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The 2012 Buick Regal eAssist will be a mild hybrid version for the mileage and gas minded drivers out there looking for a little more luxury in their drive. Despite its not so stylish name, the luxury sedan will start at $29,530 which will include shipping. This pricing makes the eAssist system a $2,000 option on a base Regal that has the 2.4-liter 4 cylinder without the system. Regal with eAssist goes on sale in the fall of 2011. It is an available powertrain option on Regal models equipped with the 2.4L engine. Unlike the LaCrosse, which Buick is dropping the less expensive, non-eAssist model, Buick will still offer the Regal’s base models without the eAssist system.

The 2012 Regal eAssist package will include different tires, start-stop technology (push button start) , improved aerodynamics, energy-capturing regenerative brakes, a small electric motor, and of course a state of the art lithium-ion battery. In the city the Regal will average 25mpg and 36mpgs on the highway. The eAssist package combines an Eco gauge and powerflow graphics for driver biofeedback. In the fall, the Regal eAssist package will also get Buick’s Intellilink communications system that uses Bluetooth Linking of handhelds and will be able to stream audio from them using PANDORA® Internet Radio or the up and coming Stitcher SmartRadio® services and the like.

Here are some more product features:

• “Light electrification” technology available on 2.4L Ecotec-equipped Regal Hybrid-level fuel economy at a more affordable price – 25 mpg city, 36 mpg highway, a more than 25-percent improvement over the standard 2.4L four-cylinder/six-speed powertrain
• State-of-the-art lithium-ion battery system, electric motor-generator and regenerative braking capability
• Next-generation six-speed transmission with Driver Shift Control
• Lightweight 17-inch alloy wheels and tires with lower rolling resistance
• Driver-selectable mode for the air conditioning system to improve fuel economy
• ECO gauge continuously responds to driver behavior, to encourage greater driving efficiency
• Improved underbody aerodynamics for efficiency
• Powerflow readout in the color infotainment screen or driver information center shows the flow of energy through the eAssist system
• Standard Buick IntelliLink (later availability) uses Bluetooth or USB to connect the driver’s smart phone to a high-resolution, full-color touch screen display radio that enables streaming stereo audio from the phone through services like PANDORA® Internet Radio and Stitcher SmartRadio®

Come out and see us at Bill Dodge Westbrook in the Fall for your first chance to test drive the new 2012 Buick Regal!

Buick has signed a three-year marketing deal with the NCAA, another move by the General Motors brand to shed its staid image. Buick steps into a void left by Pontiac, which was an NCAA sponsor before the brand was terminated in 2009. The sponsorship included commercials for the Buick Regal and LaCrosse sedans that were broadcasted during the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.

Car companies create a 60 second TV spots that are designed to illustrate a new idea of what the brand represents. In April, Buick introduced a new ad the company calls its “brand anthem”. Buick’s new anthem that the ad carried was, “Your Kind of Luxury.” Buick says this is not a permanent tagline or slogan, but that it is dropping “The New Class of World Class,” which was used as a tag for more than a year. It has not been stated yet by Buick if they will go with this as a consistent slogan in the future.

Buick is a big sponsor of the NCAA Men’ Basketball Tournament. In many ways, it’s the perfect marketing vehicle for Buick, reaching young sports fans as well as the older ones who watched their alma maters compete in the Final Four. “We were looking for a high-profile platform large enough to build on the momentum we’ve already established in the marketplace,” said Tony DiSalle, vice president of marketing for Buick. “These are the right customers for Buick,” he said. “The NCAA audience is affluent and highly educated.”

To set it apart from Cadillac, Perry described Buick as “approachable luxury,” with “comfortable, refined, confident performance.” He said it’s for an audience that considers itself “inclusive,” wanting “to be part of the community, rather than above their community.” That audience is the younger automobile buyers.

The NCAA sponsorship is another move by Buick to appeal to younger buyers. The average age of Buick drivers has dropped to 67 last year from 70 in 2009, according to Strategic Vision Inc., a San Diego research firm.

“If we’re a brand that enables and inspires and celebrates human achievement, boy, that’s March Madness at its core,” Perry said. The marketing deal goes beyond basketball, and will include college football, women’s soccer and the Frozen Four hockey tournament.

As part of the NCAA sponsorship, Buick aired commercials that profiled former college athletes’ charitable pursuits. One told the story of Emmanuel Ohonme, a former University of North Dakota basketball player and Africa native who started a charity that has provided shoes to 3 million children in 40 countries.

That series of commercials aired during the basketball tournament. Other athletes whose charitable works that were highlighted included Gabe Lewullis, a former Princeton University basketball star and surgeon who’s involved in a charity that supports middle and high school athletics, and Sean James, a track and football star at Southern Missouri State University who started a foundation that offers scholarships to student athletes.

Buick also sponsored a 30-minute TV show devoted to the topic of athletes’ charities before the finals. The sponsorship marks the first big Buick push since GM overhauled its marketing department last year.

