Buick Verano granted 250-hp turbo, stick shift for 2013 to confuse everyone

The 2012 Buick Verano has proven a moderate hit for GM's oldest brand, managing to arrive just as shoppers turned their eyes toward smaller luxury cars. For 2013, GM said today it would give the Verano a little something extra -- a 250-hp turbo engine and an optional six-speed manual transmission. It's no Buick GNX, but it's a step in the right direction.

If there's a knock against the new-era Buicks, it's that they don't have a cohesive image. Every new Buick over the past two years has been a well-done model that improved on its predecessors, but they're not sports cars or even full-boat luxury rides, and haven't yet created the ardor among fans that other brands enjoy. Being the auto industry equivalent of the sensible shoe can be profitable, but it won't make your products popular.

Which makes the 250-hp Verano seem like something the GM engineers snuck into production while the bosses' played fantasy baseball. It has enough power to stomp the new 2013 Acura ILX, and can hustle to 60 mph in 6.2 seconds, outrunning rides such as the Audi A3. An honest cross-shopper would have to consider the Mazdaspeed3 and upcoming Ford Focus ST, two hot compacts that will be tuned for handling and speed rather than Buick-esque comfort.

Old GM would have made this engine an SS trim level in the Chevy Cruze and turned the Buick version an afterthought, but the new GM has no such plans, giving Buick the performance rights among the company's compact car lineup. If GM execs keep running those kind of plays, Buick may seem slightly less sensible, but finally start wining a few hearts along with wallets.