Have you been following Buick? If not, you should. This brand has been making waves and creating a serious ripple in the types of vehicles they build. The commercials don’t lie, the Buick models we see today don’t look anything like the ones we had in the past. That’s certainly a good thing and exactly what Buick wants to do for the future of car buying and to continue their impressive success that’s been part of what they have enjoyed over the most recent years.

What has Buick been up to? First of all, the brand chose to completely reinvent itself a few years ago. It did this not on the basis of creating a new feeling of Buick but of enhancing the qualities that have made Buick successful for so many years. By keeping the premium feel and look while making vehicles that appeal to buyers in all age groups, Buick has created a lineup of models that are easy to love and impressive to admire. Their new strategy has worked in their favor and even though the lineup was small for a short period of time, it’s growing again.

Over the past couple years two new models have been added to the Buick lineup; the Cascada and the Envision. The Cascada is the first convertible from Buick in 25 years, making it a new model that gives us a fun to drive, wind in your hair premium car. For many of us, it’s hard to remember the last Buick convertible because it’s been so long. The Envision is the newest SUV to reach the market and is the first to be built by Buick in China. This new model shows the appreciation for the success the Chinese market has offered Buick and is one of the most popular SUVs on the automotive market today.

With the brand solidified with strong nameplates and the most impressive sales year in history in 2016, what’s the next step for Buick? The next step is to do something similar to another of the GM brands and bring in a trim level that sits above the rest. While this brand can often be considered near luxury in its quality this new trim level will ensure the Buick models are a luxury in nature that carries the name. This new name is Avenir and it’s taken right from the award-winning concept from the 2015 Detroit Auto Show.

The Avenir trim will showcase the highest expression of luxury for Buick and be similar to what we think of when we see the Denali trim on any of the GMC SUVs or trucks. The name Avenir means “future” in French and is going to be considered a sub-brand in a way. This new nameplate will bring in items such as newly sculpted designs, a new three-dimensional mesh grill, larger wheels, unique trim features, more detailed seating, upgraded materials and the script in the badging that signifies the name and the allure that Avenir is expected to bring.

The goal is to continue to increase the appeal and focus on the brand when it comes to the international appeal of the Buick brand. By taking some of the design elements of the Avista that won the award in 2015 for being one of the best concept models at the show, Buick can continue to advance the quality and enter the luxury market with this trim level across all its models. This is the perfect way for Buick to take the next step and I look forward to learning more about the new Avenir look and feel from Buick in the future.