Now Official: Buick Regal Unwrapped!
What An Opel Built Buick Looks Like
From Germany with love. All new Opel Insignia inspired Buick Regal will go on sale in North America next spring.
In advance of its official debut at the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show on December 2nd, General Motors has taken the wraps off of its all new Buick Regal, a 2011 model which will go on sale in North America next spring. Based on the Opel Insignia, the Regal will be built in Germany and shipped across the Atlantic to slot below the Buick LaCrosse.
China First
The new Regal model is already on sale in China and will be powered exclusively by four cylinder engines. Paired with a six-speed automatic transmission, GM expects that the sedan will achieve at least 30 mpg highway. A turbo-charged model will roll out summer 2010 to give customers the option of getting a car with an extra bit of performance.
Though the Los Angeles show is still weeks away, GM introduced the Regal to LA customers on Thursday. That particular showing revealed the turbocharged model equipped with a driver selectable suspension system and Euro-tuned chassis. Buick is touting the Regal as a sport sedan with Susan Docherty, general manager of Buick GMC proclaiming that the all new Regal is “like nothing you’ve ever experienced from this brand.”
GM says that the Buick Regal is like nothing sold by this brand previously. Maybe Buick should consider a "Grand National" version of the car too...wouldn't that help enthusiasts to sit up and take notice!
Premium Models
As part of GM’s quest to have Buick battle the lower end of the premium car market, the automaker says that the Regal’s competitors are the Volvo S60 and Acura TSX. Essentially, GM is targeting entry level Lexus, Acura, Volvo and other upscale brand’s products with Buick models, while positioning Cadillac to battle the more luxurious models on the market.
Yes, that means that GM is calling out Lexus and others by identifying some of their models as luxury (LS 460) and others as premium (IS 350), hoping that its own customers realize those distinctions when comparing Cadillac and Buick models. Will that strategy work? It may which would allow GM to sew up the upper end of the market with these two brands.
2011 Regal
Powered by its front wheels, the first of the Regals will be offered in just one trim level to start – CXL. Featuring a 2.4L I4 engine with 182 horsepower, a smaller 2.0L turbocharged I4 will arrive later, producing 220 hp.
Among the notable features of the 2011 Regal will be standard 18” wheels; stability and traction control; four-wheel disc brakes with four-channel anti-lock braking system, brake assist and electronic parking brake; 12-way power, heated, leather seating for the driver; Bluetooth capability, XM Radio and of course OnStar; available navigation system with flash and hard drives; four link independent rear suspension; and more.
GM only offered one interior shot of the Regal. Be as it may, you're looking at it.
German Love
GM hasn’t announced pricing yet for the Regal, which may be something that they’re waiting to share in Los Angeles or perhaps just in advance of the model’s release next year. Interestingly, this model is being built by Opel for Buick. Now that Opel is remaining in the GM fold, maybe the automaker decided to throw German workers a bone by having them handle production.
See Also — Buick: From Bland To Beautiful
Photos courtesy of GM Corp.
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