1966 Buick Riviera on 2040-cars

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GM sees 'strong year' in 2018, then gold in Chevy Silverado for 2019

DETROIT — General Motors said on Tuesday it expects earnings in 2018 to be largely flat compared with 2017, but that profits should pick up pace in 2019 as its revamped line of high-margin pickup trucks hits the U.S. market. The 2018 earnings outlook was above market expectations, sending GM shares up more than 3 percent in premarket trading. "GM had a very good 2017 as we continued to transform our company to be more focused, resilient and profitable," GM Chief Executive Mary Barra said in a statement. "We are positioned for another strong year in 2018 and an even better one in 2019." GM and its Detroit rivals, Ford and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, are bringing on new trucks at a time when overall U.S. new vehicle sales have been falling, but truck sales continue to grow as consumers abandon passenger cars in favor of pickups, SUVs and crossovers. GM on Saturday fired a new round in the battle for profits from one of the U.S. auto industry's most lucrative segments when it showed a new generation of its Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck at the Detroit auto show. The new Silverado, a highlight of the event, is the successor to GM's best-selling vehicle in North America. Sales of the current Silverado rose nearly 2 percent to 585,000 vehicles in 2017. In the coming months, the company will also reveal a revamped GMC Sierra pickup truck. U.S. new vehicle sales fell 2 percent in 2017 after hitting a record high in 2016, and are expected to drop further in 2018 as interest rates rise and more late-model used cars return to dealer lots to compete with new ones. GM said on Tuesday that while it retools a factory in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, to make the new pickup trucks, it will shift some production to an Oshawa, Ontario, plant in order to avoid missing sales in a hot market for the vehicles. The No. 1 U.S. automaker said it will record a $7 billion non-cash charge for its fourth-quarter 2017 earnings related to deferred tax assets. GM said it expects capital expenditure in 2018 of around $8.5 billion, about $1 billion of which will go toward funding self-driving car technology. Last week, the company said it is seeking U.S. government approval for a fully autonomous car — one without a steering wheel, brake pedal or accelerator pedal — to enter the automaker's first commercial ride-sharing fleet in 2019. GM said it expects 2017 earnings per share at the high end of its previously forecast range of $6 to $6.50.

Buick Avenir will be made...as a trim level instead of a car

Almost two years after Buick showed the gorgeous Avenir concept, the company announced the Avenir name will reach production. Specifically, it will be a top-tier trim level for 2018 model year Buicks. It's taking a page from GMC's Denali, Lincoln's Black Label, and, well, plenty of examples of extra-fancy sauce. This is disappointing news for fans of the concept, but they can take solace in the fact that the Avenir's good looks are starting to rub off on production Buicks, such as the new LaCrosse. For those interested in what this new Avenir trim will bring to the table, it's a similar formula to what many other auto brands are doing. Buick specifically compares Avenir with the Denali trim for GMC. Models with the trim will get a special 3D mesh grille inspired by the Avista concept, large wheels and unique trim finishes outside. Inside, Avenir models will receive a nicer interior, which Buick generically described as having "unique seat details" and "modern trim materials." Cars equipped with the package will also get a smattering of Avenir badges. Avenir looks like a win-win: interested buyers get some extra cachet and bragging rights and Buick gets to load high-profit options on it cars and SUVs. Buick's inspiration for the Avenir trim is a bit strange, though. The company says it is "inspired by Buick's evolving customer base," which includes women and owners of competing products. Apparently both groups are buying Buicks in greater numbers, and the company also says that many of their customers opt for the most expensive trims. While it seems straightforward to tailor a package for luxury-seeking buyers, we're not sure what would make a package specifically appeal to women and people with competitors' vehicles. That being said, Buick isn't as patronizing as Cosmopolitan was with its car. In fact, quite the opposite. With Avenir, Buick is cashing in on new customers that willing to pay for luxury plain and simple, without any pandering. Related Video: Auto News Buick Luxury denali buick avenir

Buick Adam a reality after all... but only in China

General Motors may have parred down its brand portfolio, but it still has more under its umbrella than most. That's why, while a company like Ford might market the same vehicle under its own name in markets around the world, GM uses different brands in different markets. But no two are aligned quite as closely as Opel in Europe and Buick in the United States and China.
What we know here as the Buick Regal is sold overseas as the Opel Insignia. Our Encore is their Mokka. Verano? Astra sedan. But one thing we don't get here is the Opel Adam. The diminutive city car is GM's take on the Mini Cooper, Fiat 500, Citroën DS3 et al. Launched at the 2012 Paris Motor Show, the Opel Adam is named after the company's founder (like an ironic thumbing of the nose to the Ferrari Enzo). But while it's sold, like most Opels, in the UK as a Vauxhall, the prospect of it porting over to Buick seems slim to none. Right?
Sorta. While the Adam isn't likely to come Stateside, the latest reports (as yet unconfirmed by GM) suggest that The General is planning to sell the Adam in China where the Buick brand is also a strong seller. Local production could ensue, with prices targeting the Fiat 500 and engines - according to CarNewsChina.com - to include inline-fours displacing 1.2 and 1.4 liters with 69 and 100 horsepower, respectively.