The addition of a turbocharged four-cylinder engine gives Buick's compact sedan some unexpected muscle. Overall, the new-for-2013 Verano turbo model adds some excitement to the lineup without compromising the car's refinement, Cars.com reviewer Kelsey Mays says. Watch out for the manual transmission, however. Mays says to skip the Verano's stubborn and clunky six-speed.
GM is recalling 8,519 model-year 2013 versions of the Chevrolet Malibu sedan due to suspension bolt problems, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The affected vehicles may have one or more suspension bolts that weren't adequately tightened. This could lead to a sudden change in handling, increasing the risk of a crash. According to a GM letter to NHTSA, "Initially, noise and a minor handling effect may be noticed. As the condition progresses, sudden changes in the vehicle handling could occur and the driver may not be able to control the vehicle."
GM has already started the owner notification process, and dealers will inspect the bolts and retighten as necessary for free. Owners can call GM at 800-630-2438 or NHTSA's vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236 for more information.
In other GM recall news, NHTSA is expanding a previous 2012 Buick Verano, 2012 Chevrolet Cruze and 2012 Chevrolet Sonic airbag recall to include the 2012 Chevrolet Camaro. Click here for the original recall or call GM for more information.
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Audi's A4 sedan earned five stars across the board, including in front, side and rollover crash tests. Other vehicles earning the safety agency's top overall score are the 2013 Dodge Dart sedan, the 2013 Ford Focus sedan and hatchback, the 2013 Buick Verano sedan, Acura's new 2013 ILX and ILX Hybrid sedan, and Hyundai's redesigned 2013 Santa Fe Sport SUV.
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GM is recalling 2,949 model-year 2012 Buick Verano, Chevrolet Cruze and Chevrolet Sonic vehicles because the airbags could fail, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The recall involves the driver-side front airbag, which contains a shorting bar that could intermittently contact the airbag terminals, NHTSA reported. If the bar and terminals are contacting each other at the time of a crash, the airbag may not deploy. This increases the risk of injury.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering-wheel airbag coil for free. The automaker has not yet announced an owner notification schedule, but affected owners can contact GM at 800-521-7300 or NHTSA's vehicle-safety hotline at 888-327-4236 for more information.
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A glitch in the OnStar system has caused GM to halt the sale of several 2013 vehicles, Automotive News reports.
A software problem is preventing OnStar's crash notification system from working in accidents that do not trigger airbag deployment. As a result, the OnStar call center isn't being alerted in certain types of accidents, like rear-end collisions.
The airbag system and the OnStar emergency button aren’t affected by the glitch.
About 60,000 vehicles require a manual software update to fix the bug; most of them are on dealer lots. The nameplates affected include the 2013 Chevrolet Cruze, Equinox and Volt; the 2013 Cadillac XTS and ATS; the 2013 Buick Verano; and the 2013 GMC Terrain. Some 2012 Cadillac SRXs also are affected.
GM notified dealers of the glitch last week and asked them to stop delivery until the issue was fixed, according to Automotive News. A GM spokesman told the trade paper that the fix should be wrapped up in the next couple of weeks.
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Over the past few years, we've seen a global convergence and streamlining of major vehicle lineups, which means more of the Eurocentric vehicles that automotive enthusiasts covet are coming here. But many of them aren't selling well.
For proof, just look at the relatively poor-selling BMW 1 Series, Smart ForTwo, Suzuki Kizashi or Scion iQ. (The latter two were designed with Europe in mind.) At the top of the list is the Buick Regal, which historically was one of Buick's best-selling models. In 2004 it was redesigned and renamed LaCrosse — now Buick's flagship sedan in the U.S. After a six-year hiatus in the U.S., the Regal returned to our shores, but as a different beast.
Buick added a host of safety features for 2013: a standard backup camera and optional cross-traffic and blindspot alerts to the Verano, a standard front-center airbag for the Enclave and optional forward collision and lane departure warnings for the new Encore. An interesting tidbit: Rather than repurposing the radar from adaptive cruise control mounted near or in the car's grille — often the way collision warning systems work — the Encore sees oncoming obstacles with a windshield-mounted camera that takes 10 to 12 images per second.
"It looks at the change in size of [the] object as you approach it," GM safety engineer Ray Kiefer told us last week. "It works much like the human eye."
The system doesn't engage automatic braking, which some do. But it could help avoid fender benders and lower repair costs for the ones that happen.
Buick’s hopped-up 2013 Verano Turbo sedan with a 250-horsepower, turbocharged four-cylinder will start at $29,990 when it goes on sale this fall; pricing includes an $885 destination fee. Buick’s smallest sedan with big power comes with a standard six-speed automatic transmission while the six-speed manual transmission is a no-cost option.
Fuel-economy estimates of the automatic transmission have yet to be released — expect numbers closer to the production date — though we know the manual Verano Turbo is rated at an EPA-estimated 20/31 mpg city/highway. That’s only a 1 mpg sacrifice in city, highway and combined ratings compared to the non-turbo Verano for an additional 70 hp and claimed performance of zero to 60 mph in 6.2 seconds.
The turbocharged version of Buick's compact Verano will get 31 mpg on the highway, according to the EPA. The 2013 Verano Turbo is rated at 20/31/24 mpg city/highway/combined. Non-turbocharged Veranos use a 180-horsepower four-cylinder engine and get 21/32/25 mpg.
The Verano Turbo, powered by a 250-hp, turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder, goes from zero to 60 mph in an estimated 6.2 seconds, Buick says. The automaker previously said the Verano Turbo’s fuel economy would be in line with the brand’s other turbocharged models, though it bests the sibling Regal turbo's 18/29 mpg city/highway EPA rating.
The Verano Turbo goes on sale later this year.
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The 2012 Buick Verano is no land yacht. This compact sedan is an affordable luxury car that can hold five passengers, but those stuck in the backseat might not be too happy about it. The Verano’s smaller size means the backseat is best saved for kids in booster seats or a little older who haven’t hit the gangly teen phase quite yet.
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