BUICK AVENIR, COMING!

[smithbrother]

Buick will build the AVENIR, French for ( future ).

 

I won't be as presented in the concept, but will enjoy styling clues from it.

 

Buick announced MORE DETAILS TO FOLLOW.

 

Dale in Indy

[38Buick 80C]

Actually it is just going to add a sub-brand called Avenir, so like GMC has the "Denali" version of most or each of its available line-up and it represents the peak available options, etc. so will Buick have Avenir versions of its models. Think Enclave Avenir, Cascada Avenir, Lacrosse Avenir....

 

This is not too dissimilar from what Buick has done in the past with Electra Park Avenue, or Lacrosse Super, etc. etc.

 

http://www.autonews.com/article/20161003/RETAIL03/310039965/buick-greenlights-avenir----as-a-subbrand

[60FlatTop]

Ohhhh.... what's that other French name they put on cars?   Deluxe, that's it! Maybe even Royal deluxe.

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I expected more, well, kind of. I like that concept car. And when I saw this topic I thought "Oh, don't let it be that 3.6 with a 6 speed transmission." I just can't figure out why that newest rendition of the Chevy 4.3 can't go into some upscale car with a three speed plus OD.

What a pleasure it would be for an old fart torque engine driver.

Bernie

[JohnD1956]

Wow!  Hate to be a downer, but I am not a fan of the plan in that article. Buick dealers order the uplevel vehicles for their lots, and the unknowing public merely shop the lots, as if that's all that's available.  Then the Buick folks say that most buyers choose the upscale version.   And now Buick execs think they can add an exotic name to a Buick and charge thousands more!?

 

I have been a Buick fan practically all my life, but I am on the fence regarding any more new Buicks.  As far as I'm concerned they already cost too much.  And there's too many thoughtless people driving (the American) roads today.   It's not like the more expensive car is any better shielded from these drivers.  So I can't justify the extra costs for something which, to me, has become a disposable item to most people today.

 

I have thought that my next car has to be something that, if it is crashed, won't make me feel bad.  But it can't ever be a "not so" Smart Car!  

[smithbrother]

I'm SORRY I brought it all up, hehe, didn't mean to RUIN your day.

 

Last time I checked, it was like PULLING TEETH to get a dealer to order a car, JUST LIKE I WANT.

 

They sure do know how to load them up, huh.

 

Dale in Indy

[Guest Apollo]

Kind of an insult to a stunning show car

[NTX5467]

First, the 3.6L High-Feature dohc V-6 engine family is NOT related to the Chevy 4.3L V-6 in any way, other than they might share a motor oil specification.  We had 3.6L V-6s in the Rendezvous vehicles and also fwd W-car Buicks.  Then it evolved to be used in the Cadillac CTS rwd cars.  Now, the latest variant has Active Fuel Management in addition to the prior VVT.  There WAS a 3.5L dohc V-6 in the fwd Monte Carlo/Lumina cars which WAS based on the Chevy 60-degree V-6 engine . . . as an "add-on" to the existing V-6 mechanism.  One of THAT engine's somewhat endearing features was its poor serviceability and the fact that if the cooling intake duct for the alternator was not in place, a yearly alternator "fail" would usually occur.  Wobble sockets and 3'+ extensions were needed.

 

It seems that upgraded trim levels are desired for additional profits.  The GMC Denali models have become somewhat legendary, kind of like the Ford F-series King Ranch pickup trucks.  This ALSO gives Buick another chance to sneak into Cadillac price territory, as Cadillac operatives now seek to edge it into higher-priced areas for their cars.  At THIS time, Buick appears to be on more stable footing than Cadillac and can probably increase their sales with the Avenir trim level.

 

The fwd "Park Avenues" were really VIN-indicated as "Electra + Park Avenue (option number)", but all of the ornamentation was "Park Avenue" rather than "Electra"

 

The "Automotive News" article referenced also mentions the use of a few styling cues from the Avista, too, on the Avenir trim vehicles.

 

To me, they should build the Avenir CAR, the Avista CAR, and the Cadillac Elmiraj CAR.  The platforms exist for such vehicles NOW.  Make a factory-authorized Elmiraj LIMO, too!  Get BACK that market which Lincoln's trying to "cover" with their bunch of utility vehicles!  Cadillac and BUICK could own those upscale market segments AGAIN, under such a plan!!!

 

NTX5467. 

[SpecialEducation]

On 10/3/2016 at 2:17 PM, smithbrother said:

I'm SORRY I brought it all up, hehe, didn't mean to RUIN your day.

 

Last time I checked, it was like PULLING TEETH to get a dealer to order a car, JUST LIKE I WANT.

 

They sure do know how to load them up, huh.

 

Dale in Indy

 

Lemmie tell you a story on that. Now, I haven't worked for a GM dealer in 12 years, so things could have changed...

 

I don't know what it was like when your dad had a dealership, but when I was running dealer trades (DTs), there was MSRP, invoice, and holdback. The REAL cost of the car to the dealer was invoice minus holdback. The more options, the bigger the holdback. We would stock optioned out vehicles, and trade with other dealers for ones with less options, meaning we almost always had a high holdback vehicle going out for a low holdback car coming in. When we traded, we traded for invoice.  Since we kept the holdback, we got the high holdback for selling the cheaper car.  

