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4 There is one enWHEELS · Georgetown & Acton · November 10, 2011 gine offered on the 2012 Verano, a 2.4-litre inline four-cylinder engine producing 180 hp driving the front wheels through a second-generation six-speed automatic transmission. Verano offers challenge to competitors Continued from pg. 3 At the press launch in Connecticut, Buick engineers also talked a lot about the work that went into the MacPherson Strut front and Watt's or Z-link rear suspension in relation to providing a smooth and quiet ride. The drive route started near the Lincoln Centre in the heart of Manhattan. Outside of Tokyo, I don't know where so many car and trucks are packed into so little space. Here you have to know where all four corners of the car are and the rearview mirrors must be precisely positioned. The Verano's compact size helped but so did the quick steering. Because you kind of move along as opposed to go forward in New York, having brakes that modulate well is a major plus and this the Verano did. Finally out on the parkway heading north the first thing my partner and I noticed was how good the new radio system was until it dawned on us the reason was also due to the lack of road noise The transmission is the new, second-generation six-speed automatic that goes a long way to improving gasoline consumption. Transport Canada has yet to release the official numbers but one source has estimated 9.3/64L/100 km city/highway. One of the ways the transmission conserves fuel is by allowing negligible engine braking. Coming down one incline and taking a foot off the gas, the Verano actually picked up a little speed. There seems to have been as much work done on the interior as on noise. Soft touch materials abound and the two-tone earth colours are pleasing. One thing I noticed was a thin, slotted vent running vertically up the A-pillar of each front window. Instead of the air coming out of the dash, the vents pump it directly onto the window surface for almost instant demisting. Back seat legroom is meager. With the front seat all the way back, you can barely put your hand into the space between. Cargo volume is 396 litres (14.0 cu ft) with the subwoofer installed with the optional Bose sound system or 405 litres (14.3 cu ft) without. While roomy, it means the trunk lid is high so reversing should be done gingerly as there is no backup camera available. Buick sees its immediate competition as the Acura CSX, Audi A3 and Lexus IS 250 and Verano is certainly in league with them in terms of fit, finish and ride. But considering the starting price and what the buyer gets, I think Verano throws a very wide net to Mazda3, Ford Focus and VW Jetta buyers as well. The Buick has already done much to change the perception of it as catering to older owners to vehicles such as the Regal and Enclave that are comparable to anything on the road and are definitely skewed to a younger demographic. By offering the compact 2012 Verano, Buick is literally on the road to changing how people think about the brand. Buick Verano 2012 (at a glance) BODY STYLE: compact sedan. DRIVE METHOD: front-engine, frontwheel-drive. ENGINE: 2.4-litre DOHC inline four-cylinder (180 hp, 171 lb/ft) FUEL ECONOMY: Regular (est.) 9.3/6.4L/100 km city/highway TOWING CAPACITY: NA CARGO VOLUME: 405 litres (14.3 cu ft); 396 litres (14.0 cu ft) with optional Bose sound system PRICE: $22,595-$27,620 not including $1,495 shipping fee WEBSITE: www.gm.ca/Buick