New Buick and Hummer Models Re-Think Small
AutoWeek reports GM's downsizing models to meet the new federal Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) regs. Buick is thinking of a Corolla-sized "Buick luxury car" to be based on China's Buick Excelle. The baby Buick would be built somewhere in North America on the rear wheel-drive Alpha platform currently under design in Germany. Given Buick's past history with badgineered small cars (Apollo, Skylark, Skyhawk) and the Beyond Precision people's current three cars per month dealer average, this one is doomed. Doomed I tell you. Doomed. A more interesting prospect: an "economy" Hummer smaller than the H3 called the… wait for it… H4. Since the H3 is already built on the smallest truck GMNA offers (Colorado/Canyon), upon what platform will Hummer (or its designated hitter) build this bad boyette? The HX concept supposedly previewed the H4– but we all know what happens in the Journey from concept to reality. Will the H4 end-up a testosterone-laced Theta (Equinox/Vue)? Or will our 2006 prediction come true: a tricked-out Aveo-based super-economy SUV?
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Would someone call Toys for us quick, there will be a new H4 coming tot her showroom very soon. Small Buicks I am sure they will fly off the highway as it does fly off the shelves. What has the World coming to?
Absolutely it was. A Corolla is actually robust enough to serve as a platform for a "rugged, manly" mini-SUV. An Aveo as a mini-SUV platform is just laughable.