In the Chinese market, Buick is kind of a big deal. Driven by emperors in pre-Communist times, the brand has carved itself a nice as a premium automaker that’s still accessible to the middle class. Most of their products are carried over from the American market (though built locally), but some, like the GL8 minivan are the kind of oddities that could only exist offshore.

Of all the domestic automakers, there’s something about the way General Motors can elicit an emotional reaction. And so on this Thanksgiving Day, the General has decided to run a rather touching commercial sharing its thanks for all that you, the American taxpayer, have done for it, its employees and more recently, its shareholders.

Silent of any voice, the ad shows iconic images of failure, followed by comeback and ends with the words, “We all fall down. Thank you for helping us get back up.”

See the video after the jump:

We regret to inform you that the subject matter behind the enticing title won’t live up to whatever thoughts are circulating in your head. Rather, Forbes’ list of “Americas Dirtiest Vehicles” has to do with pollution and gas mileage, and is mostly comprised of cars we ourselves would want to own.

Forbes used a variety of factors to determine what qualified for the list, with both carbon emissions and fuel consumption factoring in to the economy. “Heavy Duty” trucks were left off the list, as well performance cars that only get driven on special occasions, like the Ferrari 599 GTO (and, apparently, Mercedes’ AMG lineup).

Hit the jump to see the list for yourself

[Source: Forbes]

Want to see automotive line workers, drinking, smoking and slacking off? Unfortunately, you have to go to Chrysler for that. GM, on the other hand, will be offering tours of all 54 plants throughout 2011 in a pretty cool but transparent PR move designed to shore up public opinion after the company launched its IPO this past week.

Naturally, the emphasis will be on the thousands of jobs that GM provides – and that were saved thanks to the automotive bailout. GM’s Corvette plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky was the only GM plant that offered regular tours before this initiative.

Hit the jump to read the official press release

[Source: GM]

The Buick Regal will get GM’s eAssist mild hybrid system next year, according to rumors on GM Inside News. The eAssist system will debut on the Buick Lacrosse 4-cylinder, an engine shared with the Regal. It is also expected to appear on thew upcoming Chevrolet Malibu, though eAssist is expected to remain exclusive on Buick products for some time.

Buick‘s LA Auto Show press conference included the launch of two new vehicles that span the gamut from performance to fuel economy. Along with the new Regal GS performance mode, Buick also announced the introduction of the mild-hybrid LaCrosse – dubbed the LaCrosse eAssist.

Nearly a month after GM first showcased the concept, Buick has brought to market the Regal GS in an attempt to attract younger and more performance-oriented buyers to the geezer brand.

Perhaps groundbreaking new technology isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Sure, General Motors has the new Volt electric car/hybrid thingy, but the company has also just announced the eAssist version of its Buick LaCrosse luxury car.

If you own or drive a 2010 or 2011 Buick Lucerne or Cadillac DTS (I’m sure there’s some of you under the age of 65 and don’t worry we’re not smirking), then your car might be the subject of a recall.

In the wake of its re-structuring last year, General Motors has re-directed its focus on just four core brands in the United States – Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC. And that not only applies to marketing and retail sales, but now apparently servicing as well.

Set to debut in just a few weeks time at the LA Auto Show, Buick has taken the covers off the official production version of its new Regal GS sports sedan. Changing little from the concept first shown at the Detroit Auto Show at the start of the year, it retains the 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine with output raised to 255-hp and a significant 295 ft-lbs of torque. Full power comes on strong at 5300 rpm and torque is available as of 2500 rpm. Only one transmission is offered and, to our surprise, it’s a 6-speed manual – hinting that this is a machine built for enthusiasts. This, however, is just a marketing trick and a 6-speed auto-box is set to arrive in the next few months.

How’s this for a little added incentive? In the hopes of attracting more consumers, OnStar is teaming up with auto insurance companies to offer subscribers discounts on their car policies.

Buick is looking for ways to change its brand image and has so far done a good job with new designs, as well as the launch of new products like the LaCrosse and Regal. It will push further down-market with the introduction of the Verano compact car. But could Buick get smaller still? The answer is, yes.

Buick‘s upcoming Verano subcompact, a twin of the Chevrolet Cruze, will be built at GM’s Orion, Michigan plant alongside the upcoming Chevrolet Aveo.

