NYIAS 2011: Buick Verano

The entire might of American manufacturer GM is to be found in New York these days, where the auto show that takes place in the city opened its doors on Wednesday. Far from being the venue of choice for new car launches (the North American International Auto Show in January took, once again, the glory), NYIAS is still an important landmark in the auto show calendar for 2011.

GM has brought to NYIAS most of the models it presented at NAIAS, including the Buick Verano, the little brother of the Regal, if you like. Based on the same platform as the Cruze, the model is powered by a  2.4l four-cylinder engine with direct injection, capable of delivering 177 horsepower and 170 pound-feet of torque. The engine's fuel consumption has been rated at 22 mpg in the city and 31 mpg on the highway. Recently, word of the model getting a turbocharged 2.0l that develops 250 horsepower started circling the web.

From the equipment stand point, the Verano promises to be a good choice for those planning to buy a model packed with just about everything: 10 standard airbags, a push-button engine start, dual-zone climate control with standard air conditioning (automatic climate control is also available), heated steering wheel, electronic parking brake, heated leather seats, power windows, steering wheel-mounted radio controls and uplevel front and rear reading lamps.

Since the Verano is a GM car, the OnStar services also come natural to the model, which can be ordered with a touchscreen with navigation system, Bluetooth connectivity, XM Satellite Radio plus a Bose audio system.

GM targets the Verano model at some serious competitors, the car maker even stating that it plans to steal a customer or two from brands like Audi and Lexus.