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Nearly half of Buick dealers choose buyout over investing to sell EVs

In 2022, General Motors gave Buick dealers across the nation a simple choice: invest a significant amount of money to prepare for EVs or opt for a buyout. Over a year later, the brand has reportedly lost nearly half of its dealerships as it prepares to roll out its first electric cars. Trade journal Automotive News reported that the number of Buick dealers in the United States dropped by about 47% during 2023. At the beginning of the year, the network included 1,958 stores; fast-forward to December and that figure stands at approximately 1,000. More dealers could throw in the towel in the coming weeks, as the publication adds that the buyout program remains open and will continue. Dollar figures haven't been released, so we don't know precisely how much money a dealer who opts out can claim from General Motors or how much money a dealer needs to spend to stick with the brand. However, the latter figure falls somewhere between $300,000 and $400,000, Automotive News learned. Dealers notably need to invest in equipment (such as charging stations) and training. Buick doesn't seem fazed by the exodus. "I'm really pleased with where we are. The network, where we are now, is a good size. It's with dealers who are focused on the business, who've shown that they can recover the volume that the dealers who transitioned away were doing," company boss Duncan Aldred said. According to Automotive News, the dealers who chose to stop selling Buick models accounted for about 20% of the brand's sales in the United States. Buick told the publication that around 89% of the American population still lives within 25 miles of one of its dealerships. General Motors extended the same offer to Cadillac dealerships in 2020, and about 150 stores allegedly chose to leave. For context, the dealer network consisted of 880 locations in the United States before executives floated the buyout offer. The dealers who left received between $300,000 to $500,000, the report adds, while preparing to sell electric cars would have set them back by around $200,000. Related video:

Buick luxury sedan design sketch would make a great flagship

Over the Thanksgiving holiday General Motors posted a sketch of a futuristic Buick sedan to social media. In fact, the sleek wedge is just the latest in a series of illustrations that seem to point the way to a luxury EV coming in 2024 (for model year 2025). That's when Buick has promised its first fully-electric vehicle, with the promise that the entire lineup will be gasoline free.           View this post on Instagram                       A post shared by GM Design (@generalmotorsdesign) The sketch shows a low, long sedan that seems to be inspired (or perhaps served as the inspiration for) the Buick Wildcat concept revealed in June. However, there are significant differences as well. The sketch shows a profile that's more cab backward than the Wildcat's, with a gently sloping roofline that's more Audi A7 than the physical car's aggressive Nissan GT-R-like top.  The front end is less busy than the Wildcat's as well, with the chrome better integrated into the fascia and headlights. Similar brightwork appears on the rocker panels and on the fenders behind the wheel arches, cues the Wildcat concept lacks. Buick's updated logo sits at the end of a sporty BMW-esque trough on the hood. Of course, the exaggerated wheels have such little clearance they wouldn't really be able move or turn, much less survive a pothole, but we can forgive that artistic liberty. Other recent sketches shown on the GM Design account on Instagram show a more refined version of the same sedan, but without the Wildcat's Honda CR-V-esque taillights. Another super-luxurious coupe with hints of Syd Mead looks just as beautiful but is unbranded and may work better as a Cadillac. The Buick brand feels a bit redundant these days, but stunning designs like these could help differentiate the brand. The General has plenty of trucks and SUVs already. If it's going to foist crossover after crossover at us, maybe the Buick division could stand out as the sedan-and-coupe-only brand. Related video:

Sunday Drive: A tale of old favorites and upcoming challengers

Sedans and crossovers dominated the attention of our readers last week, led by the completely redesigned 2018 Honda Accord. It's the Japanese automaker's flagship, and people are seriously interested in finding out how good the latest Accord is. So interested, in fact, that no other single story came close to the brand-new Accord in Autoblog reader interest. Moving down the list we find the equally new 2018 Buick Enclave. The three-row crossover has a lot to offer a family, especially one looking for a nice, quiet ride. If you're looking for the exact opposite of nice and quiet, but still want enough room for you and your significant others, the Subaru WRX that we tested last week may be the perfect ride for you. Or, if you just want to drive fast and aren't at all worried about space, there's the Camaro SS. See? We offer something for everybody. From there, we look to the future. Who isn't interested in seeing the first fully electric vehicle from Porsche? And who isn't intrigued to see the Mission E testing alongside a gaggle of Teslas? A brand-new Jeep is always a big deal, especially when it's the revival of a classic nameplate like the Grand Wagoneer. And finally, we have something completely different: the Rezvani Tank. As always, tune in to Autoblog next week for a front-row seat to all the happenings worth following in the automotive industry. 2018 Honda Accord First Drive | Feels like home again 2018 Buick Enclave First Drive Review | Fortress of quietude 2018 Subaru WRX Drivers' Notes | Turbo traditionalist 2018 Chevy Camaro SS Drivers' Notes | Demonstrative power, middling interior Porsche Mission E caught testing against Teslas Jeep three-row SUV caught on public roads — Grand Wagoneer, perhaps? Rezvani Tank: It's like a Hot Wheels car brought to life Green Buick Chevrolet Honda Jeep Porsche Subaru Crossover SUV Electric Future Vehicles Luxury Off-Road Vehicles Special and Limited Editions Performance Sedan porsche mission e sunday drive