USA - Buick is heading to teh third straight year of record sales with an estimated 1.2 millions units sold.

Buick will set a global sales record for the third consecutive year in 2015. In mid-December, annual sales surpassed last year’s record 1,170,115 vehicles driven by record sales in China and record crossover deliveries in the United States. Yearend sales for Buick are expected to surpass 1.2 million vehicles.

“Buick’s momentum is undeniable as new customers worldwide discover Buick’s lineup of beautiful, approachable premium vehicles,” said Duncan Aldred, vice president of Global Buick.

“We think 2016 will be another watershed year for the brand with the global launch of the new 2017 LaCrosse, the North American launch of the Envision, the U.S. launch of the Cascada, and the Chinese launch of a new Verano hatchback. Our products and our customer service have never been better.”

In China, Buick sales have surpassed 100,000 units for two consecutive months and annual sales are expected to reach 1 million units for the first time.  The all-new Excelle GT launched this year is the country’s bestselling model.

The popularity of crossovers has significantly contributed to brand growth in all markets. In the U.S., Encore small crossover sales have grown for 23 consecutive months and are on track to become the best sales in eight years for a single Buick model. Combined with China, Encore sales will top 140,000 vehicles globally.

Crossover sales industrywide have increased 3 percentage points in the U.S. this year, accounting for 40 percent of all new vehicles sold. At Buick, Encore and Enclave crossover sales account for 60 percent of U.S. Buick sales so far this year.

The GL8 and all-new Envision compact crossover ranked first and second respectively in the 2015 J.D. Power China Initial Quality Study (IQS) in the large SUV segment. The Envision, which was also named Motor Trend SUV of the Year in China, will end its first full year in production with more than 130,000 sales. It goes on sale in all North American markets in 2016. 

Buick has topped J.D. Power U.S. Customer Service Index rankings among mass-market brands for two straight years.

The new Cascada, Buick’s first convertible in 25 years, goes on sale in early 2016 in the U.S. The new 2017 LaCrosse – Buick’s most advanced sedan ever – launches globally next summer, and the award-winning Envision crossover arrives at North American dealers next summer. The new Verano hatchback and Verano GS are available for pre-order in China now.

USA - Buick adds top of the range model to the increasingly popular Encore range.

Buick will look to keep sales of the Encore small crossover hot with a new top trim level featuring a more powerful engine.

The Encore Sport Touring model will go on sale this fall with a new 1.4-liter, four-cylinder turbocharged engine under the hood. That’s the same displacement as the Encore’s lone engine now, but the new motor is all new as part of GM’s freshly launched global small-engine family.

It will be rated at an estimated 153 hp, 11 percent higher than the Encore’s current engine, Buick said. Torque will be an estimated 177 pounds-feet, nearly 20 percent greater.

The new 1.4-liter turbo is the same engine that GM says will propel a more powerful, more fuel-efficient 2016 Chevrolet Cruze when the redesigned car goes on sale early next year.

Buick said the new Encore model will get better fuel economy, too, partly from the addition of a stop-start system. Pricing and EPA ratings were not released.

The Sport Touring model also will get some of its own exterior styling cues, including a new rear spoiler and 18-inch, aluminum wheels.

Since its launch in early 2013, the Encore has been the workhorse in Buick’s vehicle lineup. U.S. sales of the crossover rose 29 percent through June, following a 53 percent surge in 2014.

Buick’s overall deliveries fell 6.3 percent through June.

Buick chief Duncan Aldred told Automotive News this month that GM has boosted its production of Encores for the U.S. market by 50 percent, a bet that the demand for the petite vehicle has legs.

“Encore is a driving force behind Buick’s expansion and a catalyst for introducing a new generation of customers to the brand,” Aldred said in a statement. “The all-new Encore Sport Touring broadens that base, giving customers more choices.”

Mike Colias

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