Buick Drops Plans for Opel-Based Small Car in the U.S.

General Motors Co.’s Buick unit has decided against selling a rebadged version of the European Opel Adam small car in the U.S.

A Buick iteration of the B-segment Adam had been under consideration for several years. But brand chief Duncan Aldred, who at one time described the plan as a great way to compete against Mini and the Fiat 500, now says there is no need for such a model in Buick’s U.S. lineup.

Aldred tells Automotive News that he is “thrilled” with Buick’s current portfolio of cars and crossover vehicles. And he expects sales to grow this year with the addition of the Cascadia convertible, Envision compact crossover and redesigned LaCrosse sedan.

However, Aldred didn’t rule out adding a new flagship or other halo model to the top end of Buick’s lineup. Speculation about such a vehicle has been rampant since the company introduced the stylish Avenir and Avista concept cars at the last two Detroit auto shows.