General Motors is reportedly planning to launch its first Buick sedan since 2020, a move that experts say would potentially add an American-made offering to the affordable brand currently embattled by tariffs.
Automotive News, citing suppliers that work with the automaker who spoke anonymously to the publication, said the small car would be built alongside and on the same platform as the next-generation Cadillac CT5 and the Chevrolet Camaro ― two vehicles GM produces at its Lansing Grand River assembly plant. GM Authority first reported the possibility of a new sedan.
GM said through a spokesman that it would not comment on potential production plans.
Where Buick vehicles are currently built
Three of the four Buick vehicles offered now ― Envision, Envista and Encore ― are produced in Asia, with the Envision assembled in China and the Envista and Encore assembled in South Korea. The Enclave is the only Buick sold in the United States that also ia built here.
Though a sedan from Buick would still be considered luxury, small cars that cost less to fill up with fuel tend to appeal to consumers when gas prices are high. Buick’s SUVs and crossovers are currently priced at what the industry would consider an affordable range. The starting price for the 2026 base models of the Envista is $24,700 and the Encore is $26,200. Neither the Envision nor the Enclave exceed $50,000.
How tariffs and trade pressures factor in
President Donald Trump’s 25% tariffs on imported cars and auto parts and 50% tariffs on steel and aluminum cost automakers and suppliers an estimated $35 billion last year, according to Cox Automotive.
Earlier this year, GM said it would reshore from China production of the Buick Envision vehicles that it intends to sell in the North American market, Canada and Mexico as well as the U.S., to Fairfax Assembly in Kansas City, Kansas. Production in China may continue for sales to other, non-U.S. markets.
A small car would be a reasonable addition to the Buick lineup, according to Sam Abuelsamid, vice president of market research at Telemetry, as American consumers tire of a market saturated with trucks and SUVs.
“The auto industry goes in cycles, through periods where people want some particular style of vehicle and move on to something else. Now everybody is driving some sort of crossover,” he said. “There seems to be some increasing interest in consumers having something different so it doesn’t look the same as everyone else.”
How a sedan could reshape Buick’s lineup
While the volume of small car offerings from American brands has shrunk, a new sedan may be just what Buick needs, he added. In addition to distinguishing Buick from competitors like Lincoln that have eliminated small cars from their lineup, adding another affordable offering also would solidify Buick as a stylish but attainable brand.
After a brief resurgence following the Great Recession, The Detroit Three culled most of their small cars in favor of more profitable SUVs. GM produced its last mass-market sedan in November 2024 with the assembly of the final Chevrolet Malibu. The Chevrolet Bolt, a small electric hatchback, is one of the brand’s least expensive small models starting around $30,000, but is only available for a limited production run, according to the automaker.
A new Buick sedan would be the company’s first since the discontinuation of the Buick Regal in 2020.
What it could mean for the Lansing plant and dealers
If production of the vehicle is added to the Lansing plant, the plant could end up making on the high level about 130,000 vehicles per year, according to Sam Fiorani, vice president of global vehicle forecasting at AutoForecast Solutions.
“Buick’s dealers need something more than two entry level models from (South) Korea, an expensive midsize one from China and a family vehicle in the Enclave,” Fiorani said.
“The hope is that it would target an Acura or Infinity buyer, somebody who is not looking to step fully up to a Cadillac or Lexus but wants something a little bit nicer than a Chevrolet or a Ford.”
Buick sales struggles add urgency
GM’s sales slipped nearly 10% in the first quarter of 2026 mainly due to weak sales for Buick and Cadillac. For Buick, the aging Encore and the Chinese-made Envision may have something to do with GM importing fewer of them until that vehicle comes to the U.S. in 2028, Abuelsamid said. GM sold 13,052 Encores in the first quarter, down 36%, and 4,485 Envisions, down an incredible 71%.
“As the lineup has shifted in recent years, it’s become more and more appealing to women,” he said. “The design, the relative affordability. It makes sense. They don’t look cheap, but give you a decent blend of features and affordability.”
Jamie L. LaReau contributed to this report.
Jackie Charniga covers General Motors for the Free Press. Reach her at jcharniga@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Buick reportedly planning first new sedan since 2020: What we know
Reporting by Jackie Charniga, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
