Buick may have introduced a new Verano in China last year, but it appears that the company has no plans of offering it in the United States.
Quoting people close to General Motors, AutoNews reports that Buick will pull the plug on the current iteration after 2017 model yea and will not introduce a successor, as the company will shift focus to crossovers and SUVs, following the increased demand for such vehicles coming from the US and other global markets.
A GM spokesman declined to comment on the report and said: “We haven’t announced plans for a next-generation Verano and are focused on selling the one that we have.”
The current Buick Verano debuted in late 2011, positioned against the likes of the Ford Focus and Honda Civic, with a mid-$20k price. However, recent redesigns of the Civic, Chevrolet Cruze and others in the segment have equaled or surpassed the Verano and customers with a $25,000 budget have more crossover alternatives than five years ago.
Last year, the Enclave and Encore accounted for 60 percent of the brand’s sales in the United States and Buick expects as much as 70 percent to come from crossovers after the Envision will go on sale next month.
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