As midsize car owners continue to flock to crossovers, Buick attempts to minimize the exodus from its midsize Regal with a two-pronged approach. No longer a traditional sedan, Regal is now dubbed Sportback, in reference to its hatchback design. Accompanied by the Sportback is the TourX, which is Buick-speak for wagon. Light rocker cladding gives it crossover pretensions similar to an Audi A4 Allroad or Suburu Outback, but wagon lovers know the truth. The Sportback offers a 250 hp 2.0L turbo, while the GS features a 310 hp 3.6L V6 paired exclusively with all wheel drive and a 9-speed automatic. Neither powertrain offers a manual transmission, which was unexpectedly offered at times throughout the previous generation Regal’s tenure. The TourX offers only the 2.0L Turbo and standard AWD. Prices (with destination charge) start at $25,915 for the Sportback, $39,995 for the GS, and $29,995 for the TourX.
Buick Injects a Bit of Sport Into Mainstream America
When General Motors introduced the Opel Insignia in Europe a few years ago, American auto enthusiasts took notice because it appeared to be the replacement for the well received Saturn Aura.The Insignia-based model promised to be the sporty front-wheel-drive midsize sedan that GM had consistently failed to offer Americans.That promise was broken in 2009 when GM killed off the relatively short lived brand as part of its bankruptcy restructuring.The promise broken by Saturn would curiously be kept by up-market Buick. Read more…
The revival of the Buick Regal name is surprising, largely in that it seems like the model name has been gone for only a couple model years. In fact, the Regal was last used on Buick’s version of the w-car platform in 2004. It was a buckets and console version of the mild Buick Century. The new car is a departure for Buick in that it will offer no V6 and a choice of manual or automatic 6 speed transmissions. Buick is marketing the LaCrosse as a Lexus competitor. If that is the case, this car seems to take aim at the Acura TSX – at least in powertrain configurations. Based heavily on the Opel Insignia, the car was thought to be planned as the replacement for the Saturn Aura. Since the Saturn experiment has now been terminated and Pontiac eliminated, the time was right for Buick to offer such an agile small sedan. Read more…
