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2010 Buick LaCrosse 
Ep. 1.18Class: Cars, Sedan — Model origin: 
00:19:27 ![[*]](/res/star.png){kind=small}
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Comments about this vehicle| Author | Message |
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◊ 2012-06-28 18:11
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Somehow, I think it might be a recent generation Honda Accord. |
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◊ 2012-06-28 18:56
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I think you´re right Ddey65. |
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◊ 2012-06-28 19:02
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what about the new Buick Verano? Link to "www.carvegasus.com" Link to "homeautodesign.com" -- Last edit: 2012-06-28 19:12:54 |
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◊ 2012-06-28 20:39
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Aw, crap! You're probably right, S 415 GT. |
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◊ 2012-06-28 20:45
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Actually, it's not that, either. Look at the placement of the reverse light. Link to "www.distroautos.com" Clearly a second generation LaCrosse. |
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◊ 2012-06-28 20:59
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Oh, I had to notice that, I overtook a 2010 LaCrosse today on the Autobahn. |
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◊ 2012-06-28 21:01
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Buick LaCrosse? Autobahn? Never thought I'd hear those two in the same sentence... |
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◊ 2012-06-28 21:54
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Buicks arnt officially sold here, thats why I thought it was an Opel first. |
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◊ 2012-06-28 22:01
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True. Although, it's not really that farfetched. I mean, here's the opposite, an Opel Insignia (not a Regal with Opel body panels) for sale in the US. Link to "cgi.ebay.com" |
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◊ 2012-06-28 22:04
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Time-by-time GM makes a new try to place US-brands here. The last halfway visible official try was the 1st gen Park Avenue. If you really want, you can order a new Buick at some capable and willing Opel-dealerships. In the neighbour-countries they were always more successful. The most of the few Buicks, you can spot here, have Dutch plates, sometimes you see Austrian or Polish, too. |
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◊ 2012-06-28 22:10
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The one I saw, was a US-spec Version, with a german plate. |
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◊ 2012-06-28 22:19
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A real German plate or the lookalike for the GI's: Link to "de.wikipedia.org" ? |
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◊ 2012-06-28 22:21
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a real german plate. It was from KS(Kassel?) |
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◊ 2012-06-28 22:21
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^^^^Indeed, although it seems it wouldn't make too much sense lately, with the problems Opel's been having. If they tried to being another brand to Germany, they might lose even more money. They've already got enough strain selling Opel, Cadillac and Chevrolet there. They should probably try to streamline things. Stop selling the Chevrolet Captiva in Germany (better for it's Opel Antara counterpart), only sell the Opel Ampera (not the Volt), keep the Cruze as a sedan only (better for the Opel Astra). Opel already has a couple too many models (profit-wise), and Chevrolet's only straining the brand more. -- Last edit: 2012-06-28 22:21:52 |
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◊ 2012-06-28 22:26
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Nearly all Opel dealers I know also sell Chevrolets, and I think quiet a few of them. |
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◊ 2012-06-28 22:35
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Hmmm...another contributing factor, perhaps? Reminds me a bit of how GM had many dealerships that sold Buick, GMC, and Pontiac under one roof. Some of them also sold Chevrolet, Cadillac or Saturn on top of them (sometimes 2 of them). And we all know how THAT went, with both Saturn and Pontiac getting the axe. I had originally thought that they should drop the Opel brand, and sell models not available under the Chevrolet brand as Vauxhall, but that's a bit of a stupid idea (due to brand identity and loyalty). Maybe bring Vauxhall over for commercial vehicles, and drop any Chevrolet models that are already sold as Opel or vice-versa. |
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◊ 2012-06-28 22:37
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Many of these cars cater for different markets though. Most Chevrolets are catering for the value end of the market whereas GM Europe have been (unsuccessfully) increasing the prices of Vauxhalls/Opels. The Captiva in Europe is a seven seater compared to the smaller five-seater Antera too (and the Antera sells about as well as a chocolate fireguard). The Cruze is much cheaper than the Astra (for example a 1.7 130hp Diesel is exactly £4,000 less than a similar Astra). The problems they face are numerous and not really that much to do with the Korean models. The biggest of which is their complete inability to build a car that is any better than an also run or in any way whatsoever aspirational. |
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◊ 2012-06-28 22:47
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^With the exception of the OPC models, I assume? |
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◊ 2012-06-28 23:01
