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How To Talk About A Rebadge

by Edward Niedermeyer
(IC: employee)
November 13th, 2009 12:03 PM
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Published November 12th, 2009 5:45 PM
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It reminds me too much of my Malibu. Except the Malibu was in the low 20's price point. The Malibu is a good daily driver and feels somewhat upscale compared to the camry but its too brand engineeringish.
@mtymsi I don’t think it’s a mistake to offer it with a 4 cyl either being as most Camrys, Accords, Fusions and Malibus sold are 4cyl. I do — the 4 named cars are sold as mass market brands. Buick is supposed to be above the fray; otherwise, what is the point of Buick? Because that is what the market wants, 4 cyl engines. The buyers of those cars aren't buying them with 4 cyl engines by default, all offer 6 cyl options. In the overall scheme of things Buick can't decide what kind of brand it wants to be, near luxury or full line. The biggest problem I think they will have is getting potential buyers to consider the car. Most have no idea what kind of cars Buick sells, the brand is all but irrelevant. I'm sure were it not for Buick's Chinese popularity GM would have dropped it. The Regal won't have the base model the other offerings have but I'm sure GM would like nothing better than for Buick to be a mass market brand which is what it was for most of its history.
I've never owned a GM product and don't aspire to. The last American car I bought - my wife's 2008 Ford Taurus X - was my first. I doubt I will ever ride in - never mind buy - this Buick. But I'm seeing a German-engineered car, with an attractive exterior and interior (I think so - purely subjective), reasonably sized with class-competitive engines. Who cares if it's "not a real Buick"? Let it go - they're not going to build the ye olde land yachts ever again. Branding issues aside, and of course, the fact that no one has driven it yet, this looks like a pretty good car.
As an old Saturn guy, it slays me to see this 2011 Aura being sold as a Regal.