

The Chevy Volt might soon have a stateside cousin if a Bloomberg report is correct. The outlet quotes two sources as saying GM is developing a Buick vehicle that uses the Volt’s series hybrid Voltec powertrain with a scheduled 2013 release. Apparently the Buick would be a reworked Opel Ampera, which itself is a modified Chevy Volt for the European market. The new model however would have Buick’s trademark grille and front styling.

Beside the Volt’s high price, it should be an easy task for the designers and marketing flacks to make a solid case for a Buick Volt. There’s nothing premium or upscale about the Chevy model. The interior is more Ikea than Bloomingdales with graphic-laden plastic panels and glowing capacitive buttons. The vehicle would probable by similarly-equipped with non-power adjusting heated seats and a Bose audio system, as new interior material alone would transform the Volt from a Chevy to a Buick.

GM previously stated that each of the automakers four core brands — Chevy, Buick, Cadillac, and GMC — would have a Voltec vehicle. The Caddy sports coupe concept dropped two years ago at the NAIAS and it certainly feels as if the production Buick Volt will hit at next years.