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Opel to be shuttered in China, but will restart Buick production in Germany

Opel, General Motors' troubled German brand continues its quest to reinvent itself and find solid profitability. In the course of that metamorphosis, the company has a bit of good news/bad news today. The good news is, it will once again begin screwing together Buick models for the American market. The bad news, though, is that it's being shut down in yet another country, China.
Let's start with the good news. The last vehicle Opel's Ruesselsheim factory built for the North American market was the early run of the then-new Regal, which is based heavily on the Opel Insignia. Production ran for just over two years, from 2009 to 2011, before moving production to Oshawa, Ontario.
Now, thanks to a 245-million-euro investment (just over $336 million), Opel will kick off production of a unspecified model for the US in the "second half of the decade," according to Automotive News. According to Opel, the new model will be announced before the end of 2014. You can begin your speculation about this new model down in Comments (we're wagering it'll be the Cascada convertible, sold here under the Buick umbrella).

2024 Buick Envista Cupholder Mega Test: Will the Nalgene bottle fit?

Buick has launched its newest, most-affordable vehicle. The 2024 Buick Envista slots below the Encore GX, starts below $25,000 and is a comfortable and quiet thing. It looks pretty good, too, I think. You can read all about it in my first drive review, and if you have, you've probably been wondering, "Well, what about the cupholders? Will my goofily large water bottle fit?" Despite water being provided on the drive, as you can see from the disposable bottles in the background of these photos, I went through a liter of diet cola from my Nalgene water bottle on the cross-town trek to the event, so it came along for the drive with me. Up front, we've got a pair of cupholders in a fore/aft orientation. They look fairly typical in every way, including size, which doesn't bode well for the 'gene. I could feel the dull disappointment as I lowered the bottle toward the cupholder. Indeed, it doesn't fit.  At first glance, the front door pocket looks like it could work. That little divider is worrisome, though. Adsheartlikins! So close. As you can see in the video further below, after staunchly rejecting the Nalgene, a second attempt shows it'll slip in just a little bit, but not enough to properly hold the thing. The front occupants, it appears, are out of options. But what about the people in the back? There are no cupholders on the back of the center console, nor is there a center armrest to fold down from the seat. Straight to the door pocket it is. The rear door pocket looks like a shortened version of the ones up front. Inauspicious, but we still have to cross our fingers and check it. No surprises here. Just more disappointment. So while the rear passengers can enjoy a healthy amount of legroom, they can't enjoy a more-than-healthy amount of water from their Nalgene unless they hold it or let it roll around on the floor. I still liked the Envista, though. It's worth a look if you want a budget car that doesn't feel cheap. Disclaimer: Autoblog accepts vehicle loans from auto manufacturers with a tank of gas and sometimes insurance for the purpose of evaluation and editorial content. Like most of the auto news industry, we also sometimes accept travel, lodging and event access for vehicle drive and news coverage opportunities. Our opinions and criticism remain our own — we do not accept sponsored editorial.

Next-gen LaCrosse, Cascada convertible coming to Buick showrooms in 2016

It's difficult to overstate how significant the post-bankruptcy years have been for General Motors' Buick brand. Arguably the most improved American automaker, Buick has rounded out its range with an excellent compact in the Verano, a well-balanced midsizer in the Regal and a segment-busting mini-CUV, with the Encore.
Seeking to keep that momentum going, the next several years will see the brand address a trio of its most obvious issues. First and foremost will be a replacement for the aging LaCrosse, a vehicle whose only bit of attention since its 2009 debut was a very light refresh in 2013.
According to Automotive News, we should expect the next-generation LaCrosse to arrive late next year or early in 2016, as a 2016 model. AN expects big design changes, as Buick attempts to further the LaCrosse from its popular platform-mate, the Chevrolet Impala. The changes won't be so radical, though, as to do away with its front-drive architecture, as the latest version of the Epsilon platform will underpin the next LaCrosse. The 3.6-liter V6 is likely to carry on, although a smaller, budget-minded offering is also extremely likely (we'll eat our hat if it's not the 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder from the Regal, Verano and Cadillac CTS et al.).