Buick Regal
Quick Drive: 2012 Buick Regal GS
Maybe the hard part for enthusiasts to understand is where the Regal GS fits in the automotive pantheon. From our time in the car, Buick isn’t trying to build a 335i or an Evo (or a successor to the GNX). Instead, the company is trying to build something that is nicer than an Accord V-6 or a Maxima; something competitive with Acura, and Lexus (ES/IS), and Volvo, but at a slightly lower price. That means the cars have to look classy, be luxurious and then, in the case of the GS, be fun to drive. Thus, we think the Regal GS is a sporty luxury sedan, not a sports sedan. At that it seems to succeed like few other cars we’ve driven lately.
First Look: 2013 Buick Verano Turbo
Buick has just made it abundantly clear that it wants to dominate the premium small sedan segment with this, the Verano Turbo. It develops 250 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque from a 2.0-liter, turbocharged, Ecotec four-cylinder.
First Look: 2014 Chevrolet Impala
Chevrolet has debuted a heavily revised Impala at the New York Auto Show. The rental car staple has gone from bland to beautiful with a heavy interior makeover that should really separate it from the field.
Mini Comparison: 2012 Buick Regal GS And 2012 Volvo S60 R-Design
Recent back-to-back, weeklong tests of the 2012 Buick Regal GS and the 2012 Volvo S60 R-Design had got us to thinking that the two mild-performance variants could very well be vying for some of the same car-shopper dollars. With the Buick well down on power (by 55 horsepower and about 59 pound-feet of torque), down on driven wheels (front-wheel drive versus all-wheel), and down on price (about $8000 cheaper), this is certainly no direct comparison test. But, both Buick and Volvo seem to be playing to customers that are perhaps fatigued by the mainstream sport-luxury choices here (BMW 3-Series, Audi A4, etc.), and each car offers a compelling out-of-the-box answer to the sports sedan question.
Winding Road Video: 2012 Buick Regal GS – Quick Drive
This week we get to drive the 2012 Buick Regal GS.
First Look: 2013 Buick Encore
Buick’s newest product, the compact Encore crossover debuted today in the Motor City. The small crossover is meant as a more versatile option than the Verano or Regal, while being more affordable and economical than the Enclave CUV. Likely competitors will be the BMW X1 and Audi Q3. The Encore will hit dealerships early in 2013.
Driven: 2012 Buick LaCrosse and Regal eAssist
eAssist is what’s called a mild hybrid system. In a traditional hybrid, like the Toyota Prius, both the electric motor and gas engine drive the wheels, drawing power/fuel from an onboard battery pack and a tank of gas, respectively. In a mild hybrid like the LaCrosse or Regal eAssist, the electric motor is simply there to supplement the gas engine under hard acceleration or at high speeds.
Driven: 2012 Buick Regal GS
Since our very first go-round with this most recent Buick Regal, we’ve been fans of the car. Regal’s crisp and clean interior/exterior styling and competent handling have seemed to us to make it a very reasonable competitor for other entry-level luxury products. Priced below name-brand small luxury cars like the Acura TSX, Lexus IS250, and BMW 328i, the Regal has been inserted into a quasi-premium space that is currently held down by the Volkswagen CC.
GM Teases Cadillac ATS Sedan, Announces Production Plans For 2012
GM’s product renaissance is set to continue well into 2012, with the launch of two new Cadillac models. The ATS will be a dedicated competitor to other entry-level, rear-drive luxury sport sedans. As of right now, the ATS’s launch is planned for the summer of 2012, with production planned at the Lansing, Michigan Grand River Assembly Plant. We can’t see much from the teaser image, but smallest Caddy looks to refine the CTS’s design language, with similar sharp angles and creases. We’d expect to see the ATS debut at one of the big four American auto shows (LA, Chicago, New York, or Detroit).
