You can kiss the manual gearbox option on the Buick Verano Turbo goodbye – yes, all twelve of you who were interested, as with the 2015MY update, the only transmission offered across the range is a traditional automatic, the reason being…sound the drum roll…low sales.
One person who seems disappointed is Carscoops tipster Taylor Meiklejohn: “While the manual gear box was an unexpected rarity in the Buick lineup, the Verano will most likely lose some fans (albeit a small population) as there are bound to be a few enthusiasts who will begin to look elsewhere now that the third pedal is not an option,” he told us.
So, what else is new for the 2015MY? There’s a new Dark Sapphire Blue Metallic color and a new appearance package that brings a rear spoiler and a silver/bright chrome grille and which is available on all models except the 250-horsepower 2.0-liter Turbo edition. The other engine option for the Verano is the 180 horsepower Ecotec 2.4L with direct-injection and an EPA-estimated highway fuel economy of 32 mpg.
Rounding up the changes for the new model year is the updated OnStar with 4G LTE and standard built-in Wi-Fi hotspot (with 3GB/three-month data trial) and the addition of a standard rearview camera (as with all 2015MY Buicks). Prices are to be announced.
By John Halas
Story References: Buick via Autoblog
Thanks to Taylor for the tip!
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