General Motors has confirmed that it will sell a diesel-powered car on U.S. soil in the future. According to Ward’s Auto, the source of the news is none-other than GM Vice Chairman Tom Stephens. The use of a diesel would mark the first time in almost three decades that a diesel car was sold in the U.S., with the last diesels being sold in Cadillac, Buick and Oldsmobile vehicles in the late ’70s and early ’80s.

Today’s shocking bit of news comes from a Motor Trend article on the future of Cadillac. While discussing future plans for the big rear-drive Zeta platform, MT claimed that the next generation Holden Commodore would switch to the Epsilon II platform that currently underpins cars like the Chevrolet Malibu and Buick Lacrosse.

General Motors, recently announced that is preparing to invest $483 million and create 483 new jobs at it’s Spring Hill, Tennesse Powertrain complex, which currently builds Ecotec four-cylinder engines. Providing that state and local officials are in agreement, the investment should provide a major shot in the arm for the General, the Spring Hill area and also the United Auto Workers’ union, since the new jobs will be filled by workers laid off, in accordance with the UAW/GM National Labor agreement.

The most recent vehicle to earn the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) Top Safety Pick award is the 2011 Buick Regal. This means that the Regal joins other winners including LaCrosse, Audi A4, Lincoln MKZ, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Ford Fiesta and Hyundai Genesis that also many the Top Safety Picks for 2010.

Chevrolet’s Volt plug-in hybrid isn’t the only vehicle that will get its own smartphone app. The Chevrolet Cruze compact will also join the bandwagon with an OnStar-supported program that gives owners new access to various functions of their vehicle via a smartphone.

General Motors has just announced the filing of papers with the Securities and Exchange Commission for an Initial Public Offering (IPO) that will see the company handed back over to investors and removed from government control.

Including in the filing are plans for preferred stock that carries with it both debt and equity and also has priority in a bankruptcy situation.

According to a Bloomberg report, GM hopes to generate $16 billion by the IPO, selling off roughly a fifth of the stock currently owned by the U.S. Treasury. This would then make the government a minority shareholder in General Motors and is likely to be followed by continued sell-offs until GM is entirely out of government hands. Currently the U.S. government owns a 61 percent stake in GM.

GM has already paid back the $6.7 billion in loans it received from the U.S. and Canadian governments, however, that amount is only a small portion of the almost $50 billion bailout GM received.

Official release after the jump:

A new report detailing customer satisfaction in the auto industry has just been released, with domestic brands Lincoln-Mercury and Buick taking the top spots. The annual American Customer Satisfaction Index survey points to a slight decline overall in consumers’ satisfaction with their vehicles, but shows strong results for domestic automakers.

Cadillac‘s SRX crossover will get a 3.0L twin-turbo V6 to replace the current 3.0L naturally aspirated V6 and the 2.8L twin-turbo V6 currently offered in the vehicle.

General Motors is looking to expand the Buick lineup to between 6 or 7 vehicles from its current 4. Buick is looking to add product as it attempts to lure buyers away from import luxury brands and attract a much younger audience as it shed its image as a car for retirees.

In 2012 Buick will expand its lineup further down-market, introducing the Verano compact below the Regal. Riding on the same architecture as the Chinese Buick Excelle (and Chevy Cruze), several engines are possible. For starters it could be offered with the Cruze’s 1.4-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder, but a more likely candidate is the 181-hp turbocharged 1.6-liter currently offered on the Excelle GT in China.

You’re too busy to get to the dealership to test drive a car – so what’s a savvy social networker to do? Just tweet, and Buick will bring the car to you, pretty much wherever you are.

While all the news from Buick as of late has been in regards to new smaller models and a move d0wn-market, the GM luxury brand is also planning a new flagship model. Targeted at the Lexus LS, the team at GMInsideNews has confirmed from sources inside GM that an early design for the new model has been approved and the team responsible for the car has been given a limited budget to continue developing the idea.

What makes a car truly comfortable? Air conditioning? Heated seats? Power window shades? Sure, those are all a good start, but with today’s modern luxuries, there are so many extras that can make your commute a comfortable one.

The folks at Kelley Blue Book have assembled the 10 most comfortable cars under $30,000. Not surprisingly Buick placed highly, taking both the first and second spots. And that first place went to none other than the new Buick LaCrosse.

Get the complete list of the Top 10 most Comfortable Cars (and why they made the list) after the jump:

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock for the past few years, you know all about the hard knocks the automotive industry has been dealt. But Chrysler dealers are seeing a boost thanks to women who have given them some much-needed props.

