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Meet the Buick Velite 7, the Chevy Bolt's Chinese cousin

The Buick Velite 7 has officially been revealed after having been leaked and spied a few months ago. The name derives from Buick's line of electrified models it sells in China, of course the design shows it's most closely related to the Chevy Bolt EV. Buick hasn't revealed many details about it, and only one photo, but we do get to see it and we also have a range estimate. The range estimate is 500 kilometers on the NEDC cycle, which translates to 311 miles. That's actually less than the NEDC estimate for the Bolt EV, which is 565 kilometers or 351 miles, which increased for the 2020 model year from 520 kilometers or 323 miles. Of course NEDC figures tend to be much higher than EPA numbers, which rated the current Bolt EV at 259 miles and the previous version at 238. As such, we would expect this Buick to have an EPA range closer to 210 to 220 miles. We don't know what resulted in the lower range, but it could have something to do with additional weight or slightly worse aerodynamics. It could be both. Design-wise, the Buick is clearly based on the Bolt, but has a more aggressive front bumper and a trendy partially floating roof. It also seems to have a slightly boxier, taller profile, mainly because of the nose. Buick hasn't released any other details about the crossover, preferring to save them for the car's launch later this year. Since it seems so closely related to the Bolt, it probably has the same drivetrain: a single electric motor sending 200 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque to the front wheels via a single-speed transmission. Related Video:    

Junkyard Gem: 1984 Buick Skyhawk Custom Sedan

Many laughed in 1982 when GM's Cadillac Division began selling the Cimarron, essentially a luxed-up Chevy Cavalier, at about twice the Cavalier's price. One rung below Cadillac on GM's Ladder of Success, the Buick Division got its own version of the Cavalier at the same time: the Skyhawk. Nobody laughed at the 1982-1989 Skyhawk's respectable sales figures. We saw an '85 Skyhawk coupe in a California boneyard last winter, and now here's an example of the sedan version in Colorado. This was the second generation of the Buick Skyhawk name, the first being applied to a Buick-ized version of the Chevrolet Monza during the 1975-1980 model years. That Skyhawk was available solely as a sleek two-door hatchback. This generation of Skyhawk could be purchased in coupe, sedan, hatchback (1986-1987 only) and wagon (1983-1989 only) form, with the coupe proving to be the most popular. For the 1984 model year, the base Skyhawk engine was the 2.0-liter pushrod four-cylinder from the Cavalier, rated at 86 horsepower and 110 pound-feet. If you opted for a five-speed manual or three-speed automatic transmission instead of the base four-on-the-floor manual, you could spend an extra 50 bucks (about 149 bucks in 2023 money) to get this higher-revving, Opel-designed/Brazilian-made 1.8-liter SOHC four-banger with 84 horsepower and 102 pound-feet. A turbocharged version of this engine with 150 horses was available on the Skyhawk T-Type. Buick was proud of both the overhead cam and the electronic fuel injection in this car, applying these badges to brag a bit. You'd have thought that a buyer sacrificing torque for a better-breathing engine would have selected a manual transmission, but such was not the case with this car. The three-speed TH125 slushbox cost $395, or about $1,179 after inflation. The cheapest '84 Skyhawk trim level was the Custom. The MSRP on this car was $7,345 ($21,922 now) before options. Its Chevy Cavalier sibling started at $6,214 ($18,546 today), while its Pontiac 2000 Sunbird and Olds Firenza counterparts were $6,791 and $7,293, respectively ($20,268 and $21,766 in 2023 dollars). Meanwhile, the King of J-Bodies, the Cadillac Cimarron, listed at $12,605 ($37,620 today) in 1984. That $7,345 sticker price didn't include plenty of features we now take for granted in new cars. If you wanted air conditioning in your new Skyhawk, as nearly every Buick buyer in 1984 did, the cost was $630 ($1,880 after inflation).

Buick teases 'groovy' EV concept to debut this summer

Buick has been taking its slow, deliberate steps toward joining the General Motors EV club in the U.S. There was the Electra concept shown at Auto Shanghai way back in 2020. There was the mystery Buick fastback concept that showed up in GM's promotional vid for the Ultifi software platform in October 2021. Then GM applied to reserve the Electra name in Canada in December, and last month applied to reserve the Velite name in the U.S. Now Buick drops this, a tease for an electric vehicle that will debut this summer. The surprise came in the midst of call-and-response tweets between GM and its brands, the mothership asking, "Hey @Cadillac @GMC @Chevrolet @Buick @GMFleet @BrightDrop — your new boss needs a new ride. Which one of you has the best vehicle to serve my EV-il needs?" The Tri-Shield brand responded with this image and the caption, "WeÂ’re fans of all @GM EVs, but this summer we will show you our dreams of a groovy electric future. ? WeÂ’re sure a mastermind who makes his own quasi-futuristic clothes will be impressed." WeÂ’re fans of all @GM EVs, but this summer we will show you our dreams of a groovy electric future. ? WeÂ’re sure a mastermind who makes his own quasi-futuristic clothes will be impressed. ? https://t.co/7r3Czy8CXV pic.twitter.com/e1XzwFEVsJ — Buick (@Buick) February 13, 2022 The "mastermind"-slash-seamstress reference is looking at GM's villainous Super Bowl ad featuring Dr. Evil, his closest councilors, his son and Baby Me (R.I.P. Verne Troyer). GM's got 30 EVs on the way by 2025 for global markets, and it has begun to fill in the blanks in the U.S. for all its brands but Buick. Based on the automaker's 2019 Sustainability Report, we're expecting a Buick crossover and an SUV by 2025. If the tweeted image is of a people-hauler, it's the swoopiest crossover we've laid eyes on in some time. The rune-like DRL topped by brightwork and chiseled clear panels sits at the corner of a hood that looks like it could have been borrowed from a C7 Corvette. Frankly, this reminds us more of the Buick-branded fastback sedan in the Ultifi video than anything else we've seen. And we have no problem with any of this. As for the Velite trademark application, that could be Buick transplanting a little bit more of its Chinese operations to the U.S. Buick sells a Velite 7 electric crossover, Velite 6 EV and PHEV crossovers, and a Velite 5 PHEV sedan in China.