cars news 10: GM Details Buick Verano Hatchback, GS for China

Here’s a closer look at the Buick Verano hatchback and Verano GS heading to dealerships in China by the end of the year.

The five-door Veranos receive a noticeably different design than the new Verano sedan that arrived in China this summer. A wrap-around rear window and sloped roofline provide the new models with a more athletic appearance. Both the Verano hatch and GS boast a three-spoke steering wheel, USB charging ports in the rear, as well as Apple CarPlay linked to an 8-inch IntelliLink display in the center console.

Special for the Verano GS, red accents can be seen on the front and rear bumpers, the brake calipers, and on the seat stitching and accent lighting inside the cabin. Here, you’ll also find paddle shifters, Alcantara seats, and carbon fiber-pattern trim. Dark-tinted 17-inch aluminum alloy wheels are also part of the package, as are available full LED Matrix headlamps that can automatically turn on the high-beams and adjust to a variety of driving conditions. The Verano GS comes with a host of safety features, too, including collision mitigation braking, adaptive cruise control, and automatic parking assist.

Thanks to the extensive use of aluminum, Buick was able to reduce weight on the two new models by an average of around 220 pounds. Built on the same platform as the Opel Astra, the models feature new-generation suspension technology and spent more than a year testing at Germany’s Nürburgring circuit.

Under the hood, the standard Verano hatchback utilizes a 1.5-liter SIDI engine with 116 hp and 107 lb-ft of torque. GS models receive a more powerful 1.5-liter turbocharged unit with 166 hp and 184 lb-ft, helping it achieve a Buick-claimed time of 8.8 seconds from 0-62 mph. While the standard hatches receive a six-speed DSG, the GS gets a new-generation seven-speed DSG transmission.

We recently reported that GM was considering exporting the Buick Envision crossover from China to the U.S. Do you think the Verano hatch would also make a good addition to Buick’s U.S. lineup?

Source: Buick