I'm not convinced that GM actually understands where the mainstream is anymore, or that they aren't really a part of the defining force driving it. Or maybe they do.........

In Europe this basic car sold under a different badge is indeed the mainstream C segment GM offering, competing directly with the Ford Focus, while the Chevy Cruze is a budget offering nobody would seriously compare to that same Focus. And yet, a trip across the Atlantic mysteriously turns an Astra into a 'near luxury' Buick sedan (with the concept for the same having been hatched in China no less) and the Cruze into a fully respectable mainstream offering that competes directly with the Focus?

Zastava_101

I was reading a new Motor Trend and the test they had on Cruze. It seems that GM really overpriced this car. They said that, based on equipment, the price of tested model should've been around $20,000 when in fact ended up being ~$26,000.

And Buick is really overpriced these days. $27,000 for a base Regal? $35,000 for a Regal GS? Why would anyone buy a Regal GS for $35,000 then they can drive lets say Acura TSX V6 or Infiniti G37 for the same price?
And now ~$21,000 for a compact built by Daewoo? Thanks, but no thanks.

jsaylor

I'm with you Zoran, I think GM is losing it. The pricing on some of their newer stuff is just really difficult to justify.

SD CALSPCL

I am afraid I still remember the Pontiac from Korea..no thanks to the Buick. I am also seriously trying to support the American auto industry by buying a car actually made in this country and not a rebadged foreign one. No Camaro, Challenger, or Charger either since they are made in Canada. Just me..