 

THAT is why we never ordered what we knew actually sold the best.  We let the other guys order the popular, low holdback vehicles for us.  We LOVED doing DTs!

Edited October 10, 2016 by SpecialEducation (see edit history)

[Barney Eaton]

I am disappointed with the future of Enclave because of what has been printed about the down sized GMC Acadia.

The article said the Acadia was downsized because it competed with the Chevy/GMC Tahoe.....the Acadia/Enclave/Traverse has a longer wheel base than a Tahoe and the article said they had more volume (hard to believe) so sales and the bean counters are making the Acadia smaller......which seems to point to the Enclave/Traverse following in the downsize.

 

Anyone on the inside have more information?

[Thriller]

I haven't seen nor heard anything, but with the new Envision on a smaller platform, it doesn't make sense that you would downsize the bigger platform, unless it just means moving the GMC model to the smaller platform. 

 

Why on earth would you change a vehicle because it is competing with and selling better than another model? That completely goes against any logic of giving the customer what they want. Now, if the Yukon / Tahoe is a higher profit vehicle and this is just about greed then it may be time for me to reassess my brand loyalty and simply look at what best meets our needs. 

 

If what Barney says is true, then this company needs to get its head out of its posterior. We are not amused. 

 

Of course, Buick isn't allowed to build the Avista because it may compete with the Camaro or Corvette I suppose. Sigh. 

 

[Centurion]

My understanding is that the Enclave will remain a larger vehicle, and, when it is fully redesigned, it will be built on a larger platform than the new GMC Acadia.

[38Buick 80C]

6 hours ago, Centurion said:

My understanding is that the Enclave will remain a larger vehicle, and, when it is fully redesigned, it will be built on a larger platform than the new GMC Acadia.

 

Correct Enclave remains at it's current approximate size and 7 passenger seating when updated on an all new platform (C1XX) tat arrives as a 2018 model year. So far only some spy photos, No public reveal yet. Spy photos show a very similar to current appearance but it sheds quite a few pounds.

[NTX5467]

In addition to the three price levels mentioned, there are now "Supplier 1" and "Supplier 2", I believe.  This gets the pricing closer to what GM employees, themselves, pay (which is below normal dealer price).  There used to be some "dealer employee and friends and family" price levels, too, which usually came with some special factory financing options.

 

  Holdback is a percentage of MSRP and is "paid" sometime after the sale of the vehicle.  A good dealer will not get into their holdback $$$$ as it originally was to let dealers sell "at invoice" and have some residual profits coming in to pay their bills with.  Kind of a safety net of sorts.  On the invoices I used to see (when a salesperson would come into get some keys cut for the vehicle), the three price levels were detailed as such.  Holdback seems to be only on USA-brand vehicles.  Some want it done away with, but I don't perceive that happening anytime soon.

 

And then there was the old "Demo Drive Option", when it was operational.  It was an extra $500.00 off the invoice price to compensate the dealer for having the unit as "a demonstrator" vehicle (with appropriate guidelines and restrictions).  That ended sometime in the 1990s, as I recall.  What was on the window sticker was "$000.00", or similar.

 

NTX5467

[NTX5467]

Y'all might like the Enclave's size, but the real growth in that market segment is in the smaller CUVs, i.e., Envision. 

 

The Traverse, et al, might be in the same price point as the Tahoe, BUT they play to two somewhat different customers, I believe.  The interesting thing I discovered is that the Chevy Equinox is the 2nd-highest sales Chevrolet vehicle right behind the Silverado!  PLUS, more Equinoxes sold than the entire Buick line of vehicles!  After renting one a few weekends ago (not on purpose), I know why it's been so popular!

 

The Chevy vehicle which was in direct competition, and which I suspected might replace the Tahoe a few years ago, was the S-truck Trailblazer.  About the same wheelbase, more rear seat leg room, and V-8 availability.  But in the class of the Tahoe, size and weight are important for light towing functions (with towing capabilities GREATER than the Traverse family!), which the Trailblazer was not really heavy enough (rear axle, brakes, and suspension) to do as well as the Tahoe/Suburban family vehicles.

 

Reports are that the next-gen Equinox will be smaller and a little lighter, but with more interior space.  It will probably then replace the Chevy Captiva.  On my excursion, I was accelerating at part-throttle past the city limit sign of a smaller TX town, the 4 cyl engine making some nice "having fun" sounds, until I looked at the speedometer.  It was at 95mph and still "on the torque curve".  YIKES!  33mpg average, too!

 

IF the Enclave "family" is downsized, it will be in "inches" (and not many of them).   They can be equipped for light towing use, so that means a vehicle of a particular weight AND 2nd row leg room dimensions.  Plus "entry space" into the 3rd row seating area!

 

Back in the earlier 1980s fwd cars, GM had about three different car platforms whose wheelbases were not more than 2" different!  I don't thing they'll be doing that again any time soon.

 

NTX5467