Buick is finally granting its dealers' wish, according to the Dallas Morning News. The Rendezvous, the automaker's first "truck" since the early 1900s, is arriving at area dealerships - and probably none too soon, analysts say. The automaker - known for its big, solid, silent sedans - is entering a truck market that is being churned by change. The automaker's new Rendezvous, viewed as an attempt by the company to lure younger buyers without alienating the traditional customer, will be competing in the so-called crossover-utility segment, the newest and fastest-growing category of trucks. "Based on car or minivan platforms, crossovers have had astounding sales growth in a sluggish overall market this year - up 166 percent through May," said Paul Taylor, chief economist at the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA). The crossovers are designed to offer the practicality of a minivan, the comfort of a car and the rugged appeal of an SUV. "It gives Buick dealers the opportunity to play in a field that they've not been able to play in," said Larry Hice, regional general manager of General Motors' South Central region. "But it also creates excitement on the salesroom floor and there's nothing like that to get sales moving."
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