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The biggest problem of Opel is the GM-management in the USA. It became always a disaster, when they tried to make it "more international" more American or more Korean. This means always a lower quality. The German customers hate that very much. This is the biggest reason, why Opel's market share get smaller year-by-year ( http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opel#Opel-Neuzulassungen_in_Deutschland ). One nail in the coffin was the Sintra, also the terrible Lopez-times (VW has better survived that devastating guy), plus the refusal of GM, to open overseas-market. The brand-name Chevrolet has a terrible reputation in Germany. Once known for big, widely solid US-cars, it's nowadays seen as cheap, shabby and worth-, face- and nameless Korea-junk. See, what's on the market now: http://www.chevrolet.de/ The Corvette is the only exception. Chevrolet is always the last in the rankings of brand-reputation here, together with Rover and Jeep. -- Last edit: 2012-06-28 23:01:57 |
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◊ 2012-06-28 23:09
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This would cause the immediate and absolute collapse and disappearing of GM in Germany. Vauxhall is only known in Britain, nowhere else in Europe. Also in the countries, where up to te late 70ies Vauxhalls (the last was the Chevette over 30 years ago) were sold, noone knows the brand today. I see that every day with my Vauxhall Vectra (in fact just an Opel with a different badge). Not even 10% of the average people can identify the logo. And about the terrible reputation of Chevrolet over here see my last posting. |
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◊ 2012-06-28 23:13
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@ CC: They've not really had much of an effect on the company's image. They appeal somewhat to Chavs, but they have long been core Vauxhall customers. VXRs tend to be somewhat less sophisticated and drivable than stuff like the Golf GTI/R, Focus ST/RS and the Megane RS. It's too early to tell about the new Astra VXR. The GTC is a nice enough looking car, I suppose, and might be a bit more appealing. It's interesting as to me, an outsider, it looks like GM are getting it right in America as badly as they are getting it wrong in Europe. Cars like the CTS (especially the Coupe) and new Camaro seem quite appealing IMO. |
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◊ 2012-06-28 23:13
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^^^'The Corvette is the only exception.' What about the Camaro? Looking through the lineup: - Aveo: Agreed, could have been improved if they imported the US built version. - Cruze: See Aveo above. - Malibu: Not sure if this car is US built or Korean, but if I recall properly, the majority of development was with Chevrolet (US) and Holden (Australia). Could possibly be the 'widely solid US car' you're referring to, if it's the US built model. - Volt: US built, through and through. - Spark: Although Korean built and developed, seems more India than Korea...maybe because it's predecessor was better known there... - Orlando and Captiva: Not even sold in US to start with. Closest things we have here are Equinox and Captiva Sport (old Saturn Vue, meaning pre-facelift version of Captiva/Antara), and the closest to the US the Orlando is sold is Canada. Still, both are essentially Korean. -- Last edit: 2012-06-28 23:13:31 |
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◊ 2012-06-28 23:41
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Ingo has it right, Vauxhall as a brand concept only exists in UK as GM had previously promoted Opel throughout the rest of Europe. The major mistake of GM in UK has been rebadging junk like the Daewoo Matiz as a Chevrolet, and expecting to sell it. You cannot now sell poor cars in the European markets, the Chrysler Neon started the downward path for American/European cross fertilisation and it is currently on a road to nowhere. To my view only one brand has the knowledge to market an American badge properly in Europe, and that is Ford, and you don't see them shooting themselves in the foot trying to sell Lincolns or American built Fords over here. Also just look at the mess Mercedes got in with the American built SUV type cars, Europe is a very different place. |
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◊ 2012-06-28 23:51
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Due the fact, that since the 20ies Ford create and produces own cars in Europe and don't flood the markets with the all-same US-models, the people don't think, that it's origin American. In Germany Ford is seen and accepted as a German brand, the same goes for Britain, although the "origin British"-image became weaker, as since over 30 years there aren't unique British Fords any more. -- Last edit: 2012-06-28 23:51:33 |
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◊ 2012-06-29 13:29
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You are a little too early in your assessment of the 20s being the start of Ford Europe design. The Model Y (Koln in Europe) and the Model C (Eifel) were still American designed although not introduced until 1932 and 1935 respectively. Previous to those, the Models T and A were totally American in origin. The clever part of what Ford did was to spot that local design input could develop the business and create far more profit than cost, and therefore allowed development to take place forward from the start point cars. In England the Y and C were replaced by the 7Y and 7W, each with similar power trains to previously but totally different styling, while in Germany the Koln was dropped and the Eifel developed into the G93A Taunus. Larger cars had to wait until the 1950s because of the effect of WW2, after which the American V-8s were progressively replaced and the Ford Europe success continued. -- Last edit: 2012-06-29 13:34:03 |
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◊ 2012-06-29 18:46
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Since when is the Malibu sold here? I havent seen one on the street yet, or read a Review in a Car-Magazine. |
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◊ 2012-06-29 18:46
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Next year I think. |
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◊ 2012-06-29 18:48
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but they displayed one at the 2011 IAA. |
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◊ 2012-06-29 18:51
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Hmm, some single new cars are already for sale: Link to "suchen.mobile.de" http://home.mobile.de/CHEVROLET-CENTER-ESSEN#des_164033164 |
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