Buick asks buyers to pay more, and they do

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — If there's a limit to how much consumers are willing to load up mainstream cars and trucks with high-end options, General Motors hasn't found it.Nearly a year after Buick launched the Avenir subbrand to replicate the home run that Denali has been for GMC, one of the only constraints is the number of 20-inch Pearl Nickel aluminum wheels it can get for the $54,495-and-up Enclave Avenir. One of every four Enclaves sold is an Avenir, and after a March investment that boosted Avenir production, GM says dealer demand is still outstripping supplies.U.S. sales of the Enclave, a seven-passenger crossover, surged 15 percent in the first half of the year, and its average transaction price is up $5,000 from a year ago to near the peak of the nonluxury segment — in line with midrange luxury competitors such as the Infiniti QX60 and Acura MDX.Buick is planning for "Avenir 2.0," said Jace Stokes, manager of product marketing for the Enclave, to differentiate the line even more in terms of style and technology."We certainly have more technology planned," he told Automotive News this month during a media drive here in northern Michigan. "I think next generation is where we're going to push Avenir further."Avenir, introduced on the redesigned 2018 Enclave in September and expanded to the LaCrosse sedan in the spring, includes unique styling, premium materials and exclusive standard features such as an 8-inch instrument cluster display and wireless phone charging.RELATED CONTENT Future Product: General Motors timeline Future Product PipelineEnclave buyers must choose the Avenir version, which starts at about $13,500 more than the base model, to be able to order an optional $2,095 technology package that includes premium, real-time damping suspension and adaptive cruise control. About 80 percent of Enclave Avenirs are sold with the tech package, Stokes said, pushing transaction prices up even more."We saw the need to provide even more for Enclave, and it was a direct result of sales of the first generation," he said. "They were asking for even more options and equipment." Luxury territory

Buick asks buyers to pay more, and they do

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