Buick Enclave Blows the Bell Curve

(this article was originally published on buick.com)

Another year of record sales defies industry trends, fuels Buick’s global momentum

Buick Enclave’s 62,300 sales in the United States in 2014 represented the second consecutive year of record sales for Buick’s flagship crossover and built on momentum that has barely paused since its launch in mid-2007.

While most vehicles follow somewhat of a bell curve for sales during their lifecycle, the Enclave has continued on an upward trajectory after more than seven years. Minor dips in 2009 and 2012 reflected overall trends in the recovering auto industry, but record-setting 2014 sales represented a 39-percent increase over the Enclave’s first full year of production.

More than 450,000 Enclave models have been sold worldwide since its launch.

Enclave U.S. sales history

2007: 29,286 (mid-year introduction)
2008: 44,706
2009: 43,150
2010: 55,426
2011: 58,392
2012: 56,703
2013: 60,534
2014: 62,300

“Few vehicles in any segment of the industry enjoy such a legacy of increasing popularly,” said Duncan Aldred, vice president of Buick. “In fact, many customers are enjoying their second or third Enclave. The Enclave has also been a cornerstone of Buick’s product renaissance, which saw a second consecutive year of record global sales in 2014.”

Said Karl Brauer, senior analyst for Kelley Blue Book: “The Buick Enclave was really the perfect vehicle at the perfect time. It instantly expanded the brand’s reach by offering an attractive and functional SUV with luxury amenities. The three-row SUV segment was struggling in 2007, yet the Enclave drew a core group of buyers upon release and has continually expanded that group as SUV interest grew in recent years.

“This consistent growth curve is testament to how ‘right’ Buick got the Enclave at launch, along with how effectively the brand has supported its full-size SUV in the following years,” Brauer said.

Enclave received Kelley Blue Book’s 2014 5-Year Cost-to-Own award for the full-size luxury SUV/crossover category.

For 2015, the Enclave adds a heated, wood-trimmed steering wheel to its roster of luxury features. It is offered in three trim levels: Convenience (1SD), Leather (1SL) and Premium (1SN). All-wheel drive is available on Leather and Premium trims, and

all models are powered by a direct-injected 3.6L V-6 that delivers an EPA-estimated 24 mpg on the highway (FWD models).

Experience Buick Protection on all 2015 Buick models includes two years/24,000 miles of scheduled maintenance, including oil changes, oil filter changes and tire rotations. It complements Buick’s four-year/50,000-mile bumper-to-bumper limited warranty and six-year/70,000-mile powertrain limited warranty.

“The Enclave continues to attract new and returning customers to its mix of its outstanding design, performance and safety features,” Aldred said.

(view the original article on Buick.com)