Report: GM considering flagship Buick coupe
Tuesday, February 16th, 2010
Buick is in the midst of a major product renaissance that has put the automaker back on the map thanks to a myriad of fresh designs. Now, a Buick executive is suggesting that Buick may enter the coupe-making arena as well to help make the brand more youthful.
Buick is determined to place itself if not in the same realm as the mid-level Lexus models, slightly above them. In order to achieve this status change Buick has refreshed or plans to refresh five models in the next year – including a new LaCrosse, Regal, Enclave, an unnamed small vehicle based on the Cruze and a new small crossover.
Not satisfied with just five new models, Buick is now also considering a flagship coupe model to act as the halo for the revitalized brand, according to Automotive News.
During an interview at the Chicago Auto Show, John Cafaro, director of design for Buick and Chevrolet, told Automotive News, “My role is really being a zealot for getting Buick more youthful, more spirited and probing ideas [for] coupes, more expressive vehicles. That is really my job.”
Cafaro went on to explain that the brand [Buick] is undergoing a transformation in order to remain relevant in an ever-changing market. “Buick is kind of going through what Cadillac went through when it reinvented itself,” Cafaro said. “Cadillac said: ‘What we are doing is not working. Our customers are dying off. We have to carve a new image.’ That is where Buick is right now.”
Cafaro went on to say that he felt a coupe would make the kind of statement Buick is looking to make. “…a statement means it is going to be the flagship.” Cafaro added, “A coupe is definitely where you say, ‘I’m back.; ”
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