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Buick Wildcat EV concept previews the future of the brand

Once again, Buick has revealed a drop-dead stunner of a coupe concept, the Wildcat EV. And just like the Avista that came before it, don't get your hopes up too high for a production model. Buick hasn't said "no," but they haven't said "yes," either. But unlike the Avista, the Wildcat does give us a look at where Buick is going as far as styling, branding and technology. Also, did we mention it's freaking gorgeous? The Wildcat EV started out as a sketch by a Buick designer that caught the eye of the department, simply because it was really cool. The team started developing it further, and eventually the brand gave the go-ahead to bring it to the full-size concept you see here. It is purely a design concept, so although it's an EV by name, it doesn't have any kind of production powertrain or real specs. But it is designed with electric power in mind, as evidenced by the extremely long wheelbase and short overhangs. And this translates into Buick's electric future. The brand plans to be fully electric by 2030, and its first EV will launch in 2024 as a 2025 model. The shape of the coupe is very clean, simple and organic, but with interesting creases and intersections scattered throughout. It has wide haunches and a low, pointy nose. The grille is pushed down and made wide, which accentuates the shape of the car. The badge now sits atop the bumper, too. The greenhouse has blacked-out front pillars to create a wraparound look, and the roof has a gentle slope toward the rear. It incorporates a glass hatch, and the taillights blend into the glass and extend all the way up the rear pillars. While Buick isn't making a commitment either way for the Wildcat EV, these styling cues will appear on future Buick models. So imagine the front and rear fascias, the window treatment and sheetmetal detailing, but on other bodystyles, likely crossovers and SUVs. In fact, Buick said it has two models it will reveal later this year with some styling based on the Wildcat. Before we get too far from design, we should also highlight other cool aspects of the Wildcat EV concept. The wheels are turbine shaped as a throwback to Jet Age design and optimism. Each wheel took two months to produce and finish. The doors on the Wildcat are conventional, except for the gull-wing upper panels. They open up to make ingress and egress easier. And the interior is a gorgeous, mid-century-modern design.

GM might lose 90-year U.S. sales crown over chip shortage

Automotive News editor Nick Bunkley tweeted on October 1 that according to AutoNews data, General Motors "has been the largest seller of vehicles in the U.S. every year since passing Ford in 1931." With automakers having turned in light car and truck sales data for the first three quarters of 2021, GM's 90-year-run might not reach 91. According to AN figures, Toyota was 80,401 vehicles ahead when the October workday started. Worse, GM is so far behind its historic pace that it might only sell enough light vehicles in the U.S. to match its numbers from 1958.  Meanwhile, the New York Times put a few more salient numbers to the pain GM and Toyota are enduring alongside the the rest of the industry. GM sold 33% fewer cars in Q3 2021 than it did in Q3 2019 during the dark days of the pandemic, 446,997 units this year as opposed to 665,192 last year. GM's Q3 2020 was only down 13% on Q3 2019. Over at Toyota, the bottom line showed a 1% gain in Q3 2021 compared to 2020, with 566,005 units moved off dealer lots. The finer numbers show two steps forward and one step back, though; Toyota's September sales were down 22% compared to last year.  GM remains optimistic about what's ahead, GM's president of North American operations telling the NYT, "We look forward to a more stable operating environment through the fall." We'd like to see that happen, but we don't know how it happens. The chip shortage said to have been the inciting incident for the current woes isn't over, and not only can no one agree when it will be over, the automakers, chip producers, and U.S. government still can't get on the same page about who needs what and when. Looking away from that for a second shows articles about "No End In Sight" for supply chain disruptions in early September, before China had to start working through power supply constraints, global supply chain workers started warning of a "system collapse," and roughly 500,000 containers sat waiting to be unloaded at Southern California ports — a record number seemingly broken every week. And back to chips, we're told just a few days ago the chip shortage is "worse than we thought."   For now, the NYT wrote that GM dealer inventory is down 40% from June to roughly 129,000 vehicles, and down 84% from the days when dealers would cumulatively keep about 800,000 light vehicles in stock. However, GM just announced it would have almost all of its U.S. facilities back online next week, although some would run at partial capacity.

Buick lowering base prices on Regal, Verano

Buick might have two new options for buyers in the market for an inexpensive luxury sedan. In a move similar to the introduction of the LaCrosse 1SV base trim a few months ago, the brand is ready to offer cheaper, entry-level versions of the Regal and Verano. Like the LaCrosse 1SV, the Verano 1SV mostly cuts dealer margins to reduce the cost for customers. The small sedan is priced at $21,065, plus $925 destination, which is a significant $2,315 drop compared to the next higher trim. The powertrain is still a 2.4-liter four-cylinder making 180 horsepower and 171 pound-feet of torque and a six-speed automatic, but buyers lose out on satellite radio. According to CarsDirect, dealers are making just $106 on this model, versus $935 on the higher grade. Meanwhile, the Regal 1SV charts a slightly different path to a lower price. The trim starts at $27,065, which is a $2,925 savings over the next trim. Buyers still get leather seats too, but the powertrain here is a 2.4-liter four-cylinder without eAssist that makes 182 hp and 172 lb-ft of torque and a six-speed automatic. That's a 77 hp deficit compared to the turbocharged Regal, and combined city/highway fuel economy dips to 23 miles per gallon combined, compared to 24 mpg with forced induction. Buick is introducing the 1SV models in hopes of grabbing more attention for the brand. "We added this new base level to some models as a means of expanding the opportunity for more customers to experience Buick vehicles. The addition of these trims will create an increased awareness and consideration of these vehicles when being compared to the competition," said company spokesperson Nick Richards to Autoblog. However, you might not see many of these inexpensive Buicks on the road. "On the Verano, we suspect dealers will opt to stay away from a car with around $100 between invoice and MSRP - that's the pattern we've been seeing on the LaCrosse 1SV, which is practically impossible to find," said CarsDirect Senior Pricing Analyst Alex Bernstein to Autoblog. Also, the Regal 1SV's switch to a less powerful, naturally aspirated engine "could be a turn-off for some shoppers," he said. Related Video: