2012 Buick Verano

2012 Buick Verano as the new compact sedan is the North American version of GM's China market Buick Excelle GT. The two Buicks are identical in styling right up to the somewhat gaudy chrome eyebrows over the tail lamps.

The Buick Verano has 183.9 in. (4,671 mm) long, 71.4 in. (1,815 mm) wide and 58.4 in. (1,484 mm) tall, featuring a 105.7 in. (2,685 mm) long wheelbase. It is compact sedan will receive its world premiere at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit next week and go on sale in the States in the fourth quarter of 2011.

Luxurious interior marked by exceptional seat comfort and support, as well as premium soft-touch materials, including ambient lighting. Buick Verano uses the same premium leather material for the seats that is used on the LaCrosse. Neutral and medium titanium colors are offered on interiors with leatherette/fabric seating surfaces, while ebony, cashmere and a unique Choccachino color are offered on the available leather-trimmed interiors.

Additional interior standard and available features include:

Buick Verano include a bold, detailed black chrome waterfall grille, prominent blue translucent projector beam headlamps, portholes, chrome accents, premium wheels and a tailored body-to-wheel relationship. An arching roofline connects a steeply raked windshield and fast-sloping rear pillars to give the car a sporty profile that's complemented by large, 17-inch standard multi-spoke forged alloy sterling silver-finish wheels. Two premium 18-inch wheel designs are available.

A palette of rich colors enhances the premium look, including Claret Red Tintcoat and White Diamond Tricoat. Other exterior color choices include Black, Olympic White, Switchblade Silver Metallic, Cyber Gray Metallic and Mocha Bronze Metallic.

Under the skin, the Verano's front suspension uses decoupled MacPherson struts and the rear a Watts Z-link design. Steering inputs are executed by an electric power steering system, featuring a dual-pinion rack, while stopping power is provided by a four-wheel disc brake system with standard anti-lock and electronic brake force distribution, as well as StabiliTrak electronic stability control with traction control.

2012 Buick Verano will offered with a standard 2.4-liter Ecotec four-cylinder engine delivering an estimated 177 horsepower (132 kW) and 170 lb.-ft. of peak torque (230 Nm), with a six-speed automatic transmission driving the front wheels. GM says the basic Verano will return a 0-60 mph [96 km/h] performance of 8.0 seconds and an estimated 31 mpg [7.6 lt/100km] on the highway.

In China, the Verano's twin sibling is available with a naturally-aspirated 1.8-liter producing 145HP and a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-pot delivering 181HP.