Buick is “America’s fastest growing major car company”** If you are a hoops fan or NCAA fan in general and the new ad has you thinking about a new or used Buick, Check out Bill Dodge Auto Group in Westbrook to find the right Buick for you!

Check out Buicks new “brand anthem” here on youtube.com

**based on rolling calendar year to date total sales.

General Motors has a future product strategy that entails downsizing their engine line-up, particularly on mid-size sedans. As new standards for CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) come in the next few years, the company is to get a head start to make sure they’re prepared. The new criterion for the fleet fuel economy average is 34.1 mpg by the end of 2015.

One of the ways GM hopes to achieve this is by only offering 4 cylinder engines on their next generation mid-size sedans. The Buick Regal has already started this as it’s only available in a direct injection 2.4L 4 cylinder or a turbocharged 2.0L 4 cylinder engine. The next to receive these two options only is the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu. The V6 engine will be reserved for GM’s larger vehicles like the Buick Lucerne and Chevrolet Impala.

This is great news for the company because it not only encourages drivers to be more environmentally conscious but it also allows for more time to be spent on enhancing alternative powertrains like turbocharged, naturally aspirated and hybrid engines. The Bill Dodge Auto Group is a proud Maine Buick, GMC and Cadillac dealer. We have an extensive inventory with many options to choose from. Our friendly and educated sales staff is here to help you find the right fit for you! Give us a call at 854-3200 to set up an appointment for a test drive or just stop by to speak with a Client Advisor.

Over the last couple of years, Buick has been on a mission to change their brand image. We saw this through the re-design of the LaCrosse, the revival of the Regal and with the introduction of some pretty impressive concept vehicles like the Verano compact car. Now Buick is taking it one step further with hopes to rival the Mini Cooper by introducing a new sub-compact car called the Junior.

Junior will be based on a shortened version of the Opel Corsa subcompact and will be approximately 12.14 feet long, which is actually slightly shorter than the Mini. The concept should be launching in Europe in 2013. This concept goes along with several other attempts from GM to make “Urban Luxury” cars which appeal to those looking for small, extremely fuel efficient, yet high quality vehicles. It will be exciting to see what they come up with for 2013.

The Bill Dodge Auto Group is Maine’s premier Buick dealer. We have a huge selection of brand new Buicks to choose from including the LaCrosse, Regal, Enclave and Lucerne. Our knowledgeable and friendly sales staff is here to help you find the right fit for you. Stop by today to see the New Buick!

The Robonaut 2 is a humanoid robot that was developed by a joint technology partnership between General Motors and NASA. It is said to be able to complete many more tasks than most humanoid robots which will make space exploration and manufacturing safer. The Robonaut 2 will be the first one to launch into space; it’s scheduled to go this month on the space shuttle Discovery.

In December the Robonaut 2 made its debut in Detroit to demonstrate some of its abilities at GM’s technical center. Here’s a video of part of the demonstration:

The innovations found in the R2 will be a huge benefit for GM. It will lay groundwork for future advanced safety systems and safer plant operations, further enhancing GM vehicles’ safety and efficiency.

“For GM, this is about safer cars and safer plants,” said Alan Taub, GM’s vice president for global research and development. “When it comes to future vehicles, the advancements in controls, sensors and vision technology can be used to develop advanced vehicle safety systems. The partnership’s vision is to explore advanced robots working together in harmony with people, building better, higher quality vehicles in a safer, more competitive manufacturing environment.”

Here at the Bill Dodge Auto Group we are a proud GM dealer with a huge selection of brand new Buicks, Cadillacs and GMC’s available. Click here to view our inventory or call 854-3200 to speak with one of our knowledgeable Client Advisors for more information!

Buick’s eAssist made its debut at the LA Auto Show in November. It was on the 2011 LaCrosse 4 cylinder engine and was an exciting addition to the Buick line-up. It’s designed to use a much more powerful battery than the one used in the past on other GM vehicles like the Saturn Vue, Aura and Chevrolet Malibu. This “mild-hybrid” system uses the battery pack and other technology from the successful Chevrolet Volt.

Buick recently announced that eAssist will be offered to the new Regal next year. The Regal shares the same 4 cylinder engine with the LaCrosse so this will be an easy transition and very beneficial to the model. While GM is intending to keep eAssist exclusively with Buick for the time being, the potential for it to be used all across their line-up is likely in the future. It can be used on V6 engines as well as 4 cylinders, opening it up to SUV’s and crossovers, not just mid-size sedans. As Buick is already outselling Audi, Acura and Infiniti, this option for more of the line-up can make it even more competitive.

Here at the Bill Dodge Auto Group, we have a huge selection of brand new Buicks in stock, including the LaCrosse and Regal. Our friendly and knowledgeable sales staff is here to help you find the right vehicle for you and strive to make your shopping experience streamlined, hassle-free and enjoyable.

