2005 Chicago Auto Show: General Motors Corp. to Show New Luxury Offerings

Video: 2006 Buick Lucerne Unveil
Video: 2006 Cadillac DTS Unveil
Video: 2006 DTS On The Road and Interiors
Video: Jim Taylor, Cadillac General Manager

CHICAGO February 9, 2005; John Porretto writing for the AP reported that General Motors Corp.'s emphasis on passenger cars will become even more evident this week with the introduction of two sedans from the world's biggest automaker that will compete at opposite ends of the luxury market.

In the latest in a string of new-car introductions, GM plans Wednesday to unveil the 2006 Buick Lucerne entry-level luxury sedan and the 2006 Cadillac DTS upscale sedan, both of which are set to reach showrooms this fall.

GM will show the vehicles during the first of two media preview days at the Chicago Auto Show.

"The all-new Lucerne marks a significant milestone for Buick," said the division's general manager, John Larson. "We're rolling out one of the most aggressive product programs in Buick history, (and) Lucerne is the third new Buick launched in just over a year."

The others are the LaCrosse midsize sedan and Terraza crossover sports van.

Buick is ridding itself of models such as the Century, Regal and Park Avenue and replacing them with cars the company hopes will be viewed as more elegant both inside and out.

The LaCrosse, which went on sale last fall, essentially replaces the Century and Regal. The Lucerne will cover the same territory in the lineup as the outgoing LeSabre and Park Avenue. The Lucerne will be Buick's first car to offer a V-8 engine in a decade.

The new models underscore a renewed emphasis on cars at Buick, the century-old brand that made its name producing reliable passenger cars, particularly for the older set.

Much of Buick's focus in the past several years has been on truck-like vehicles, namely the Rainier and Rendezvous sport utility vehicles and the Terraza, which debuted last fall.

The 2002 Rendezvous was Buick's first truck in 80 years.

Kimberly L. Bushy, president and interim dealer at Suburban Buick in Wheaton, Ill., said the new SUVs gave her something once again to offer families who had ditched Buick for other brands with more diverse portfolios.

Bushy said she's been encouraged by the response to the LaCrosse, which she noted is attracting more women and younger shoppers. She also thinks Buick's business relationship with champion golfer Tiger Woods has helped in that regard.

"You'd always like to have more models, but we're thrilled with the fresh new product and a revitalized line," she said.

Buick's overall U.S. sales were off 8.4 percent last year, including a 14.2 percent decline on the car side. GM officials have said the brand's future lineup will be split evenly between cars and truck-based models.

Cadillac, meanwhile, is hoping to maintain the sales momentum it's gained with several new models, part of an estimated $4 billion makeover of the upscale line that was America's best-selling premium brand from 1950 to 1998. Cadillac sales were up 8 percent in 2004 even as GM's overall business fell 1.4 percent. It marked Cadillac's best annual showing since 1990.

New offerings include the XLR roadster, the SRX mid-size crossover utility vehicle and the STS performance sedan that replaced the Seville.

Americans got a sneak peek of the new DTS, which replaces the DeVille, during last month's presidential inauguration. President Bush rode in a jet-black Cadillac DTS limousine during the inaugural parade, a vehicle GM said provided a glimpse of the design direction of the mass-produced version of the 2006 DTS.

General Motors Corp.: http://www.gm.com