Buick Bucks

General Motors Corp. will spend slightly more than $3 billion during the next five years to overhaul the Buick lineup, company executives say.

The investment includes the Buick Terraza minivan, which debuted in January at the Detroit auto show, and the '05 LaCrosse midsize sedan unveiled in Chicago. However, the cash infusion does not include the Rainier midsize SUV, which went on sale in late 2003.

The replacement for the LeSabre fullsize sedan, to bow in early 2005 at either the Detroit or Chicago auto shows, also is part of the lineup overhaul, says Bob Lutz, chairman-GM North America.

After making a splash in Chicago with the LaCrosse, Buick's revival will make waves at the New York auto show in April, when the GM division will unveil a convertible concept called Velite, Ward's learns. Several GM insiders confirm the plans.

While Buick is profitable, GM is scrambling to reverse years of decreasing sales and market share by recasting its image, broadening its product lineup and expanding its appeal to younger consumers. “Today's Buick is something we want people to desire,” Lutz says.

He says the Terraza was a very modest portion of the $3 billion investment, because it's basically a cosmetic makeover. “It's not a unique product for Buick,” he says, adding the vehicles developed with the new investment are in the future. “We're talking all kinds of stuff. Some stuff that maybe Buick has never had before.”