Results Change Perceptions

By Rick Spina
GMNA Vice President, Quality

Buick ranks first, in a tie with Jaguar, beating perennial chart topper, Lexus, in the J.D. Power and Associates 2009 Vehicle Dependability Study Results. Don’t believe me? Check out the news yourself here.While you’re there, check out the ultra-competitive midsize car segment. There, you’ll see the Buick LaCrosse at the top of the list. I’m especially proud of this because the LaCrosse is on the heels of the newly-launched Chevrolet Malibu earning the top midsize segment spot in J.D. Power’s 2008 Initial Quality Study this past summer.

Let me just point something out here … the midsize car segment is the most-competitive, highest-volume segment in the industry and GM vehicles - the Chevrolet Malibu and the Buick LaCrosse led in both initial quality and vehicle dependability. What does this mean? It’s proof that we’re capable of getting quality right from the start and down the road.

Are we surprised? Well, it’s always different to see it in print, but in all honesty, no, we’re not surprised. Since 2006, we’ve reduced our warranty repairs by 48 percent. With this reduction in warranty repairs, which really started its steady rate of improvement in 2002, GM is able to offer the industry’s best warranty coverage - 5 Year/100,000 Mile limited powertrain warranty (transferable, no deductible, covers 900+ parts and includes roadside assistance and courtesy vehicle.)

How did we effectively cut our repairs in half? Well, it’s not any one thing - it’s a complement of processes, tools and systems. For example, we’ve enhanced our general durability test evaluations by looking at each incident on every test vehicle we can validate long term quality, and moreover, address any issue that might come-up, early. Now, over the past few years, we’ve been taking all of the best practices we learned from Buick and incorporating them into our entire brand portfolio.

Finally, the thing about this study that makes us feel particularly good is not just that it validates that the hard work we’re doing. We feel good because we are getting results in the real world; our customers are providing the confirmation. In the end, that’s what it’s all about - the customer. And we’re changing customer perceptions on GM quality one customer, one vehicle, and one third-party source at a time.

OK, the real final note, I’ll be guest tweeting on @gmblogs. Join me to ask your question live on Friday at 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time; and keep in mind that this will be my first Tweet chat, so be patient and don’t be wary of taking a first run at Twitter yourself.

New Baby Buick Model Spied Winter Testing at Night

Our spy photographers have managed to catch the first pictures of a new entry-level Buick that will slot below the mid-size Lacrosse sedan in both size and price. Although little is known about the new model, it will ride on GM's new Delta II platform that underpins the highly anticipated Chevrolet Cruze.

Powertrain options are expected to mirror that of those offered by its corporate cousin, meaning we can expect the new front-wheel drive model to come equipped with a 1.8-liter petrol engine that produces 141 horsepower and 176 Nm (130 lb-ft) of torque. While it is possible that the new car could come with the Cruze's 1.6-liter petrol engine with 113 hp and 153 Nm (113 lb-ft) of torque, it seems unlikely as the Buick version will compete in a more premium segment. In a nod to the green movement, GM could also slot a version of the Chevy Volt's powertrain into the baby Buick which would be a logical step considering that the Cruze is currently serving as the primary testing vehicle for the production Volt.

Perhaps the most interesting possibility exists in the fact that the model could also be sold in Europe as a way repay Opel for the nixed plans to produce the next generation Saab 9-3 and 9-5 in Germany. Should the new entry-level Buick go into production in Europe, we can expect the Cruze's 2.0-liter diesel engines to make their way under the hood.

Regardless of whether or not European production indeed becomes a reality, the main focus for the new Buick will be the US and Chinese markets when it launches sometime in 2012.

Source: World Car Fans

Opel Models Heading to U.S. under Buick Brand

The age of badge engineering has reorganised itself quite neatly and seems to be coming back strong and fast. News just in is that General Motors is considering placing Opel badges on some Buick vehicles and then selling them to customers in America. One of the first cars nominated as a candidate for this is the Opel Insignia, say people close to GM's product plans. It would enter the US as a Buick Regal sedan if this happened.

Susan Docherty, vice president of Buick-Pontiac-GMC, told Automotive News that Opel is one of GM's brands that could provide her brands with some good product leveraging.

"In fairness, we've got to look at everything," Docherty was quoted as saying. "I wouldn't want to make a statement that all future Buicks we do will leverage the Opel platform because that wouldn't be true. The Enclave didn't use Opel nor did the new LaCrosse sedan. It's an avenue for us to explore, for sure."

But Saturn has been reported as one of the brands GM is also looking at either closing down or selling off. Docherty does not admit to knowing what plans are afoot regarding this but says in case this were true "we'd stay with the idea that GM will utilize all of its global architectural platforms".

Buick's plan is to concentrate on sedans and crossover vehicles. Plans are being developed to offer even more sedans with the Buick name.

Source: World Car Fans