Buick steps it up with new turbo-charged Verano

Buick’s grand plan is in full swing and it appears to be actually working. The plan involves downsizing the line, injecting it with more style and less mass, and enhancing the luxury-car experience to match or exceed premium import brands.

For the 2013 model year, the Verano, Buick’s smallest sedan, is literally stepping up the pace with an optional — and significantly more powerful — turbocharged model.

The sense here is that Buick needed to add some premium power for the Verano to be considered in the same sport-sedan league as BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, and not be viewed as an afterthought brand. With its more mature customer base shrinking over the years, reinvention and rejuvenation has become a matter of survival.

Enter the Verano Turbo that puts out 250 horsepower from its 2.0-liter four-cylinder. More importantly, the engine makes 260 pound-feet of torque, with 90 percent of it available from between 1,750 and 5,500 revs per minute. That’s only 20 horses and 10 pound-feet shy of the larger (and heavier) Buick Regal GS. It’s also less expensive than the $35,500 GS by about $5,500, which places the Verano Turbo in the no-brainer department as far as pound-per-dollar sporting output is concerned.

A six-speed automatic transmission is attached to the Turbo’s engine, while a six-speed manual, considered de rigeur for models in this segment, is offered as an option at no extra discount. There is a gated shifter with the automatic, but there are no steering-column mounted paddle shifters, which implies that the Turbo is a more powerful model, but not necessarily a sporty model.

Still, Buick claims the Turbo will accelerate to 60 mph from rest in slightly more than 6 seconds, which is right in line with comparable premium brands. It’s also half a second quicker than the 270-horsepower Regal GS.

Fuel economy with the manual gearbox is claimed to be 20 mpg in the city and 31 mpg on the highway (21/30 for the automatic), numbers that differ only slightly from the base Verano’s 22/31 rating.

To adequately handle the power, the Turbo receives a unique steering calibration and a suspension that’s 20 percent firmer.

Outwardly, the Turbo varies only slightly from the regular-strength Verano with dual exhaust outlets, subtle rear spoiler and trunk lid badge.

The Turbo is fitted with considerably more gear than the reasonably loaded base Verano, including leather-covered seats, dual-zone climate control, rear-vision camera, backup warning assist, nine-speaker, 250-watt Bose-brand audio and 18-inch wheels.

Standard safety features include blindspot warning and cross-traffic alert that lets you know when vehicles are crossing from behind while you’re backing up.

The fact that the only significant Turbo options are a navigation system and a power sunroof underscores how well the car lines up with other luxury-leaning compacts vying for your dollars.

The overall attractiveness of the Verano, coupled with the rapid-fire authority of its high-output turbo, makes it worthy of its Euro-based peers and for less money in most cases.

You have to love it when a plan comes together.