Buick just pulled the wraps off of a new sedan in China, which is by far the premium brand’s biggest market. It’s a compact sedan called the Excelle and it’s slightly smaller than the Chevy Cruze. If the Buick Verano were still alive in the U.S., this is probably about what it would look like.
Speaking of the Verano, the Verano is still around in China and will be sold alongside the similar new Excelle. While car companies can’t seem to kill sedans fast enough for the U.S. market, China still seems to like them, especially when they’re Buicks.
We don’t know many specs about the Buick Excelle yet, but we know it has a wheelbase of 102.8 inches. For reference, the Buick Verano that used to be sold in the States had a wheelbase of 105.7 inches. The Verano simply couldn’t cut it in the U.S. which is a market that’s hungry for crossovers. Buick recognizes that and has been adjusting its lineup accordingly.
Currently, the Buick Excelle is only planned to launch in the Chinese market and it’s very unlikely that it will come to the U.S. Buick sold 1.18 million units in China in 2017 in both mainstream and luxury segments. Buick launched seven new models in China last year and the brand is still on a roll with the new Excelle and with the Enspire electric concept it just unveiled in April. If you’ve ever wondered how Buick survived General Motors’ Chapter 11 reorganization, simply look to China.