The Buick dealer council in America has chosen not to offer a new vehicle based on the long-wheelbase rear-drive Holden Statesman from Australia. Despite the excitement over the introduction of the new RWD G8 from Pontiac also sourced from Holden, Buick will stick with selling its FWD line of cars. According to an Automotive News report, GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz admitted that the Statesman “was firmly in the U.S. product program," until it was presented to the Buick dealers.

The main reason against the sedan is fears that it would cannibalize sales of the existing front-drive Lucerne. Both cars are similar in size and offer V6 and V8 drivetrains. Lutz said "they were worried that it wasn't going to be 'plus' business, and we had to worry about the substitution rate," adding "so for excellent business reasons, we elected not to do it."

There may still be the day where Buick offers a RWD sedan in the US. The GM division will still sell Statesman saloons in China rebadged as Buicks, and Lutz has admitted that "once that vehicle exists, it would be a little hard to see why you wouldn't use it for the whole market."