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2024 Buick Envision reportedly delayed, stripped of Super Cruise

It appears the Chevrolet Traverse isn't the only GM product trying to climb out of production hell. Remember, Chevy had to delay the start of production for the all-new third-generation 2024 Traverse, leading to the second-gen 2023 model carrying over for a brief spell as the Traverse Limited until the all-new SUV comes off the line in real numbers. According to GM Authority, Buick is in similar straits with the 2024 Envision. The automaker showcased a range of subtle cosmetic updates and some tech enhancements for the SUV over the summer, providing enough detail to be a little more than a tease, a little less than a debut. At that time, the 2024 Envision was meant to be on sale before the end of this year. Now GMA says the market launch for the 2024 Envision has been pushed back to late 2024 for as-yet-unknown reasons. This timeline marks the third delay. Just one month after the June reveal online, GMA wrote that the original October date for the start of production had been moved to December 11. Dealers began submitting orders at the end of September in anticipation of October production. Sometime after the October deadline passed, a November update claimed production would commence in the first quarter of 2024. We imagine the late 2024 date could move again, perhaps forward; that's a year out, it's possible GM gets good news before then. What's more, GMA also reports the 2024 Envision won't come with Super Cruise. This was going to be the first Buick with GM's hands-off driving feature, but again, for undisclosed reasons, plans have changed.  What we're pretty sure we can expect whenever the refreshed Envision arrives is a new front end with a bigger grille positioned lower on the front fascia, bright trim, and the new Buick emblem on the hood. The headlights are now integrated into the bumper, LED daytime running lights replace the outgoing Envision's headlights. The revamped look brings the Envision in line with other recent additions to the Buick range, like the Encore. Because Buick released a single photo for the summer reveal, we still have no idea what the Envision's back end and interior look like. The change in plans could mean a reworked trim lineup for the holdover. According to early figures from Autodata, the 2024 Envision will only come in three all-wheel-drive trims, Preferred, Sport Touring, and Avenir. This change would eliminate all the front-wheel-drive trims available in 2023 across the Preferred, Essence, and Avenir trims.

GM puts e-commerce shopping in car dashboards

DETROIT — General Motors on Tuesday said it will equip newer cars with in-dash e-commerce technology, betting it can profit as drivers order food, find fuel or reserve hotel rooms by tapping icons on the dashboard screen, instead of using smartphones while driving. GM's Marketplace technology, developed with IBM, will be uploaded automatically to about 1.9 million model-year 2017 and later vehicles starting immediately, with about 4 million vehicles across the Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac brands equipped with the capability in the United States by the end of 2018, GM said. GM will get an undisclosed amount of revenue from merchants featured on its in-dash Marketplace, Santiago Chamorro, GM vice president for global connected customer experience, said during a briefing for reporters. Customers will not be charged for using the service or the data transmitted to and from the car while making transactions, he said. "This platform is financed by the merchants," Chamorro said. GM will get paid for placing a merchant's application on its screens, and "there's some level of revenue sharing" based on each transaction, he said. It is too soon to say how much revenue GM could realize from the Marketplace system, he said. The GM Marketplace will compete for customer clicks and revenue with hand-held smartphones, which offer a far richer array of applications than the GM system will at the outset. Amazon.com is partnering with other automakers, including Ford, to offer in-car e-commerce capability through Amazon's Alexa personal assistant system. For example, GM will launch Marketplace with just Shell and Exxon Mobil icons in the fuel category. The only restaurant available for in-car table reservations at launch is the chain TGI Fridays, GM said. In addition, there will be apps for parking, and ordering ahead at coffee shops and restaurants such as Starbucks, Dunkin' Donuts and Applebee's. "We will be adding more vendors," with some coming in the first quarter of 2018, Chamorro said. In addition, he said GM plans to expand integration into its vehicles of music, news and other information services. GM also hopes to use its in-car Marketplace connections to expand purchases of products and services, such as additional access to in-car wifi, from its own replacement parts business and dealer network. Customers can "expect to see more service promotions coming through the platform," Chamorro said. Reporting by Joe WhiteRelated Video:

Buick has best sales year ever, delivers over 1M cars globally

If there are any lingering doubts why General Motors held onto Buick while killing Pontiac, Hummer and Saturn, one only has to look at the sales numbers from 2013 for the real answer. Thanks largely to strong sales in China, Buick set a global sales record last year by selling more than one million vehicles.
The lion's share of Buick sales came from China, which sold more than 809,000 units - about four times more Buicks than were sold in North America as a whole. In the US, the Buick Encore accounted for almost half of all US sales with 97,311 units as Buick spent the summer trying to keep up with demand of the subcompact crossover. Likewise, China-only models like the GL8 minivan and Excelle sedan (same as the US-spec Verano) were strong sellers in that market.
For good measure, Buick more than doubled its sales in Mexico with 2,319 units. Scroll down for the full press release.