cars news 10: Buick Boss No Longer Interested in Bringing Opel Adam to U.S.

In an interview with Automotive News, Buick boss Duncan Aldred said he’s “thrilled” with the current Buick lineup. However, car buyers’ shift toward crossovers and SUVs also means that the Opel Adam will no longer find its way to the U.S. wearing a tri-shield badge. The executive also said that he won’t rule out the possibility of adding a flagship vehicle in the future to help build Buick’s image.

“I very much did feel when I came over that that could really help accelerate the Buick brand story,” said Aldred speaking of the Adam minicar. “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.” Initially, the Opel Adam was supposed to arrive in the U.S. as a Buick to compete with the Fiat 500 and the Mini Cooper Hardtop. However, the sales of crossovers, particularly the subcompact Encore, have led to the decline of subcompact car sales.

Aldred told Automotive News that Buick’s lineup will eventually include three sedans, three crossovers, and a halo vehicle. He predicts that the Envision, Cascada, and the 2017 LaCrosse, which will launch this summer, to push Buick’s sales above last year’s total of 223,055. Through February of this year, Buick’s sales figures have risen by 20 percent.

Buick lineup pictured below.

Source: Automotive News (Subscription required)