For now, let’s put aside whether American buyers will welcome a small Buick into their garages. The truth is, until the cars hit dealer lots, no one can know for sure. What we do know is that the Tri-Shield has a long and storied history of smallish cars. No, not here in the USA; while the company does enjoy quite a bit of success in China thanks to a number of large vehicles, the Chinese Buick portfolio also sports a popular small sedan as well as a small hatchback. While the Automotive News article doesn’t say whether not GM will bring either of those models to the American market, it’s certainly possible that the upcoming U.S. sedan will draw significant inspiration from those cars.

Automotive News says that the new compact Buick will be called the Verano when it shows up in 2012, though the publication stopped short of specifying any potential engine choices. If we were willing to make a guess, the new turbocharged 1.4-liter 4-cylinder in the current Chevrolet Cruze would be a good bet. With 2012 right around the corner in terms of model development, something tells us it won’t be long before we find out all the details.