Buick Somerset
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| Manufacturer | General Motors |
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| Production | 1985–1987 |
| Assembly | Lansing, Michigan, United States |
| Successor | Buick Skylark |
| Class | Compact |
| Body style(s) | 2-door coupe 4-door sedan (1985 only) |
| Layout | FF layout |
| Platform | N-body |
| Engine(s) | 2.5 L Tech IV I4 3.0 L V6 |
| Transmission(s) | 5-speed manual 3-speed Turbo-Hydramatic 125 automatic |
| Wheelbase | 103.4 in (2626 mm) |
| Related | Buick Skylark Oldsmobile Calais Pontiac Grand Am |
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Buick Somerset |
The Buick Somerset was a compact car produced by General Motors between 1985 and 1987. Buick had previously used the "Somerset" name as a trim-level package on the Buick Regal in the early 1980s.
The Somerset was one of a number of down-sized cars built on GM's N-body. Destined to replace the Buick Skylark, the Somerset name badge failed to resonate with the buying public. Initially launched as the Somerset Regal in 1985, the name was shortened to Somerset in 1986, when a sedan version of the car was added under the Skylark name (Buick's strategy of using the Skylark badge is not new — this trend occurred in 1975 when the 2-door coupe based on the Chevrolet Nova was badged the Skylark while the 4-door sedans were known as the Apollo).
Starting in 1988, the Somerset name was discontinued, and all models were called Skylark.
The Somerset did not do as well in the marketplace as the Pontiac Grand Am which was based on the same platform. The Somerset did have some interesting features such as an all-digital instrument cluster and a surprisingly luxurious interior despite its small size.
| « previous — Buick, a division of General Motors, automobile timeline, United States market, 1980s–present | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Subcompact | Skyhawk | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Compact | Skyhawk | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Skylark | Skylark | Skylark | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mid-size | Century | Century | Century | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Regal | Regal | Regal | LaCrosse | LaCrosse | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Full-size | LeSabre | LeSabre | LeSabre | LeSabre | Lucerne | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Electra | Electra | Park Avenue | Park Avenue | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Estate | Roadmaster | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal luxury car | Riviera | Riviera | Riviera | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Crossover | Rendezvous | Enclave | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SUV | Rainier | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minivan | Terraza | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sports | Reatta | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
