Why Buick is the Brand to Watch

Two years ago you could have told me that Buick would be one of the star brands of General Motors and I would have laughed hysterically. Despite my status as an industry and GM follower, Buick has always been the GM brand that I looked at and said, “Oh, they still sell those?” My how things can change. Today it is becoming clearer every day that Buick is the brand to be watching at New GM.

I think a lot of people took notice of Buick back when the Enclave launched, but many people (myself included), assumed that it was going to be a one-hit wonder for the brand. After all, GM’s previous brand “renaissance” consisted of a one hit wonder as well: the Cadillac CTS. Needless to say, it was easy to make the assumption that Buick’s renaissance was not going to be anything worth writing home about, despite GM management clamoring over the brand’s bright future.

Then late 2008 rolls around and the Buick Enclave is announced by JD Power as the fastest selling product in the United States, staying on dealership lots an average of six days or less. Most of the mainstream press failed to report that fact and rightfully so considering how long Buick has been irrelevant in North America. Reflecting back on that report today I realize that should probably go down in the books as the initial sign that Buick has some life left in it after all.

Even today, after nearly three years on the market, the Enclave is doing remarkably well. At last report it was still bringing a high percentage of new buyers to the GM stable and the average buyer age is somewhere around 55. Considering the macro level of the entire industry has an average age of 52, that isn’t bad for the poster child geriatric brand of the industry. Let’s chalk up Enclave’s lasting success as sign number two that Buick can be relevant.

Buick’s second renaissance product, the new LaCrosse, hasn’t been around long enough to call it a sign of relevance. The car has performed very well in the few months it has been on the market though, and the media has taken to the car extremely well; most going so far as to call it better than the Lexus ES. The fact that the Buick LaCrosse is wearing one of the most unique interior designs in the industry speaks volumes about the level of detail GM is putting into Buick’s image.

Having two stellar products does not make a brand completely relevant. In Buick’s case the current products are serving as a precursor to the execution of every Buick going forward as the brand moves more upscale and attracts a younger crowd. I’m often privy to the details of future product at GM and out of all four core brands, I am by far the most excited about Buick’s product. Keep in mind this is coming out of the mouth (or hands?) of a Millennial that, two years ago, would not be caught dead in a Buick.

It just seems to me that GM really “gets it” with Buick more than any of the other brands. From their marketing efforts to Buick’s beautiful NAIAS display, GM is keeping a constant focus on Buick’s image. I wish we could say the same about Cadillac. The upcoming Buick Regal is also demonstrating how GM is “getting it” with Buick. Just a few months before GM’s June 2009 bankruptcy Buick was not going to get the Regal until 2011 as a 2012 model. During the bankruptcy GM and Buick management decided they needed the car now, not over a year later, so they decided to source it from Germany for the first year.

Personally I think the Regal is going to be the Buick renaissance product that fundamentally changes Buick’s perception in North America. Unlike the LaCrosse, there is no aspect to the Regal that suggests it is a car for the geriatric unit. I would love to have a black Regal Turbo with a manual simply to drive around my college campus and get reactions to it. A case study like that would be interesting to see just how bad Buick’s perception is with people that are not gearheads.

Future Buicks

Obviously I say to watch Buick because the future looks tremendously bright for the brand. Even six months ago the brand did not have very many products on the horizon, but that has changed thanks to GM’s much-improved financial status. One of the new Buick’s I am most interested in seeing on the market is the upcoming small car. Acura is thinking about bringing a compact sedan to the North American market and we already know Ford is reviving the Mercury Tracer. It is looking more and more likely that Buick will be pioneering the small premium compact car segment in North America.

I think the success of the small car will depend on fuel prices at the time, but nonetheless the car is going to have a vast amount of potential. It’s going to be a revised Opel Astra, so I have high expectations for the car. Aside from that, GMI reported a few weeks ago that the Insigna Sports Tourer would be coming over as a Buick Regal Wagon. Another confirmed addition to the Buick lineup is the “Baby Enclave” off of the Gamma II platform, another smaller product that has a lot of potential if the design evolves from the current Enclave.

GM has just recently been discussing more product options for the Buick brand. There will be a Buick coupe of some kind and we’re hearing from sources that it will either be riding on the Alpha rear-wheel drive platform or Global Epsilon front-wheel drive platform. A convertible variant is also likely. GM executives are also considering a flagship sedan for Buick.

Total Package

The point I am trying to get at with this is that GM seems to giving Buick the whole package that is needed to truly revitalize a brand. The products are impeccable, marketing efforts are encouraging and Buick is wearing a unified image everywhere the brand has a presence. Need I also mention something I wrote about a couple weeks ago; how Buick-GMC dealerships are moving upscale, which will likely put another feather in Buick’s hat.

Perhaps an even more important point about the Buick revitalization is that is appears GM is fully committed to the mission. I don’t care which way it is spun; the Cadillac renaissance was unsuccessful because they gave up too soon. Now Cadillac is on a path with little focus. On the other hand, Buick seems to have it’s collective act together like never before and I am very excited to see what comes of this brand over the next two years. I truly believe it’s going to surprise people.

[GMInsideNews]