The 2013 Buick Verano Turbo is a premium compact car with a dirty little secret: it's fast. Buick does let on that the nicest, newest version of its smallest car has a version of the Regal GS's turbo four cylinder and that it will go from zero to sixty in 6.2 seconds. But the brand is bashful, if not quite embarrassed about all this. "I don't think [we] want to play in the 'GS' space with this car," warns Verano chief engineer Gary Altman. "I don't think the customer is looking for it."
Indeed, the Verano Turbo customer will have to look pretty hard to spot the car's performance potential. Exterior changes are limited to dual exhaust outlets, a small "T" badge, and a deck lid spoiler. Otherwise, the Turbo is indistinguishable from the homogenized base car. We're all for understated styling, but the Verano's somewhat stubby proportions and Buick-by-numbers styling (waterfall grille, portholes, chrome trim, check, check, and check) could have used a pick-me-up.
The main aesthetic draw thus remains the Verano's interior. A long list of standard features belies the car's luxury mission -- heated leather seats, push button start, a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system, eighteen-inch wheels, and a backup camera. Fine details carried over from the base car, like fabric-wrapped A-pillars, generously bolstered front seats, and a handsome wraparound dash, have no problem living up to the Turbo's $29,990 base price. Our only gripe is with the confusing array of center stack buttons -- a character trait shared by all of GM's Opel-derived compact cars.
We've not yet mentioned the most notable and praiseworthy addition to the Turbo's interior: a stick shift. Buick deserves a lot of credit for offering a manual transmission, essentially the same one offered in the Opel Astra. We only wish it worked a bit more smoothly. Though drilled metal pedals are ready for some fancy footwork, the shifter itself is notchy. Try and rush it, and the whole center console squeaks in protest. Try not to rush it, and the engine whistles headlong into its 6350-rpm redline. It doesn't help that the Verano Turbo's closest competitor, the Acura ILX 2.4L, offers perhaps the most sublime manual shifter on the market. Of course, most customers will bypass all these niggles by getting the Verano with a six-speed automatic (the manual is a no-cost option). Though we stubbornly prefer to row our own gears whenever offered the chance, we must reluctantly admit that the auto is the smarter choice here, as it does a better job of managing the turbo four's power delivery.
Ah, yes, the power. It's prodigious. The Verano's 2.0-liter produces 250 hp and, even more impressive, 260 lb-ft of torque. That's about 50 hp than either the aforementioned ILX or the Volkswagen Jetta GLI and is nearly on par with the likes of the Mazdaspeed 3 and Ford Focus ST. The front-wheel-drive Buick makes better use of its power than either of those hot hatches, with little wheel spin and not a hint of torque-steer.
In fact, there's hardly a hint of anything. Like all Veranos, the Turbo is slathered in sound insulation, including aerodynamic underpanels, specially designed (and heavy) wheels, acoustic lamination on the windshield and front windows, thick mats sandwiching the firewall, and enough foam and rubber to childproof a Swarovski store. Only a mild hum and faint whistle betrays the fact that you might be blowing by a VW GTI. Better than the sound of silence, though, is the sense of solidity the Verano imparts over the worst surfaces. Potholes around Automobile's office that jar larger cars register only a slight "thump" through the Buick's steering wheel. That's a credit to the Verano's aforementioned European origins -- Buick says the Verano's body is even stiffer than its German cousin, the Opel Astra. We believe it. Don't get the idea, however, that the sportiest Verano is tuned to handle like a sporty Astra OPC -- the goal here was still a comfy ride. That said, the dual-path dampers, slightly stiffer than those in the base car, generally do a good job controlling body motions. Likewise, the electric power steering, limp on the base car, has a welcome bit of feedback programmed in here without sacrificing the light feel modern luxury buyers expect.
The modern luxury buyer is the real target here. The Verano Turbo, we repeat, is not intended to be a sport compact. Rather, Buick hopes the four-cylinder's thrust will attract customers downsizing from larger, V-6-powered premium cars. It might do just that. For enthusiasts, however, the Verano Turbo's impressive power and tied down chassis, buried underneath an unassuming luxury car, provides a tantalizing glimpse of the sort of potent yet refined performance car GM is capable of building.
On sale: Now
Base price: $29,990
Engine: 2.0L I-4, 250 hp, 260 lb-ft
Transmissions: 6-speed manual, 6-speed automatic
EPA fuel economy: 20/31 city/hwy