Should the Opel Adam be offered in the U.S. as a Buick?

[Wimbledon]

http://blogs.motortrend.com/could-up...ick-24641.html

Given that Opel and Buick are now connected at the hip, could the Adam become a Buick? Buick already is driving down the average age of its buyers with current models and that should continue next year with the launch Encore crossover. After the engine/transmission upgrades, the Adam car could be the fashion statement Buick needs, but Opel will build the Adam only in Germany. Production would have to move to a more cost-effective assembly plant to make a Buick version profitable.

[Iroczgirl]

Could be a Fiat 500 competitor. But then again, how many Fiats are sold in the US every month? I don't think it would be worth it for GM.

[mike02467]

America has enough useless tiny 2 door hatches, ala smart fortwo and fiat 500. Those cars suck and don't sell, GM would stupid to bring the Adam to America.

[jzobie]

Is that an adult Big Wheel? Wish I still had mine.

[phil123]

No.

It would be one of those forgotten cars that the car lounge talks about in 8 years if they were to do this.

"Remember the Buick Adam"
"Oh ya, the fiat 500 looking thing with grandpa buick logo. No one bought one of those"

[nickthaskater]

Wow, I actually really, really like that. It's super cute/funky

Would look at if it ever came to North America and wasn't raped by Buickification.

[VDub2625]

I don't think it'd fit with the Buick image. Though interestingly, a theoretical small Buick and the "fashion class" (500, Mini etc) do occupy the same price range...

[VarianceVQ]

No.

The Verano and Encore are already at the outer limit of how small a Buick can be without being ridiculous. Not to mention a Buick Grille on that is going to look asstacular.

[warren_s]

Could be a Fiat 500 competitor. But then again, how many Fiats are sold in the US every month? I don't think it would be worth it for GM.

Fiat moved over 4,000 cars last month -- this is a steadily growing number, too, as the number of dealerships increase. At their current growth rate they'll be outselling Volvo sometime next year and well within reach of Mini -- with one car.

[vrsexxy_GTI]

Yes.

Even if it doesn't sell well, it will bring more interest to the brand.

[nickthaskater]

No.

The Verano and Encore are already at the outer limit of how small a Buick can be without being ridiculous. Not to mention a Buick Grille on that is going to look asstacular.

What determines the limit on the size of a Buick?

[VarianceVQ]

What determines the limit on the size of a Buick?

How unbefitting it looks. See Aston Martin Cygnet.

[Live-Wire]

America has enough useless tiny 2 door hatches, ala smart fortwo and fiat 500. Those cars suck and don't sell, GM would stupid to bring the Adam to America.

There comes a point where cars get too small, slow, not any more efficient, and useless at begin a daily driver car to work in North America. This is the size car. They have their niche, sure... but they aren't extremely popular. What makes me laugh is how GM will pull out of making something like a competitive minivan (which while sales are down, they still sell quite a lot) when they used to sell many Ventures (before they made it snub nosed)... but they consider cars where they might make $8 profit per car on 10,000 units a year seriously. Take the Regal for example... it isn't selling very well, it's expensive to make, yet they offer something like 3 distinct trim lines for it and two separate front fascia's... and it's already getting a facelift .

GM, you already have the Sonic... people spending $13k on a new car don't want to pony up $4k extra for a Buick when you can pony up that money and get a Cruze. Here's a thought... bring the extremely useful Cruze wagon over. You'd sell more of them then the Adam (sounds like a name Jeremy Clarkson would coin for a car) and make more money on each sale.

[tampaSi]

Blatant A1 copy is blatant.

Also, no.

[Lwize]

Add plastic cladding and bring it as a GMC.

[BLK9GEN]

Blatant A1 copy is blatant.

That didn't take long.

[cougar]

Styling is way too... odd... for a Buick.

[l88m22vette]

Call it the Skylark, position it against the Mini/500/Beetle, certainly get noticed, I'd look at this before any of those if shopping that market

[Inspector Detector]

Styling is way too... odd... for a Buick.

I'd like to see Buick compete against Fiat though

[nickthaskater]

How unbefitting it looks. See Aston Martin Cygnet.

What is it supposed to look like? We aren't talking Buicks of the '70s any longer; small is in. Do you think the ATS is too small for a Cadillac? The Spark too small for Chevrolet? The Ka too small for Ford, et. al?

