GM's middle brand is adding another nameplate for buyers to choose from, the 2012 Buick Verano. Debuting at the Detroit Auto Show and based on the same chassis underpinning Chevrolet's Cruze and Volt, the Verano slots beneath the Regal but takes care not to skimp on features.
As with the Cruze, the Verano is a front-wheel-drive, five-passenger sedan with a MacPherson strut-type front suspension sporting uniquely tuned suspension optimized for ride comfort and to handle side-loading in a corner. At the rear is a torsion-beam axle with a Watts-type Z-linkage to control wheel motion. Brakes are 11.8-inch discs at the front and 11.5 inches at the rear while steering is electric power assist. The base engine is upgraded over the Cruze, starting with the aluminum-block Ecotec 2.4-liter inline four-cylinder mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. With 177 hp and 170 lb-ft of torque, the Vearano should zip to 60 mph from a stop in 8 seconds. Fuel economy is expected to come in around 22 mpg city and 31 mpg highway. A 2.0-liter turbo will be offered as the uplevel option in the future and should provide for a more spirited driving experience.
Despite sharing guts with the Cruze, the Verano gets its own look inside and out. The car shares the trademark waterfall grille and blue-ringed headlights up front, as well as the ventiports common to other Buicks (oddly, the ports traditionally indicate the cylinder count of the engine, though not so here). Along the side, the window profile is unique to the Verano and a midbody character line carries gracefully into the trunk, trimmed in chrome and LED taillights. The proportions are complimented by either 17-inch forged alloy wheels standard or optional 18-inchers.
The interior goes the extra distance to set itself apart from more bargain-conscious offerings with the full raft of luxury appointments. First and foremost for Buick was to maintain its quiet cabin, so considerably more sound-deadening materials were added. To ensure that nobody would mistake the interior atmosphere for a Chevy, they also added thicker laminated glass for the front and sides, triple door seals, sound-absorbing foam, and more isolation mat behind the dashboard and in the headliner. Leather, wood treatments, heated seats and steering wheel, moonroof, 10 standard airbags, push-button start, ambient lighting and soft-touch materials throughout add up to a premium equipment package.
GM's latest and greatest Onstar-equipped touchscreen navigation and entertainment system gets some neat tricks too. It includes text-to-speech reading for SMS messages, smartphone application integration for Pandora and Stitcher and smoother integration for the Bluetooth streaming audio and USB input systems. Also new is the ability to monitor the vehicle from anywhere in the world via the downloadable OnStar smartphone application, which not only lets you unlock doors remotely or start the car but lets you check things like oil life, tire pressure and fuel level.
With the addition of the Verano, Buick now looks a lot more like a full-line brand, and based on what we've been hearing from insiders lately, there's much more in store.
