The Buick Verano, best described as “a car you can buy,” will soon no longer be a car you can buy, according to a new report in Automotive News. Cause of death: the crossover.
The compact Verano served faithfully as the entry-level Buick model since its inception in 2011. Power came from a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine or a much fancier 2.0-liter turbo four. A relative of the Opel Astra, the Verano was at one point even offered with a manual until it wasn’t because nobody bought it. The current model will be phased out after the 2017 model year.
As I can feel you drifting off to sleep after reading that last paragraph, I’ll try to spice things up with the actual reason the Verano is being phased out, which is... well, not that interesting either. It’s because people are buying SUVs, trucks and crossovers like crazy, not small cars. Via AN:
The move reflects a new reality for Buick: With the success of its crossover lineup, its three sedans — the Verano, midsize Regal and large LaCrosse — are pulling a disproportionately light share of the load.
Buick expects as much as 70 percent of its U.S. vehicle sales to come from crossovers soon after the Envision compact goes on sale next month.
Deleting the Verano is a bet by Buick that it no longer needs a compact sedan as a gateway into the brand, a role that small cars have long played for mainstream and premium brands alike. At Buick, that mantle has been assumed by the Encore, a subcompact crossover launched in early 2013 that has fast become its highest-volume name-plate and No. 1 conquest vehicle. About half of Encore buyers are non-GM customers.
One unenthused dealer even said of the Verano: “When gas prices are what they are, nobody is looking at them.”
A General Motors spokesman, for what it’s worth, declined to comment on the fate of the Verano, but the writing is clearly on the wall.
As you go out tonight with your friends and loved ones, please keep the Verano in your thoughts and prayers. And please feel free to share your cherished memories of this iconic vehicle in our comments section.
Yes, that was sarcasm.