Porsche was the big winner for July 2010 sales, moving 75% more cars than in July 2009, with Hyundai/ Kia, Jaguar/ Land Rover and the Big Three all making solid gains. Japanese auto makers bore the brunt of the market, with Toyota and Honda losing a bit of market share, while Suzuki took the dubious title of “Biggest Loser” as sales fell by 43%.

Buick is considering adding both a coupe and a convertible to its lineup in the coming years says Buick marketing director Roger McCormack,. In a live webchat yesterday McCormack commented that a coupe was under “very strong consideration,” and sounded equally positive about a convertible model. “We are always looking for ways to excite our customers… I think a convertible would do just that. Nothing to announce today but know we will look hard at a convertible option,” he said. In addition, hints were dropped about a possible Regal wagon hitting U.S. shores.

General Motors is poised to sell more cars in China than in the United States this year, which would mark the first time the U.S. auto giant’s largest market wasn’t it’s domestic market. So far this year sales in China have exceeded those in the U.S., with a total of 1,209,138 units moved in China vs. 1,069,577 at home.

At a recent meeting regarding their proposed IPO, General Motors outlined their new product plans through the year 2014. According to GM’s plans,70 updates vehicles will be launched by 2012, but most of the vehicles will be for global export markets rather than North America.

Buick is hoping to kickstart buzz around their upcoming Regal sports sedan by not manufacturing any buzz at all. Dubbed “The Moment of Truth”, Buick will take a page out of the Fiesta Movement’s book, but geared towards an older crowd.

Wouldn’t you really rather have a Buick? That was the advertising tag line Buick used in the mid ’80s and ’90s and unless you were collecting Social Security, the answer was a resounding, “No.” Buick had the oldest average age of any U.S. manufacturer, and their cars reflected that demographic . . . and younger buyers wanted no part of it.

In an effort to compete with the impressive Ford Focus RS and Renaultsport Mégane, General Motors is reported to be building a new Vauxhall Astra VXR with as much as 300-hp. So why should you care? Well, because the Astra shares its underpinnings with the Buick Excelle, which recently launched in China and is set to be introduced in the U.S. in the near future, likely wearing the Verano badge.

Buick has just unveiled its new Excelle GT model in China, which is set to go on sale in the U.S. next year. When it does arrive here the baby Buick may be badged as the Verano. Based on the same compact-car platform as the European Opel Astra and Chevrolet Cruze, the Excelle GT joins the recently unveiled Excelle XT – a five-door hatchback that Buick insists is a coupe-like sedan.

General Motors has announced a massive recall of 1.5 million vehicles over concern that their heated windshield washer fluid system could catch fire. No solution for the problem is available and so GM will give owners a $100 rebate (yup, $150 million in total) for the loss of the feature on their vehicle.

Thanks to a patent filing process in China, it has been revealed that the Chevy Volt will be badged as a Buick model in what is now the world’s largest auto market. To be more specific, the Opel Ampera (the European version of the Volt) will actually be badged as a Buick. You see, in China, the government requires that automakers file a design patent to ensure that vehicle designs aren’t copied (ironic, we know). And it just so happens that the design submitted to the Chinese patent office is that of the European Ampera and not the Volt.

In China Buick sells several models we don’t get here, including the GL8 van. Recently, a replacement for the current GL8 was spotted camoed-up and testing in China, looking a lot like the Buick Business Concept first shown at the Shanghai Auto Show last year.

With the launch of the Buick Regal comes word that the U.S. may get more than just the sedan. According to a report by Car & Driver there’s a strong possibility that we could get either the hatch or wagon, or both.

Autoguide previously reported that the Buick Regal GS was a sure bet to return to Buick showrooms, and now Autoblog has confirmed that the Regal GS will be back, posting the contents of an email from GM employee Dayna Hart that states “At wave 1 of our drive program for Regal we just confirmed that the Regal GS will be added to the Buick portfolio. We are not providing any additional details at this point.”

Buick‘s version of the Chevrolet Cruze, known in China as the Excelle, has been caught undisguised again, this time in sporty GT trim. The Excelle uses the same platform as the Chevrolet Cruze and Opel Astra, and even uses the same 1.4L, 138 horsepower turbo four-cylinder, but the Excelle also gets a bigger, 1.6L version that makes 180-horsepower, and there’s even a rumored 200-horsepower turbo version (ostensibly the same engine used in the Buick Regal turbo).

