OPEL ADAM Minicar Coming to Buick?

Falling in love with all things European, Buick has been considering the possibility of introducing the Opel Adam Minicar to the North American market. With its introduction recently of the Buick Casada that is inspired by other Opel automobiles, the company has set a trend that Automotive News Europe thinks Buick will follow for quite some time to come. Automotive News Europe reports that Buick executives believe that the introduction of new cars patterned after Opel’s automobiles will help bolster sluggish US and Canadian sales with buyers who are concerned about fuel economy in a new car.

Currently, the Opel Adam is sold only in Europe as a two-door hatchback that competes with the Fiat 500, Mini Cooper, and the BMW-1 series hatchback. Priced at around $15,000, the Opel Adam has been on sale since 2013 and has seen rather positive sales success among upscale buyers in their 20s and 30s. The way that the current model of the Adam is designed means that it will never meet U.S. Federal safety and environmental standards, so Buick cannot immediately bring the Adam to the market in America. However, General Motors is thought to be holding off until the next-generation Adam comes out in 2018. As that time arrives, it is expected that Buick executives will roll out an Americanized version of the Adam for the market in Canada and the United States.

When asked by Automotive News Europe about the possibility of introducing the Opel Adam into the U.S., GM’s Vice President of Buick and GMC, Duncan Aldred said, “I’ve looked at the possibility of fast-tracking that into the Buick range sooner than later. I think it would make a great Buick.”

The fact that Buick rather than Chevrolet is looking at introducing a stylish luxury hatchback like the Adam to the U.S. market, reflects on the fact that the car has the contents and features needed to compete against other premium hatchbacks. It would seem from memos that have been leaked by GM executives that the idea of bringing the Adam to the U.S. has been discussed for quite some time among the insiders at General Motors.

On top of looking at introducing the Opel Adam to America, Buick has recently brought out its own version of the Envision Crossover that it is currently selling in China as the company looks to increase its footprint in Asian markets. Automotive News has reported that the small crossover will likely be brought out in the United States in 2017 as a new model vehicle for that year.