Verona, Murano...Verano. Do Americans really fall for these Latin names? It's a mixed bag--the Suzuki Verona, lasted for three years. Yes, it was that god-aweful. Nissan's Murano, while not a segment bestseller, is certainly successful. Hell they are even adding a convertable version. So drumroll...welcome the all-new 2012 Buick Verano. The Verano will be Buick's first compact since it's beloved Skylark ceased production in '98. Ok maybe the Verano isn't so bad of a name, even if it reminds us of an Italian village named after a female body part.
The Verano, which will go on sale in Q4, is already on sale in China as the Excelle. And the Excelle/Verano is rebadged Opel Astra, except the Opel is a lovely 5-door hatch and the Buick will be available as a sedan only. Though the Astra is a great compact car, GM unsuccessfully tried to sell it in the US (remember the Saturn Astra). So will the Buick Verano succeed? We think it will for several reasons, but first the deets.
The 2012 Buick Verano will come equipped with a 2.4 four banger that pumps out 177 hp, gets 31 mpg on the highway, and should get you up to 60 mph in about 8 seconds. Not too impressive, except when you compare it to the Chevy Cruze (which this is based) and the 138 hp 1.8 and 1.4 turbo engines. A turbo model with an optional 6 speed manual is on the way. Base price is supposed to start around 21-26K, which seems suspiciously like a lot of room to fudge numbers once the actual price is annouced.
Where the Verano does succeed is the well appointed interior and handsome, if not slightly overly cute, exterior styling. We would put the two-tone interior on par with anything else out there. We think the Verano is entirely the right direction for Buick to go. We hope they remember that nobody in the targeted demographic has Buick on their radar (if even know about the Brand at all). Competitors include the pricier Volvo S40, Audi A3, Lexus CH 200, as well as well-optioned Mazda 3s, Ford Foci, and VW Golf/GTIs. We find this a tight line to walk, but luckily the compact luxury segment is expected to be the next big thing, or something like that. Some analysts just said that stuff so we will see.
On one hand, the Verano is trying to undercut the Audi, Lexus, and Volvo as (excluding the not-yet-on-sale Lexus, neither the Audi or Volvo have sold too well) but also outdo fully loaded compacts. The problem is that the Buick is heavy on the price (you will most definitely be on the wrong side of 25K once you drive off the lot), and light on performance (0-60 in 8 seconds, snooze). And we don't see many people paying a premium for the Buick badge.
Our recommendation for the Verano is add the turbo model ASAP and keep the premium as minimal as possible. At the same time, like the 2012 LaCrosse hybrid, Buick needs to add its light hybrid system to the base 2.4 (ditto for the Regal which also shares this base engine). If Buick can do that without raising the base price substantially, we think the Verano would be a winner. It would be slightly quicker and have much more impressive mpg for this segment. Finally, bring over that 5 door hatch because it looks SO much better than the sedan. Until then, lets hope this thing handles like dream. Attached are some reviews, as well as photos of the Verano and 5-door Excelle.
http://www.insideline.com/buick/verano/2012/2012-buick-verano-2011-detroit-auto-show.html
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/sedans/1101_2012_buick_verano_look/index.html
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