Buick hasn’t had a truly hot car since the GNX of 1987, but things are set to change if The Detroit Free Press’ sources are correct. The  newspaper reports that the Regal GS, a high performance version of Buick’s new Regal sports sedan, has been approved for production.

A new report by J.D. Power and Associates claims that 49% of American car buyers opted for four-cylinder powertrains in cars and light-trucks purchased during the month of April. Concerns over fuel economy and gas prices helped spark a trend in consumers picking the smaller engines in the first quarter of 2010, with 46.5% choosing them, versus 41.9% last year.

New models, strong sales and cost cutting measures have put General Motors in the black for the first quarter of 2010. GM posted a $865 million Q1 net profit, after posting staggering losses for five straight years in a row.

“We’re pleased with our first quarter performance, in particular achieving profitability,” said Chris Liddell, vice chairman and chief financial officer. “In North America we are adding production to keep up with strong demand for new products in our four brands. We’re also steadily growing in emerging markets, keeping our costs under control, generating positive cash flow and maintaining a strong balance sheet.  These are all important steps as we lay the foundation for a successful GM.”

Recently GM announced it had paid back the almost $8 billion in loans from the Canadian and U.S. governments, however, the U.S. Treasury also fronted $43 billion to save the American auto giant from solvency. If GM can sustain profits then the U.S. government may look to sell-off its shares of the automaker by the end of the year.

[Source: Automotive News]

Official release after the jump:

Riding a wave of hot products and renewed interest in the brand, Buick has seen sales surge since the start of 2010, with the average age of a Buick buyer dropping slightly.

Starting in the 2012 model year, Buick will do away with its “CX”, “CXL” and “CXS” trim levels, and replace them with the familiar option packages used by competitors such as Lexus and Hyundai.

A new compact crossover for GM’s Buick brand will be built on a version of the upcoming Chevy Aveo platform. News of this surprising development comes from an unnamed source familiar with GM’s Orion Township plant plans – which is where the unnamed Buick crossover will be built alongside the new Aveo.

Thanks to some U.S. patent drawings obtained by Carscoop, we now have a good idea what the upcoming Buick Excelle (possibly named Verano) will look like. The drawings are, at this point, a bit redundant, as we’ve already see n spy photos of the car fully revealed in China. The drawings do, however, confirm the U.S. version is essentially identical to the one we’ve already viewed, taking plenty of styling cues from the LaCrosse.

Starting this fall, the 2011 Buick Regal will be E85 capable, marking the first time a direct-injection turbo motor can run on biofuel.

It’s been a close on a year since we last hear about the upcoming Buick compact crossover, but now new info has surfaced, as well as a confirmation by Buick of the Chevy Cruze-based compact luxury sport sedan. According to a report by Car & Driver, the baby Enclave will not be based on the same platform as the Chevy Equinox and GMC Terrain.

This author has loved hip-hop music since the tender age of 3, when Digital Underground’s “ The Humpty Dance” caught my attention. I didn’t really understand the lyric “I once got busy in a Burger King bathroom” but it had a fat bassline and a character from a nursery rhyme, and that was enough for me.

In the same way that rock and roll groups mythologized American muscle in the 1960’s, rappers have taken to lionizing the automobile in all its forms, whether it’s an East Coast rapper like Jay-Z rapping about Maybachs or Jaguars, or Snoop Dogg cruising through Long Beach, California in one of his famous 1964 Impalas.

Recently, the Southern United States has had a stranglehold on the hip-hop scene, and their love of American muscle has seen a resurgence of interest in rear-drive American cars. For those with money, a new Dodge Charger or a classic muscle car is the must have ride. But not everyone can afford a new car, and so ordinary folk turn to cars like the Chevrolet Caprice, Mercury Grand Marquis or 1980’s G-Body General Motors cars and customize them with cartoonish 24inch rims and custom lift kits.

As with any fashion-driven culture, huge chrome rims are now out of style, and the new trend is “ swangas“, the street term of wire wheels from a 1983 or 1984 Cadillac. Since the wheels were made for a rear-drive offset, they tend to poke out on many of the front-drive vehicles that are affordable to young people, like Oldsmobile 98s, Cadillac Devilles or Buick Park Avenues. While automotive purists may scoff, the “poke” aesthetic is a signature look of the “swanga” movement.

