BUICK: WHAT’S WORKING AND WHAT’S HOLDING IT BACK
Buick has a long history of design excellence that includes the first-ever concept car: The Y-Job concept was designed by Harley Earl, and it's as beautiful today as it was when it made its debut back in 1938. Buick was once seen as a status symbol, and vehicles like the Roadmaster, Riviera, and Park Avenue were the kinds of cars people aspired to own one day.
Buick
Started back in 1899 by David Dunbar Buick, Buick was one of the first American car brands and is credited with the establishment of General Motors in the early 1900s. It's one of oldest surviving American carmakers, and now sells luxury SUVs. It's considered to be less premium (and less expensive) than Cadillac, but slightly more opulent than Chevrolet.
Times have changed, however, and the brand has lost some of its original allure. It is working hard to fix its lackluster image and update its lineup, including focusing on SUVs and crossovers rather than sedans, but there are still challenges to overcome. Here’s a look at what Buick is doing right, and where it could improve.
The Move Toward Electrification
The brand isn’t missing out on the move to electrification with the introduction of the upcoming Electra lineup. It kicks off with the Electra E5 SUV, which is set to arrive in 2025. This gives Buick the chance to appeal to a new group of customers who are ready to make the move to electrification but can’t currently do so within the Buick brand.
Even though the pace of EV sales isn’t growing as fast as expected, it’s important for Buick to offer this option to its customers. This car is already on sale in China and was originally due to be available in the US for the 2024 model year, but that date was pushed out to 2025. It's better late than never and shows that Buick is evolving with the times rather than being left behind.
Refreshing The Lineup
Sedans aren’t as popular as they once were, so Buick shifted its focus to crossovers and SUVs. The all-new Enclave offers three rows of seating as the flagship of the Buick brand. Along with the Envision, Encore GX, and the affordable Envista, the foursome offers a touch of premium without venturing fully into luxury car territory. The interiors of these vehicles feature improved materials, the latest tech, and sleek designs that help improve Buick’s image and bring it into the future.
2025 Buick Enclave First Drive Review: An Elevated Family-Hauler
The updated Enclave is better on every front, and even though it doesn't stand out in any particular way, it's the best version of itself thus far.
All four are available in the premium Avenir trim, which is something of a sub-brand that marks the most high-end, well-equipped version of Buick’s vehicles. Although coming in at a higher price point, the Avenir lineup delivers a top-notch experience for more discerning customers. On the tech front, Buick now has SuperCruise, which is GM’s hands-free driver assistance system. The Enclave is the first model to offer this technology, which does everything from managing braking and throttle to changing lanes. It's a taste of the future of cars and a great feature on long road trips.
Changing The Buick Image
Buick is working hard to change its image from the car that your grandfather drove to one that you would want to be seen in. Adjusting the lineup was the first step. The next was changing the Buick badge. Known as the tri-shield logo, periodic updates over the years aimed to keep it looking fresh rather than dated. The lates change, which debuted on the 2024 Buick Envista, has a new horizontal alignment for the red, white, and blue shields without the circular outer ring. It looks slick and thoroughly modern.
The new badge, advanced technologies, upcoming electric vehicles, and the luxurious Avenir show Buick isn’t just for older generations anymore. They’re making Buick cool again and hopefully appealing to a new generation of buyers. It’s a step in the right direction, but it will take time for the changes to make an impact.
What About Performance?
Performance is one area where Buick has room to grow. It once had muscle cars in its lineup, like the GSX from back in the 1970s, but that model is long gone. There is no high-performance model in its lineup for driving enthusaists, with its last attempt, the Regal GS, disappearing back in 2020. Over at Cadillac there are strong performance options, but Buick has stuck to the comfortable, refined side of things. If Buick wants to broaden its appeal, performance-focused models are something that could help it reach even more new buyers.
The Evolving Design Story
Buick’s vehicles are solid, reliable, and comfortable, but they’re not setting the design world on fire. The brand tends to play it safe with conservative styling that doesn’t always excite. In a time when car buyers are looking for more bold, expressive designs, Buick’s cars often feel a little too traditional. The Wildcat EV Concept showed off standout styling. We'd love to see more of the design elements that were a part of the Wildcat EV make their way into production models.
Buick Tells Us How Design Makes The Difference
Buick is reinventing itself and looking to the future with a new design language, and the choices it's making are carefully considered.
Buick is on the right path, but it still struggles with an outdated image and a lack of performance-focused models. By addressing those issues, Buick could position itself as a leader rather than an also-ran. It’s about evolving to meet the needs of today’s car buyers while upholding its legacy of building quality vehicles for families. If Buick can make these changes, it will not only survive, but thrive.
2024-12-29T05:21:46ZSources: Buick