The Buick version won't be available until 2012 at best, however, so there is still much work and waiting to be done. Sharing a platform and powertrain options with the Cruze and 2010 Opel Astra will help move things forward while keeping costs under control, but there are several potential speedbumps along the way.
Positioning a compact luxury vehicle from Buick to one-up the Cruze while not stepping on Cadillac's toes may prove difficult. Talk of Buick slotting a version of the Volt's extended-range electric vehicle powertrain into the car highlights this problem. While an affordable, compact, luxurious hybrid might sound like a great idea, it will likely also sound more like a Cadillac.
That leaves Buick in a curious nether-world between luxury and mainstream, and this compact sedan will have to navigate its way through to its own niche, or risk being absorbed and overrun by its stablemates. One thing it will have going for it when - or if - it does arrive is a range of efficient 1.4L naturally-aspirated and turbocharged engines shared with the Cruze. Of course, by 2012, so will everyone else.
[Motor Authority]
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