“I think it’s a great opportunity to see the skill and dedication of our UAW men and women who are proud of their accomplishments in building the finest vehicles not only in this country, but in the world,” said Joe Ashton, UAW Vice President-GM Department.

General Motors recently announced that they will be opening all 54 of their manufacturing plants in the U.S. to the public for an open house tour to show everything that goes on in making GM vehicles. All of these will happen before the end of 2011 giving Americans a great opportunity to learn more about GM as a company.

In the past, the Bowling Green Assembly Plant in Kentucky was the only one that would allow tours to the public. Now each one will choose a date for their respective event and invite the local community to see. GM really wants to put emphasis on all the jobs that they provide as well as the 7,900 jobs that were saved in 2009 due to the bailout. While many people complain about the government’s involvement, they sometimes fail to see what an effect it had on a day to day level with individual employees. These tours will remind the public of this.

The closest GM plants to us here in Maine are in New York state. While it’s a bit of a treck, it would be extremely interesting to see how everything works. We’ll keep you posted here at the Bill Dodge Auto Group for when they’re holding their tours. In the meantime, we have a huge inventory of brand new Buicks, Cadillacs and GMC’s in stock. Feel free to stop by for a test drive!

A while ago Buick announced the introduction of the Verano, which is a new compact model built on the same platform as the Chevrolet Cruze. Specifications and pricing was still in the final stages when the information was leaked recently from a survey that was intended to gather feedback from dealers so that GM could make its final decisions. While the price and trim levels aren’t set in stone, it definitely gives us a much better idea of what the new Verano will be like.

The Verano will have the same powertrain as the Buick LaCrosse: the 2.4L 4 cylinder Ecotec engine that produces 180 horsepower. This is mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission which will make for a smooth ride, responsive handling and great fuel economy.

There will be four possible trim level combinations with prices ranging from $20,900 to $26,200 for the highest trim. The Verano should share most of its design with the Excelle GT, which is Buick’s Chinese market compact sedan. Standard options will include leather seats, push button start, 18” wheels, heated seats, heated steering wheel and Bose audio.

The Verano concept is a great way to diversify the Buick brand. Bringing in a compact sedan to its line-up will give customers a great alternative to buying bigger, less practical sedans or switching to another brand. Here at the Bill Dodge Auto Group, we pride ourselves in providing stellar customer service for our loyal Buick customers. We have a huge inventory of brand new Buicks in stock and a knowledgeable sales staff to help you find the perfect fit for your lifestyle. Stop by to learn more about the Verano or test drive a current model!

The Buck GL8 is a minivan that has been developed in China by Shanghai GM. It was introduced in 2000 and was very similar to the Pontiac Montana. Over the years, they have made upgrades and improvements just like the rest of General Motors and their products. The latest upgrade, the 2011 Buick GL8, was just released a few months ago in China.

Though the market in the U.S. for mini-vans has been significantly reduced, the GL8 in China continues to thrive. This new model comes with some pretty impressive features that you’d expect in a premium SUV, not necessarily an MPV. The interior sports seating for 7 passengers, blue ambient lighting, a 10 speaker Bose sound system, two-tone leather seats, a 7” touch screen dash display, a 10.2” HD DVD display and a panoramic sunroof. It seems pretty clear why this would do well in any part of the world.

Under the hood of the GL8, you’ll find either a 3.0L SIDI (Intelligent Direct Injection) V6 engine or a 2.4L Ecotec 4 cylinder for those who prefer fuel economy to power. Both of these options are paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission that gives the van a smooth, quiet ride. Further specifications haven’t been released quite yet.

Here at the Bill Dodge Auto Group, we take pride in being one of Maine’s best Buick dealers. We have a large variety of new current models as well as many pre-owned vehicles to choose from. Our knowledgeable sales staff is here to help you find the right fit for you and make your shopping experience informative, fun and hassle-free.

Buick is a part of General Motors that has been extremely successful all over the world. From China to Europe, they have been a competitive brand and have altered their models to appeal to that particular customer base.

The Vauxhall Astra VXR is one of Buick’s models that’s a huge seller in Europe. They hope to bring this model to the U.S. in 2011. It shares the same underpinnings as the Excelle, Buick’s Chinese flagship. It’s already been confirmed that then the Excelle arrives to the states it will be called the Verano. As the Astra is similar, there are speculations that it may receive the same badge, just as a hatchback version. There is very little more information on the Astra VXR coming to the U.S. Buick has definitely been coming up with new and interesting ways of expanding its lineup in the last few months. We’ll see what happens!

Bill Dodge Buick is Maine’s source for new, certified and pre-owned Buicks. We have a huge inventory and a friendly, hassle-free sales staff to help you find the right vehicle for you. Don’t hesitate to give us a call for more information on the Astra VXR or stop by to test drive a current model!