Sports Sedans: Audi A4, BMW 328i, Buick Regal, Lexus IS350
Like your nearest Baskin-Robbins, it seems like there is a car for every person. Nowhere is that more true than in the entry level sport sedan market, where giants like BMW, Audi, and Lexus are taking on freshman entries like that of the Buick Regal. Each vehicle has a unique suite of powertrain options and infotainment systems that follows that brand’s particular philosophy, and therefore, caters to a certain sort of clientele. Thankfully, we’ve recently had some serious seat time in three of the top entries in this segment, and one exciting newcomer.
First Look: 2012 Buick Regal eAssist
Buick is showing its 2012 Regal with its new “light electrification” (read: mild-hybrid) system called eAssist. The Buick Regal eAssist uses a lithium-ion battery pack, electric motor-generator, and regenerative braking to help the car’s directly injected 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine. It is also equipped with a start-stop function to quietly shut down the engine instead of letting it idle, and smoothly restarting when it is time to move again.
First Look: 2012 Buick Verano
Ahead of its public debut at the North American International Auto Show next week in Detroit, Buick has announced the 2012 Verano compact luxury sedan.
2012 Buick Regal GS: Turbo Buick “Remixed” And Nearly Ready For Primetime
These are exciting times for the Buick brand, ladies and gentlemen
Driven: 2011 Buick Regal CXL
We always get a bit excited when we find out that a European car is being rebadged for American consumption. That feeling of excitement quickly dissipates, though, when we look back on the actual history of cars from foreign markets being rebadged in the States. Stories of the Renault/AMC Alliance, Cadillac Catera, and Ford Contour stream back to our consciousness, causing us to drop to our knees and pray that history won’t repeat itself. We had a similar moment when we heard that the Vauxhall/Opel Insignia, the 2009 European Car of the Year, was coming stateside. Thankfully, our fears were unfounded as the Insignia, using the resurrected Regal nameplate, is a homerun for Buick.
Ask It: 2011 Buick Regal CXL
We have just taken delivery of Buick’s new Regal. We were lucky enough to get the loaded RL6 package, which features a satellite navigation system, a Harman/Kardon stereo, a sunroof, and Buick’s Comfort and Convenience package for the tidy price of $31,975.
Blog: Buick Does It Again—2 Million Americans Won’t Even Know
A lot of photons have been shot at General Motors over the past 20 months or so, which I suppose comes with the territory when you run around with government bailout financiers. Beyond the cheap shots and ridiculously impractical advice, two themes seem to stand out and at least resonate a bit:
1. GM needs to build better cars
2. Ford is doing a better job
Buick Regal GS Gets The Greenlight
Here’s some news that will brighten the day for fans of the three-shielded brand; the Buick Regal GS has been greenlighted for production.
Detroit Preview: Buick Unveils 255-HP, Turbocharged, All-Wheel-Drive Regal GS
The fact that General Motors is finally bringing over the new Opel Insignia (Buick Regal) to the States makes us very happy campers. And now, knowing that a Regal GS is in the works, our interest is more piqued than ever. But hold on just a minute — while the GS might look like an all-American version of the Insignia OPC, it’s been diffused just slightly for Yankee consumption.
First Look: 2011 Buick Regal
For all of you (ourselves included) who have lusted after the Opel Insignia, it looks like we’ll finally have the chance to see what the fuss is all about. As part of General Motors’ strategy to build up the Buick brand beyond its LaCrosse, Enclave, and (aging) Lucerne models, the 2011 Regal will be arriving on our shores next year, available only with four-cylinder engines and front-wheel drive.
First Look: 2011 Buick Regal
For all of you (ourselves included) who have lusted after the Opel Insignia, it looks like we’ll finally have the chance to see what the fuss is all about. As part of General Motors’ strategy to build up the Buick brand beyond its LaCrosse, Enclave, and (aging) Lucerne models, the 2011 Regal will be arriving on our shores next year, available only with four-cylinder engines and front-wheel drive.
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