Although GM's Fritz Henderson said that he is "not a fan of rebadging", it looks like his company is doing just that with a "new" crossover for Buick. GM announced today that Buick will get a smaller crossover vehicle which will slot in under the larger Enclave. The vehicle will be based on the Saturn Vue and from the looks of the teaser picture released by GM, rebadging is alive and well.

"Some customers who have been drawn to the Enclave were looking for something a little smaller, but they didn't want to give up craftsmanship or a quiet ride to get there," said Susan Docherty, general manager of Buick-Pontiac-GMC. "We believe this new Buick will excite those customers, and will continue to broaden the appeal of the brand."

Buick's unnamed new crossover will be available with the same engines as the the Vue and will also be available in a plug-in hybrid version. The 2-mode hybrid version of the crossover will use a 3.6-liter V6 engine, dual electric motors, and a lithium-ion battery pack manufactured by Compact Power which will be mounted under the cargo floor. The vehicle's battery pack can be recharged by the internal combustion engine or via a household outlet (like the more advanced Chevrolet Volt).

GM says that the lithium-ion battery pack can be fully charged in four to five hours. According to GM, the plug-in variant will be able to travel 10 miles on battery power alone.