The latest Buick lineup features only crossover SUVs but could that change with new electric vehicles? The upcoming Buick Electra might change things.
Sedans and coupes from Buick didn’t reach expected sales figures in the United States, but that doesn’t mean Buick won’t try a car again when it’s time for the EVs to hit the market. The new Electra has only been viewed as a concept model thus far, but this name will be the future of the Buick brand and will give us a new EV to enjoy and admire on the road.
The First Electra Should be an SUV
Not long ago, Buick offered information that all future EVs would be SUVs. This might be true in the North American market, but what about other markets? As we should expect, the first model wearing the Electra name should be the SUV model called the Electra-X. This model will use the Ultium EV platform and could be a smooth, sleek, and comfortable electric SUV. It’s possible, a future EV from this brand might be a car, but that car might not be offered in the United States.
The Buick brand is extremely popular in the largest automotive market in the world. That’s right, China loves the Buick brand, and it is where many Buick sedans have continued to be sold. Could this new electric vehicle be offered as a car in China? It seems pretty likely this will happen and that a Chinese model will be successful for this brand. In fact, a concept car version of the Electra has already made an appearance in China. To further this discussion, could Buick bring this electric car to North America to expand the EV lineup?
A Slight Digression for Explanation
Have we seen GM and other domestic brands make mistakes in the market before? Yes, we have. Most lineup decisions are based on anticipated sales and how well those models perform. When some vehicles don’t perform as expected, they are removed from the market. In recent years, we saw Ford, GM, and Stellantis (formerly FCA) delete all passenger cars from their lineups. The only remaining sedan is the Chevrolet Malibu, but it will be gone soon as well. Some of the explanation for this change was to make room for future EV models and focus on high-profit SUV and truck models.
While we don’t yet know if deleting all of the passenger sedans was a smart decision or not, we can look back at another area of the market where domestic brands made a mistake. The Ford Ranger, Chevy Colorado, and GMC Canyon were all deleted from the market for a short period of time. The Dodge Dakota also left, and we haven’t seen Ram reenter the midsize truck market, but the other three trucks have returned to the class. During the time when these models were gone, Toyota and Nissan grabbed a larger portion of the midsize truck class.
Today, we not only see the return of the Ranger, Colorado, and Canyon, but we also see a new and smaller Ford Maverick, which is made to rejuvenate the deleted compact truck class. Could the same happen with EVs? Will domestic brands bring EV sedans and coupes into the market and expand their lineups, or will the proliferation of SUVs be the death of sedans as we know them?
Buick Filed a Patent Application in the United States
Even though we expect the Buick Electra to be the EV SUV that should be sporty, stylish, and active in the future, it’s possible we might see this vehicle arrive as a sedan as well. This sedan might be a brand new bend for the Buick name. Recently, General Motors filed an application with the US Patent and Trademark Office for the Electra Gran Sport name. This brings us to the thought that a new electric Buick might come in as a car as well as an SUV. Using the same basic name for two different vehicles is becoming commonplace in the EV world. Mercedes-Benz uses EQS for a sedan and an SUV, which means this is something we’ll need to get used to.
Could EV Cars Be More Desirable than SUVs?
The small size of some SUVs makes them extremely popular and attractive to some consumers. Many models are made on similar platforms to sedans but offer the benefits of more cargo and passenger room along with a higher stance. The market is seeing a move toward EV SUVs in the United States, which makes us wonder if sedans are the future or if SUVs will continue to dominate the market. Buick might be the right brand for an Electra car with the GS label on it. This premium brand could enjoy the expansion of its small lineup to simply add a car to the mix and attract some buyers.
When Will We See the Buick Electra?
The official debut of the Electra should take place later this year, with this model becoming part of the 2024 model year. Buick has stated they intend to bring several other models to the mix between now and 2030 to give us a full lineup of Buick EVS wearing the Electra name. We should see at least two fully electric crossovers from Buick in 2023, which means we might see the Electra name a little sooner than expected.
Has Buick Used the GS Badge in the Past?
Yes, the GS name has been part of Buick’s history and worn by several models. The Gran Sport models that we’ve seen include the Riviera GS, Skylark GS, and Regal GS. Some of these Buicks might have left the market before some readers were born, but the GS badge represented higher performance, more comfort, and smooth driving. If these qualities make their way to a new Buick Electra GS, it will be a fitting way to use a special name that’s been part of this longstanding and highly respected car brand.
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