Have a FaceBook, Twitter, or other social networking account?

Link them to your fanatic account!

Add An Account

TAKE ME TO...
New Models
AUTOS:  Buick Regal Aims To Lure Younger Buyers
Based on Opel Insignia, sport sedan is designed to regain brand's performance image.
Bob Golfen  |  Posted November 12, 2009   Detroit, MI
The Regal has already been a sales success in Buick-friendly China, where it's been available since December. (Photo: Buick)
Buick is reviving the Regal name with a sport sedan built in Germany that’s designed to bring younger buyers into Buick showrooms.

Regal, which was revealed today in Los Angeles and goes on sale in the spring, is based on the Opel Insignia and offers the first Buick that could be considered a European-style sedan.

The Regal name was used extensively by Buick for its performance cars from the sixties through the eighties, such as the famed Grand National, but the new Regal is an entirely different kind of machine than the high-performance muscle cars of that era.

Powered by either a 2.4-liter or 2-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, the new Regal will emphasize driving finesse over horsepower with competitive fuel-mileage figures, according to Buick.

The Regal is a thinly disguised Opel Insignia and will be built in Germany. (Photo: Buick)
“The 2011 Buick Regal is like nothing you’ve ever experienced from this brand,” said Susan Docherty, general manager of Buick GMC. “The Regal is the next chapter in Buick’s transformation and will expand the portfolio to include a sport sedan.”

The Opel Insignia on which Regal is based was named 2009 Car of the Year by European automotive journalists and is the best-selling midsize sedan in Europe this year. Regal is already being marketed in Buick-favorable China, where 64,000 have been sold since December, GM said.

Styling is essentially similar to the Insignia, though with Buick’s signature waterfall grille and different headlight and taillights designs. The interior will reflect Buick’s premium segment, according to GM.

The effort by GM to bring a new kind of Buick to U.S. buyers underlies a push by GM to regain Buick’s image as a performance brand, especially now that Pontiac is being discontinued. The average age of Buick buyers is now an over-the-hill 70 years old, and GM wants to attract mid-life buyers who are likely to drive sporty imports.

The economical engine choices are part of the message. The normally aspirated 2.4-liter engine is rated at 182 horsepower and 30 miles per gallon on the highway, while the turbocharged 2-liter gets 220 horsepower and 29 mpg highway. The turbo engine won’t be available until late summer, Buick said. Both engines have six-speed automatic transmissions.

Regal also comes with a sport-tuned driver-adjustable suspension and a full range of electronic driving enhancements.

The 2011 Regal shares the same global chassis as the 2010 Buick LaCrosse, GM's Epsilon II, although on a 4-inch shorter wheelbase. The LaCrosse is powered by a V-6 engine.

Pricing was not available, although Regal will be marketed under LaCrosse, which ranges from $27,000 to $33,000.

Bob Golfen, Automotive Editor for SPEEDtv.com, is a veteran auto writer based in Phoenix, Arizona, who has driven and evaluated essentially every new vehicle sold in the United States. A lifelong car enthusiast with a passion for collector cars, car culture and the automotive lifestyle, he annually attends and writes about Arizona's famous January collector-car auctions, focusing on Scottsdale’s monumental Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event. SPEEDtv.com fans email veteran Automotive Editor Bob Golfen at

bob_golfen's avatar

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bob Golfen

MORE BY THIS AUTHOR
Advertising | Jobs | Feedback | FAQ | Terms of Use | NEW Privacy Policy | Ad Choices | Site Map
Fox Sports | FUEL TV | FX Network | National Geographic | IGN | AskMen
The Motor Sports Authority, SPEED and associated logos are registered trademarks of Speed Channel Inc.
All Rights Reserved © Speed Channel, Inc. 2012

All external links will open in a new browser window. SPEED.com does not endorse external sites.