Buick Verano Premium – Driving Report

Right away, it’s obvious that Buick is trying to go in a different direction with this year’s Verano. The model has been out since 2011 and was introduced as Buick’s attempt to get into the growing market for premium compact sedans. Verano is of course Spanish for summer, but the first Veranos were anything but hot. Introduced in 2011, it was a well-appointed small luxury car. For 2013, though, the Verano gets a six-speed manual paired with a 2.0 liter turbo motor in the range-topping 1ST model. That got our attention, which is something Buicks don’t tend to do.

Up front is the most distinguishing feature of the car, which Buick calls the “waterfall grille”. It adorns the noses on the current Buick range, and makes them stand out at least a little bit from the cookie-cutter styling of a lot of non-sporty things these days. That doesn’t necessarily mean the waterfall grille is a pretty styling feature, but the Verano is somehow able to pull off the look better than stablemates like the Encore. Some strokes of chrome accent do nicely for the car’s overall appearance, especially the pieces above the taillights. And on the 1ST-packaged test car, the 18-inch forged alloy wheels, a decklid spoiler and dual exhaust add some sportiness to the Verano’s otherwise downplayed styling. Colors include Crystal Red Tincoat, White Diamond Tricoat, Carbon Black Metallic, Summit White, Quicksilver Metallic, Mocha Bronze Metallic and Luxo Blue Metallic. Since so many Buicks of late seem to be some variation of white or brown, this is a refreshing set of shades to choose from.