GM Kills Buick Vue SUV before it's (Re)Born after Negative Feedback

Only two weeks after announcing the rebirth of the Saturn Vue as a Buick that would also be offered as a plug-in hybrid, General Motors revealed that the compact SUV has been canned. The news was broken by GM's Vice Chairman Tom Stephens on Wednesday in a posting on the company's official blog. Stephens said that GM decided to cancel plans for the rebadged Vue after negative feedback about the vehicle from employees, potential customers, dealers, media and analysts at a recent preview in Michigan.

"The Buick crossover we showed received consistent feedback from large parts of all the audiences that it didn't fit the premium characteristics that customers have come to expect from Buick," said Stephens.

"We were all struck by the consistency of the criticism of the compact crossover. And what we decided to do in response is a good example of the essence of the new General Motors… acting quickly, and boldly, and listening to feedback from customers, employees, dealers, media and just about anyone else with an opinion."

Buick's version of the Saturn Vue was scheduled to be launched into the market with a 2.4-liter direct-injection four-pot and a 3.0-liter direct-injection V6 in late 2010, followed in 2011 by a plug-in hybrid model featuring a 3.6-liter flex-fuel V6 and two electric motors.

Stephens said that the "important" plug-in hybrid technology of the Vue would be applied to another vehicle "at no delay", with more details to be released in the very near future.

New Buick SUV for 2010, Plug-in Hybrid Version Debuts in 2011

General Motors will introduce a new five-passenger crossover to Buick's range in late 2010 that will be offered with a family of direct-injected gasoline engines followed in 2011 by a plug-in hybrid model that is expected to be the first mass produced SUV of its kind. If the front quarter teaser photo is anything to go by, we'd say that the yet-to-be-named Buick crossover appears to be a rebadged Saturn Vue, which makes sense since the Saturn brand will be discontinued from GM's portfolio at the end of the year (GM has agreed to sell the marque to Penske).

"Some customers who have been drawn to the Enclave were looking for something a little smaller, but they didn't want to give up craftsmanship or a quiet ride to get there," said Susan Docherty, general manager of Buick-Pontiac-GMC. "We believe this new Buick will excite those customers, and will continue to broaden the appeal of the brand."

The Buick crossover will be powered by an Ecotec 2.4-liter direct-injected four-cylinder engine with an optional 3.0-liter direct-injected V6, and according to GM, is expected to deliver 30 miles per gallon or more on the highway.

Equipped with a direct-injected 3.6-liter V6 flex-fuel engine and two-electric motors, the Buick crossover plug-in hybrid model will combine a modified version of GM's 2-Mode Hybrid system with advanced lithium-ion battery cells and charging technology derived straight from the Chevy Volt EV.

The 8 kwh lithium-ion battery that contains half the energy of the Volt battery pack will be packaged in a rectangular-shaped box under the cargo floor. GM claims that the battery can be fully recharged in four to five hours by simply connecting the vehicle to any standard 110V household electrical outlet. The automaker said that in early testing, the plug-in hybrid is capable of electric-only propulsion for more than 10 miles at low speeds.

Similar to Toyota's hybrid models, GM's 2-Mode plug-in hybrid system can use any combination of electric or gasoline engine power to move the vehicle, depending on the driving conditions.

More details on the new Buick crossover will be announced closer to the vehicle's launch date.

Saturn Vue Plug-in Hybrid to Arrive in 2010

If anything else, we have to hand it to GM for at least trying to create a variety of products that confront the energy problems and the changing U.S. market. Aside from the Chevy Volt that we hear about every two or three days (…), GM is also working on another plug-in hybrid vehicle that has been approved for production and is undergoing early program development stages as we speak. We’re referring to the Saturn Vue (Opel Antara in Europe) PHEV which stands for plug-in hybrid-electric vehicle.

Currently, GM is testing 11 Saturn Vue plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles at the GM proving grounds in Michigan and Arizona. GM says that while early test cars used nickel-metal hydride battery technology, now their trying out lithium-ion batteries which are lighter and more powerful. -Continued

The Vue Plug-in Hybrid that’s set to arrive into the market before the end of 2010 will be equipped with a modified version of GM’s familiar Two-mode Hybrid system that uses a battery, a gas engine and a hybrid transmission to move the vehicle.

Via: GM's Fastlane blog