[VarianceVQ]

What is it supposed to look like? We aren't talking Buicks of the '70s any longer; small is in. Do you think the ATS is too small for a Cadillac? The Spark too small for Chevrolet? The Ka too small for Ford, et. al?

The ATS isn't a subcompact hatchback. Chevrolet and Ford aren't upscale brands and selling subcompacts isn't out of the norm for them.

I'm not saying all Buicks have to be land yachts but going this small doesn't fit the brand. Why would Buick even need this?

[Minority5]

The ATS isn't a subcompact hatchback. Chevrolet and Ford aren't upscale brands and selling subcompacts isn't out of the norm for them.

I'm not saying all Buicks have to be land yachts but going this small doesn't fit the brand. Why would Buick even need this?

*I am not confirming/denying/implying that this car is in GMNA's product plans.*

I strongly disagree. There is a reason why the Germans are tripping over themselves to fill this niche.

[MidnightSpecial]

I think it would make a better Chevrolet and I can see the design translating. I know they have the Spark, but it's more economy based. I would only have the Spark available in poverty trim and sell the Adam with the cool stuff.

Call it the Chevrolet H.E. (Harley Earl).

[nickthaskater]

The ATS isn't a subcompact hatchback. Chevrolet and Ford aren't upscale brands and selling subcompacts isn't out of the norm for them.

I'm not saying all Buicks have to be land yachts but going this small doesn't fit the brand. Why would Buick even need this?

The ATS may as well be a subcompact hatchback given Cadillac's traditional history.

Mercedes has the A Class and Smart, Audi has the A1, BMW has the i3, Aston has the Cygnet and so forth.

Why would Buick need this? Because the market for these cars is growing, and rather than being reactive, Buick/GM should be proactive.

[Fritz27]

I think it's a pretty cool looking car. Heck, why not do what Chrysler does with Fiat and just put them in a cool corner of the Buick dealership and don't let Buddy Garrity (God, I hope someone gets this reference) types with terrible 1994-era suits try to sell them?

Don't even bother badging it as anything other than the Adam or something that kinda/sorta fits with the Buick naming convention.

[warren_s]

I think it would make a better Chevrolet and I can see the design translating. I know they have the Spark, but it's more economy based. I would only have the Spark available in poverty trim and sell the Adam with the cool stuff.

They probably couldn't sell the Germany-built Adam in the United States at a price that would make sense. Pretty sure it's impossible for any manufacturer to get a European-built car sold in the US for under $17,000 these days.

And besides, the Spark is doing extremely well so far (they've sold 4,000 in two months despite only being in some big-city markets, and dealers can't keep any in stock) but it's the $13,000 price point that's doing it, not the size of the car. Jack the price of the Spark up enough (or introduce an Americanized Adam) and people will say "whatever", and start looking at Sonics or 500s instead.

[Woodski]

Absolutely.

It's already got a fake vinyl lookin roof thing going on too

[mavric_ac]

looks better than the fiat

[simon_C]

Why dont they just bring it here as a f**king opel? Bout time they revived the opel brand here....

[DJMRDARK]

I don't think it'd fit with the Buick image. Though interestingly, a theoretical small Buick and the "fashion class" (500, Mini etc) do occupy the same price range...

This. Neither the interior or exterior fit "Buick". But it is a nice car.

[Daedalus]

GM already has the Spark which this would compete directly against.

[Burnin8r]

America has enough useless tiny 2 door hatches, ala smart fortwo and fiat 500. Those cars suck and don't sell, GM would stupid to bring the Adam to America.

sales are up over 130% vs last year for FIAT, it wasn't an overnight success but America is warming up to small, stylish cars. The Abarth literally sold out in 6 weeks. Not everyone wants to drive a boat, especially people who commute or have to park in an urban areas. That being said, the Adam looks great, just not as a Buick.

[Inspector Detector]

Why dont they just bring it here as a f**king opel? Bout time they revived the opel brand here....

I believe the bean counters think they're better off rebadging Opels and other overseas models instead of going through the huge expense of setting up another division.

[200HP4dr]

I agree with the Skylark nomenclature.

Or, they could bring it over as the Buick Opel.

It worked in the 70's, right? ummm....

Chris

[The Ninja]

No this would not be a good fit for Buick. I question what GM is doing with the brand bringing the Trax here as the Encore and this would make even less sense. Is GM trying to kill Buick?

What does make sens is to replace the Chevy Spark with this car.