- Buick may return to US sedan market after Regal left in 2020.
- A new report links the rumored model to GM’s Alpha 2 platform.
- Research suggests younger buyers are reconsidering sedan cars.
For years Buick has treated sedans like an old photo album. Nice memories, but safely tucked away in a drawer here in North America, at least, because in China, the bodystyles still lives on. Now a new report suggests the brand might be thinking about dusting one of those memories off and putting a proper four-door back into American showrooms.
Yep, according to a new report, General Motors is evaluating the possibility of a Buick sedan for the US market. That would be a pretty big shift considering Buick’s American lineup currently consists entirely of crossovers like the Encore GX, Envision, Envista and Enclave.
Related: Buick Keeps Its Best Stuff For China, Like This 1,000-Mile SUV
The story originally comes from independent website GM Authority, which reports that the potential sedan could ride on the Alpha 2 architecture. That’s the same rear-wheel drive platform family expected to underpin the next-generation Cadillac CT5 and earmarked for production in Michigan.
Not Seen Since 2020
If the project actually gets the green light, it would mark Buick’s return to the sedan segment in the US for the first time since the Regal bowed out after the 2020 model year. Since then the brand has followed the industry trend and focused exclusively on SUVs and crossovers.
Of course there’s a reason Buick walked away from sedans in the first place. Americans have spent the past decade enthusiastically trading low roofs for taller ones and the higher ride heights that go with them. Crossovers and SUVs sell, and when something sells you tend to keep making more of it.
Globally, though, Buick never truly stopped building sedans. In China the brand still sells models like the Verano Pro, Regal, LaCrosse, and the newer Electra L7. So the engineering know-how and design playbook are still very much alive.
Might Wanna Sedan For This
And there are hints that the pendulum might be nudging back towards sedans in the US, even if only slightly. Recent research by Escalent suggests younger buyers are showing renewed interest in traditional passenger cars, and even claimed American teenagers are more interested in sedans than trucks or SUVs.
Whether this rumored sedan ever reaches production is another story entirely. Automakers explore plenty of ideas that never leave the planning room. Still, the mere fact Buick might be considering a sedan again is interesting. In an era dominated by crossovers, the idea of the tri-shield brand quietly sneaking a proper car back into the lineup almost feels rebellious, and it’s not often you can say that about a Buick.
The Buick Electra L7
