DETROIT — Though financial analysts and media observers continue to be discouraging about the future of Buick in America, GM has resisted the temptation to retire its aging brand. This might be a wise move, as the debut of the attractive Buick Invicta concept at the 2008 Beijing Auto Show proved that there might be a future for the stodgy division in Asia, and secret pictures of the new sedan suggests that GM expects to make much of it.

Critics will be watching closely for Buick’s next new product, a midsize sedan based on the Invicta concept, which rumors suggest will evolve into the next Buick LaCrosse. It will go on sale almost simultaneously not only in the U.S. but also China, which has become Buick’s largest market.

Bob Lutz, GM’s vice president of global product development, tells Edmunds’ AutoObserver that the Invicta-based sedan (which hasn’t been formally named yet), will be more even competitive in its segment than the Chevrolet Malibu has proven to be in its category. This is a big statement from the GM product czar, who expresses great pride in the new Chevy sedan.

This secret picture of the new Buick being used within GM suggests the sedan’s front overhang will be longer than the Invicta concept’s short, stylish front end, and the front airdam is definitely more conservative. Even so, the sedan’s greenhouse and the bodywork’s character lines mirror the Invicta’s shape. There are plenty of traditional Buick attributes, of course, like the waterfall grille and large, nine-spoke chrome wheels.

Although the Buick Invicta concept at the 2008 Beijing Auto Show featured a 250-horsepower, turbocharged DOHC 2.0-liter four-cylinder under the hood, you can expect a more traditional V6 for the new Buick sedan when it makes its production debut in 2010.

CHINA: Buick hybrid on sale in China