Customers like Kelleigh Sheehy of Marietta, Ga., who recently traded the keys of her Volkswagen Jetta for a 2013 Buick Encore, are helping to boost the rate at which some automakers gain new customers.
It is known as conquesting — when automakers steal buyers from other brands — and it's rising for some brands, especially certain models.
One brand that's gaining new buyers is Buick, which says its conquest rate has grown from 28 percent in 2007 to 43 percent in 2012, and continues to grow. Buick credits its growth to vehicles like the Verano sedan and the all-new Encore crossover, which just hit showrooms. Sheehy is representative of those new buyers.
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