General Motors considering a flagship Buick coupe

According to John Cafaro, director of design for Buick and Chevrolet, Buick is currently undergoing what Cadillac went through.

“Cadillac said: ‘What we are doing is not working. Our customers are dying off. We have to carve a new image.’ That is where Buick is right now,” Cafaro said. He said that General Motors is now considering adding a coupe to Buick’s lineup just as Cadillac did with the CTS Coupe.

“A coupe is definitely where you say, ‘I’m back,'” Cafaro said. He said that a coupe would make a strong statement for Buick “and a statement means it is going to be the flagship. All the design cues and everything would drive themselves down into all Buicks.”

So far, five new models have been approved to give Buick its makeover. The redesigned 2010 LaCrosse went on sale last fall and will be joined by the 2011 Regal later this spring. A small, unnamed sedan is expected in 2011 and will share the platform with the Chevrolet Cruze. The Buick Enclave is due for a redesign and a new small crossover is also in the works. The ugly Lucerne will be dropped in a year.

– By: Omar Rana

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)