Houston rap group “Block Boyz Click” released a video, imaginatively titled “Ridin Swangas”, and the song is a decent, if amateurish attempt to capture the slowed-down, soulful styles of fellow Houstonians UGK, the video is chock full of truly ghetto American iron that should have been consigned to the junkyard long ago. Aside from the aforementioned cars, sharp eyes will also spot a Chrysler LHS, Buick LeSabre and Pontiac Bonneville.

The artistic merits of the song may be a matter of opinion, but we happened to enjoy the use of some under-appreciated Rick Wagoner-era General Motors machinery, rather than having the (rented) supercar du jour being driven at a snails pace, with a blinged-out hand gripping the wheel at 12 o’clock. Long live the ingenuity and resourcefulness of the Dirty South. Keep swangin on ’em, H-Town. Check out the official video after the jump.

[Source: Cardomain blog]

General Motors CEO Ed Whitacre is expected to announce today that the automaker has already paid off all of its $6.7 billion in loans to the U.S. and Canadian governments. Back i n November, GM announced it would begin paying back the loans and today Whitacre is scheduled to make the announcement that the remaining $5.8 billion has now been returned to the taxpayers that supported the American auto giant when it was in trouble.

Ahead of its expected debut at the Beijing Auto Show later this month, several shots have appeared online showing a fully uncovered (and quite handsome) Buick Excelle. In case you’re wondering why you might care about a Chinese market Buick, well, it’s because the Excelle is slated to arrive in North America next year – possibly badged as the Verano.

Buick’s all-new LaCrosse was created to specifically target the Lexus ES350, launching with a bold new look and an even bolder marketing campaign, designed to get consumers comparing the two cars. At first glance, almost everything about the two vehicles is similar, except of course for the chiseled features of the Buick. With the competitors laid before us, we’ve decided to take the “Buick Challenge” and see for ourselves. Besides, GM is now building some impressive new machines, launching perfectly as the company has emerged from bankruptcy and the recession dwindles. And with all the buzz about Buicks over in China, can one billion people really be wrong?

Buick is already selling its new Excelle model in China, which is expected to also make its way to North America in the near future, either keeping the same name or being marketed as the Verano here. With a naturally aspirated 1.8-liter model on sale, as well as a 1.6-liter turbocharged XT version offered, several spy photos have turned up showing an Excelle GT model – which the folks at China Car Times believe comes with the Regal’s 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder making 220-hp and 258 ft-lbs of torque.

In an effort to provide better customer support and head off problems before they get out of control, General Motors has created a new “task force” aimed at monitoring social media sites for complaints about GM vehicles and looking to find solutions.

For 2011 Buick will replace the entry-level 3.0-liter V6 engine offered in the LaCrosse with a new 2.4-liter 4-cylinder. The 4-cylinder isn’t likely to make for spritely performance, but it does do a more than capable job as the entry-level offering in numerous other GM products including the Chevy Equinox.

Power for the new direct-injection 2.4-liter 4-cylinder Ecotec engine is rated at 182-hp and 172 ft-lbs of torque and when mated to a six-speed automatic transmission, delivers EPA rated fuel economy numbers of 19-mpg city and 30-mpg highway.

As a result of these changes, Buick will now also offer all-wheel drive on the top-trim 3.6-liter V6 models.

Unfortunately, with the base LaCrosse CX trim now coming with a 4-cylinder, the price hasn’t droped as much as you’d expect. A base LaCrosse now starts from $26,995 – just $90 less than last year’s V6.

Official release after the jump:

You knew it would only take time before General Motors took on Ford and its EcoBoost engine, and that time has just about come reports GMInsideNews. According to GMI’s sources inside General Motors, the automaker is currently in development of a 3.0-liter V6 with twin-turbochargers. There’s no word on actual output, but the same sources say it should rival the larger (3.5-liter) Ford powerplant. Ford’s EcoBoost engine makes 365-hp in the SHO and was designed as a V8 replacement.

J.D. Power has just released its Vehicle Dependability (VDS) Study for 2010, giving the top spot to Porsche, followed closely by Lincoln and Buick. Only one of the three, Buick, was on the podium last year, but has dropped from first to third. Also of significance is the continued slide by Lexus, which finds itself in fourth place this year. Last year Lexus placed third, marking the first time in 14 years the luxury Japanese automaker didn’t take first. That’s nothing compared to Jaguar, however, which dropped a total of 21 spots from second last year to 22nd for 2010.