Buick Crossover and luxury sedan sales booming

Booming crossover sport utility vehicle sales, and a top luxury sedan model, were fueling the best Buick sales figures in eight years, according to company officials. Luxury sedan sales also were booming, leading to the best retail and sales figures since 2005, before the 2007 US economy crash, officials said.

Citing double-digit sales increases over same month sales in 2012, officials in Detroit said total sales were up 11 percent in April compared to April 2012 and up 23 percent this year over 2012 to date. That marked the 12th consecutive month in which sales rose over the previous month the year before.

Buick’s luxury crossover sport utility vehicle, the Enclave, posted its top April results with retail sales soaring 11 percent over April 2012. The Enclave has increased retail sales by 30 percent this year compared to 2012, officials said. Not only that, but nearly 40 percent of first-generation Enclaves traded in by owners this year were from motorists buying the new 2013 models. Some 42 percent of Enclave purchasers were new to the brand.

Also contributing to the momentum was a brand new luxury compact crossover SUV, the Encore, with 2,916 delivered to customers in April and 7,869 since the start of the year. Officials attributed the popularity of the new vehicle to its blending of technology, efficiency and versatility.

Total retail sales for the venerable Buick brand were booming in key, major metropolitan markets. San Francisco and Miami showed 40 percent increases in Buick buyers this year over last year, followed by 32 percent increases in New York City.

The Verano luxury sedan also represented a key component in the rosy sales outlook for the brand. Recently named the “best upscale small car for the money” by US News and World Report and “entry level luxury car winner” in the 5-year cost to own category by Kelley Blue Book, the Verano increased sales by 133 percent in New York, 74 percent in Florida, 67 percent in California and 56 percent in Texas, according to Buick officials.

Brian Sweeney, vice president of Buick sales and service, said the expanded vehicle lineup epitomized by the Verano Turbo, all-new Encore and redesigned Enclave were “appealing to a broader segment of consumers” through the first months of 2013.

Buick’s first vehicle was the 1904 Model B. The brand has sold more than 43 million vehicles since then.