Buick Enclave balances youth appeal, classic design

Brett Clanton / The Detroit News

General Motors Corp. is taking another step in making over its silver-haired Buick brand, introducing a concept vehicle called the Enclave on Sunday that could help lure younger buyers and cash in on the popular crossover market.

In a sign of the importance of the vehicle and the automaker's new crossover strategy, GM used its first news conference during media preview days at the North American International Auto Show to unveil the Enclave.

The six-passenger vehicle, which GM says is close to the production model expected early next year, follows the introduction of two highly-touted Buick sedans in 2005 -- the full-size Lucerne and midsize LaCrosse -- and a new advertising campaign for the brand that stresses quality.

The trio of vehicles are central to GM's goal to widen the appeal of Buick, whose average buyer is 63, and arrive as part of a broader initiative by the automaker to better differentiate its eight brands.

"If you look at Buick, it's always been a balance of keeping our loyal buyers and attracting new ones," said Anna Kretz, a GM line executive in charge of front-wheel-drive trucks.

That balancing act is on display in the Enclave, which has an aerodynamic profile that GM calls both youthful and consistent with Buick's classic design heritage, as well as a richly-appointed interior.

Ed Welburn, GM's global vice president of design, said the Enclave is an example of the "slimmer" and "more agile" look of new Buick vehicles and that the plush interior, with its six individual leather seats and back-row DVD screens, are a reflection of what's to come in the passenger cabin.

But the Enclave and other new models won't change consumer attitudes overnight toward Buick, said James Bell, publisher of IntelliChoice, an online source for automotive industry analysis.

"It's going to take something very unique and bold to change people's perceptions of Buick," he said, doubting that Enclave has enough sex appeal to woo younger buyers or owners of vehicles by some foreign nameplates.

While Buick's new brand campaign with the tagline "Beyond Precision" may help improve its image, it may ring hollow for some buyers.

"I think precision is something you determine on your own," Bell said, "not something you can do with marketing."

The Enclave is one of three new midsize crossover vehicles expected from GM in coming months.

You can reach Brett Clanton at (313) 222-2612 or bclanton@detnews.com.