Rainiers Starting to Move
31 Oktober 2003 - 6:00PM
PR Newswire (US)
Rainiers Starting to Move DETROIT, Oct. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- The
Tiger Trap promotion introduced the name, press reviews were
positive, and national advertising started at the Emmys in
September. Now it's time to sell. And looking at the way the first
Buick Rainiers have moved off dealer lots, the company's first
truck-based SUV is reaching new customers and is well on its way to
a successful launch. As of mid-October, less than 5,000 Rainiers
were on the ground nationwide. That works out to about 1.5 Rainiers
per dealer. But here are a few stories of early sales of the
$35,945 Rainier. * With the official advertising launch still a
month away, the first 2004 Buick Rainier was sold Aug. 19. After
researching the Rainier through GM's BuyPower site, Phillips B.
Hildner III took delivery of a silver Rainier from Martin Buick in
Fenton, Mich. A Fenton resident, Hildner, 22, is the owner of
Hiltech Computer Solutions. * At Gambacorta Buick in New Castle,
DE, the first customer on their call list identified himself as
being interested in a Rainier. That turned out to be the
understatement of the day. After a quick phone call, the man came
in and purchased the first Rainier the dealership had in the store.
The dealer actually asked him to wait seven days before driving it
out just so they would have one Rainier in his showroom for a week.
* At Eckenhoff Buick in Cherry Hill, NJ, a customer was looking for
an SUV with the Ford Explorer on top of mind. Somehow, the customer
ended up in Eckenhoff's parts department and saw Eckenhoff's first
and only Rainier -- not even in the showroom yet -- and bought it
on the spot. * Finally, at F.C. Kerbeck Buick in Palmyra, NJ, a
couple drove their Jaguar convertible into the dealership in early
September looking to replace a Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited. One of
the dealer's two Rainiers was displayed with other SUVs in front of
the dealership. During the demonstration drive, the husband was
into the "power and gadgets" while the wife liked the "comfort and
ride quality." After driving another SUV for five minutes, the
couple returned to purchase the Rainier -- a vehicle they hadn't
been aware of until they drove to the dealership. More about
Rainier The 2004 Buick Rainier offers a level of performance, ride,
quiet and style that sets it apart from other mid-size sport
utility vehicles. Rainier, a five-passenger, full-frame vehicle
based on GM's award-winning mid-size utility architecture, is the
first truck-based SUV in the Buick line-up. Rainier has an optional
290-horsepower all-aluminum 5.3 liter V-8, and comes standard with
a 275-horsepower 4.2 liter I-6. All Rainiers feature QuietTuning,
Buick's exclusive use of sound absorption practices to ensure a
quiet ride. More information on the Rainier is available at
http://www.buick.com/ . DATASOURCE: Buick CONTACT: John Wray of
Buick, +1-313-665-1478 Web site: http://www.buick.com/
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