What's in a name? Not much for Buick. The mid-level premium brand at General Motors is ditching its brand nameplates starting with the 2019 model year, and the first model to go without it will be the refreshed Envision crossover. According to report from GM Authority, Buick has dispatched the brand nameplates, though the Buick tri-shield logo and model nameplates will continue to be affixed to the rear of Buick's cars and crossovers. Other models will follow the Enivision's lead for 2019.
This isn't a matter of Buick being ashamed of its own name, CarBuzz has learned. Instead, Buick is aligning its global portfolio. “It was a decision we made for global brand consistency (Buicks in China don’t say Buick on the badge) and because research tells us the tri-shield has a strong enough recognition rate to stand on its own,” Buick representative Stu Fowle Buick representative told CarBuzz. “It’ll be effective across all products for the 2019 model year, starting with the Envision.” Buick has also been an outlier when it comes to brand nameplates.
“We surveyed the landscape and very few brands put the full name on the back,” Fowle explained. Even within General Motors, Buick was the only brand to put a marque nameplate on the rear of its passenger cars, though GMC is an exception as its brand nameplate and brand logo are one in the same. Cadillac relies on its crest, now without the surrounding wreath, and Chevrolet uses the bowtie. The Corvette doesn't wear any bowtie logos on its exterior as it has its own pseudo sub-brand and associated logo. Speaking of sub-brands, Buick's Avenir logos will remain prominent on those models.
However, the removal of the "Buick" nameplate "does open up the future ability to put Avenir badges on the back of those models," Fowle said, but there are no current plans to do so. Buick's first 2019 model, the Envision, is built in China and will begin arriving at dealers this spring with a base price of $32,990. Buick did not yet announce its destination fee.
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