According to a report, Buick->ke17 has filed a few intriguing trademarks recently, including the Avenir, the Regal Sport Touring, and the LaCrosse Sport Touring.

With Buick managing to survive GM’s->ke1024 purge back in the 2000s, it was clear that there was a future for the brand. In more recent years, the Buick brand has migrated away from the granddad’s-car image to a brand tuned more toward sub-luxury buyers. In addition to adding more luxury, it has also added a touch of youthfulness with models like the Verano->ke3685 and Regal->ke3574 Turbo, and the Cascada->ke4925 convertible. Because of its recent movement, seeing these new trademarks is really no surprise.

The Avenir name is the most interesting of the trademarks, as it could potentially signal the brand’s intentions to move forward with its super-luxurious 2015 Avenir Concept. A model like the Avenir would not necessarily sell well, but it would give the brand the level of prestige it needs for more buyers to consider buying a Buick instead of stretching for the Bimmer.->ke178

As for the Sport Touring models, there are a few scenarios. The most likely of these is that they are simply new trim levels that give the two models more sportiness and luxury. The other scenario requires a look across the Atlantic at the Opel Insignia Sports Tourer, which is essentially a station wagon->ke143 version of the Regal. This points toward the possibility that Buick could be looking to release a pair of wagons based on the two sedans->ke142 here in the U.S., but that is highly unlikely.

Continue reading for the full story.

Why it matters

The big news here is the Avenir, as this model might give Buick the boost it needs. Much like the K900->ke4748 in Kia’s->ke41 lineup, it may not be an overly popular model, but it will attract buyer interest in the brand as a whole. Plus, seeing another American brand taking it to the Germans would be the cherry on top of Cadillac’s recent moves. The only thing that worries me is if Buick goes too far and starts competing directly with its Cadillac->ke18 cousins.

As for the Sport Touring versions of the Regal and LaCrosse,->ke1790 these likely will not spawn wagons. Instead, either they are placeholders for possible concepts in the future, or they are new, performance-oriented versions of their respective models. Time will tell what these two actually are.

A third possibility for the Sport Touring trademarks are that they mean jack squat, and GM is simply protecting a name that popped into the head of some random intern.

2015 Buick Avenir

Read our full review here.