The headline on March’s Motor Trend Magazine boasts, “Buick Is Back!” That may be true — I just recently wrote a post on my infatuation with the Buick LaCrosse — but they still have some old tendencies to work out. It wasn’t too long ago when GM execs had to decide which brands to remove from their portfolio and which models within the remaining brands would get the axe. Chief Executive Officer of General Motors, Fritz Henderson, outlined “an updated Viability Plan that will speed the reinvention of GM’s US operations into a leaner, more customer-focused, and more cost-competitive automaker.” If the goal was to leave a leaner, stronger General Motors, then doesn’t this show that they are once again missing the mark? Isn’t this like having the Pontiac Grand Am and the Pontiac G6 competing for the same audience? Even Pontiac was smart enough to cancel one before introducing the other, and they didn’t even make the cut — the whole brand. Hopefully, Buick will never endure the same plight, but if they keep this up… Decisions like this do not lead to a leaner, stronger company with leaner, stronger brands, it leads to cannibalism. Money will be thrown into both LaCrosse and Regal marketing campaigns and eventually one will outdo the other. At that time, it will be only wise to cancel the underperforming model. So, if that is the outcome, why even start?
Motor Trend Magazine Editor-in-Chief Angus Mackenzie says the Regal “is the first Buick in history with internationally chic sheetmetal and sophisticated road manners to match,” and that it “is truly likely to appeal to young, affluent, trend-setting import buyers.”
Is it just me, or do the Regal and LaCrosse look just alike? The Regal even uses the LaCrosse’s Epsilon II platform. The only difference is that the Regal’s wheelbase is approximately 4 inches shorter than the LaCrosse. That’s only 6.8 inches shorter overall. Do 6.8 inches actually denote its own segment? Here’s my opinion for Buick… Build the LaCrosse on the extended platform of the Lucerne , giving it approximately 10 inches in length, and replace the current, not-so-attractive Lucerne with this “new” LaCrosse, enabling it to compete with the Lexus LS. Finally, GM should increase its price. There is no reason that the LaCrosse and Regal should have the same starting price and no reason for the Lucerne to only be $3K more than both smaller cars.
Buick, do what you know is right for the future of the brand. You don’t have the luxuries of trial and error anymore. Do what you know will make Buick stronger.
Tags: branding, Buick, cars, Enclave, G6, General Motors, GM, Grand Am, LaCrosse, Lucerne, marketing, Motor Trend Magazine, Pontiac, Regal, Regal GS
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