Report: Upcoming Buick Premium Compact Sedan Rendered

Thanks to the team at GMInsideNews we have two renderings of what Buick's upcoming entry-level premium sedan should look like. At the official reveal of the brand's current entry-level offering (the Regal), at the LA Auto Show, Buick announced a newer and even smaller model would join the lineup.

Thanks to the GMI team, the new Buick small car was rendered using GM's patent filing sketches, as well as items from the Buick LaCrosse and the Opel Astra sedan – on which it will be based. Through to be called the Verano, due to several patents being filed for that name by GM, this smallest Buick could be called the Excelle. After all, this new model will replace the current Excelle in China as well.

According to GMI, Buick will offer the Verano/Excelle with two different engines. The base engine is thought to be the same 1.4-liter turbocharged Ecotec motor as found in the Chevy Cruze with 138-hp, while a larger 1.6-liter turbocharged motor currently used int he Opel Astra Hatch will make 180-hp. The possibility of a high-performance GS model is also there, with the Verano or Excelle GS using the 2.0-liter turbocharged Ecotec motor in the Regal with 220-hp and 258 ft-lbs of torque.

Buick's upcoming premium compact sedan will go into production in 2011 as a 2012 model.

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