Buick Verano to Be Built at Orion Assembly

American manufacturer GM announced yesterday the first step it is planning to take to make the Buick brand one of its core assets on the US market. As already announced, Buick will have six or seven models on the US market. The first new Buick model is the Verano, rumored to be the US version of the European Astra.

The car will be manufactured at GM's Orion Assembly Center, a facility in which GM will invest $145 million to get it ready for production. For the workers there, the decision means that 1,550 hourly and salaried jobs will be retained. A move which does nothing but please the unions.

“The UAW welcomes the news of an additional vehicle being allocated to the Orion Assembly Plant. Building small cars in the United States is very important to the UAW, Oakland County, and the State of Michigan,” said Joe Ashton, UAW vice president of the GM Department.

There are yet no details available on how the Verano will present itself to the American public. The carmaker will however provide more info to those interested once they sign up for updates at the following link. The details regarding the start of production for the Verano are also unknown.

"Verano will bring premium styling, performance and content to Buick buyers wanting a smaller car than Regal," said GM North American president Mark Reuss . "The investment in Orion Assembly also extends GM's local small car footprint, again increasing the number of U.S.-made small vehicles available in showrooms.”