At the 2011 North American International Auto Show, General Motors showed new offerings with a clear emphasis on smaller cars. Buick revealed their new 2012 Verano, a luxury compact car based on the architecture of Chevrolet’s Cruze. Without losing the Buick looks, thanks mostly to the clearly “family face” of the car, the Verano has the job of bringing more luxury to smaller cars. While an accepted concept in Europe and Asia, it’s been a tough sell in North America. Buick says it worked hard to make this compact quiet, an essential quality in a luxury vehicle. The Verano will be powered by a direct-injection 2.4-liter, 4-cylinder engine (177-horsepower and 170 lb.-ft) with a six-speed automatic transmission. Buick expects 31 mpg on the highway and 0-60 mph in 8 seconds. A 2-liter turbo will be offered in the future. With products this size selling a million a year, having a piece of the market is essential to Buick’s plan of attracting new buyers to the brand, especially Hispanics. They want potential customers to see this as a “cool” Buick.
