The Opel Adam is unlikely to head to the U.S. as a Buick model.
With the crossover and SUV segment booming, compact car sales have been decreasing in recent years. Two years ago, Duncan Aldred took over as Buick’s brand manager and at the time, he admitted the American automaker was considering the Opel Adam for the U.S. market. Now two years later, Aldred no longer sees the Opel Adam as a viable option in the marketplace and is “thrilled” with the portfolio the company is building.
“We’ll have three sedans, three crossovers and a halo,” Aldred said in an interview with . “I think most brands would say, ‘Yeah that’s a great portfolio.’”
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That also hints that Buick isn’t entirely scrapping the idea of offering a halo model based on the Avenir sedan or Avista coupe concepts. Currently, Buick’s lineup consists of the Verano, Regal, LaCrosse, Encore, Enclave and Cascada convertible. The Buick Envision will also be heading to the U.S. this summer.
As for bringing the Opel Adam, Aldred said: “I very much did feel when I came over that it could really help accelerate the Buick brand story. I don’t see that as much. Whether the market shifted or the fashion nature of those cars has changed, I don’t know. But I wouldn’t be looking for a small, B-segment car today.”
Last year, the American automaker sold 223,055 vehicles and Aldred predicts that figure will be higher this year with the addition of the Envision, Cascada and the redesigned LaCrosse that will also launch this summer.
[Source: Automotive News]
