1994 Buick Lesabre Custom Sedan 4-door 3.8l on 2040-cars

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Buick teases electric concept crossover for China

Buick released a teaser image of a new all- electric concept SUV it's calling the Enspire. It'll bow at Buick Brand Night on April 17 in Wuzhen, Zhejiang, and be on display to the public at the Beijing auto show later in the month. Buick says only that the Enspire "leverages GM's global resources and is an exploration of design and new technologies. It is the brand's latest example of innovation and application of future electric smart mobility." The darkened, right rear three-quarter shot shows a rounded rear fascia, a narrow tail lamp that stretches the length of the tailgate and a third brake light on the roof spoiler. While this concept is clearly aimed at China, GM Authority notes that General Motors previously filed to trademark the "Enspire" name in the U.S. in 2015. GM CEO Mary Barra outlined the company's electrification plans for investors in November and included a slide of an unbadged crossover under the title "Leveraging existing BEV platform to expand in near term," which some are speculating could be this Enspire concept. It also suggests that Buick could be developing a vehicle based on the Chevrolet Bolt platform. GM plans to l aunch 20 new EVs by 2023, targeting 1 million electric-vehicle sales by 2026. Buick is GM's best-selling brand in China, comprising about 1.2 million vehicles sold in 2017. Buick last year showed off the Velite 5, an extended-range hybrid based on the Chevrolet Volt, as a production car for China. Related Video:

GM offering factory-backed extended warranty for Chevys, GMCs, Buicks and Cadillacs

Cars are generally more reliable than ever before. When things do go wrong, every automaker offers some form of factory warranty (in most cases at least three years and 36,000 miles, though many extend even longer), providing peace of mind to new-car buyers that many faults will be fixed at no charge to the customer. Starting today, GM is offering a new optional plan that will extend the factory warranty on all new Chevy, GMC, Buick and Cadillac products. In the past, extended warranties have been offered as dealer add-ons, with all profits from these sales going to the dealership. GM's new program can be viewed as another nail in the the looming dealership-model coffin. According to Automotive News, some dealers aren't happy to see GM cut into their business like this, saying that it helps GM far more than it does dealers. GM says the new program will help keep customers in the GM family. Customers are also more likely to visit a GM service center rather than going to an independent repair shop. Currently, new Chevy and GMC vehicles come with three-year/36,000-mile warranties. Buicks and Cadillacs are covered for 4 years or 50,000 miles. The new program extends Chevy and GMC warranties to five years or 60,000 miles. Buick and Cadillac warranties extend to six years or 70,000 miles. GM, citing IHS Markit, says most owners keep new cars for about 6.8 years, so these warranties will cover most of the length of their ownership. The extended warranty will add between $1,000 and $2,000 to the price of a vehicle, and the additional cost can be rolled into the vehicle's purchase or lease price. Unlike many dealer extensions, the factory program covers the vehicle no matter who owns it. That should help increase the car's resale value if it's sold within the covered timeframe. GM says there's no deductible and no need to file a claim form when getting warranty repairs. Additionally, dealerships can continue to sell their own extended warranties or service contracts. Related Video:

GM mulling Chevy Cruze hatchback for US, Buick 'Panamera' among other new models

We've spoken at length previously about the fallacy of poor hatchback sales in the US, and with the runaway success of its Chevrolet Cruze sedan, it's somewhat unsurprising to hear that General Motors is rethinking its decision not to sell an overseas five-door variant in North America as it looks to plug a number of holes in its lineup. GM North American President Mark Reuss admitted during a media luncheon this week that not offering the model "... was a pre-bankruptcy planning mistake," says Forbes. With the next-generation model already well-along in development, it's likely that the current Cruze hatch (shown above) won't see US dealers.
Reuss admits not offering the model "was a pre-bankruptcy planning mistake"
In what must have been a far-reaching conversation, Reuss hinted at a number of new products for many GM brands, including "a much more beautiful Panamera" range-topper for Buick (which sounds a bit like the line of reasoning the TriShield brand has been pursuing with its Riviera concepts) and a "Ford Transit Connect-fighter" to supplant the recently announced badge-engineered Chevy City Express from Nissan.