Buick Prepares A Compact Sedan

Buick made public, with the occasion of the launch of his new model, Regal, some sketches of his next compact sedan, which will underpin Opel Astra Sedan’s technical platform.

General Motors, has big plans for the Delta 2 platform. After it was used to build the Chevrolet Cruze model, the America automaker wants to use it for the future Opel Astra generation, which if we look at the Opel Insignia – Buck Regal pair, could look just like the model shown in the picture. The Buick officials presented the sketches at the Los Angeles Auto Show 2009, saying that we are talking about a premium compact sedan, which will be launched next year.

At the engine chapter, we are expecting forced-induction gas engines, pretty exotic for the American market, with a 1,4 and 1,6-liter cylinder capacity plus some diesel engines borrowed from their German subsidiary Opel.

Check out the video below:

Buick Lacrosse

At the end of a recent business meeting, I walked to the parking lot with another participant, continuing the discussion that had gone on in the session. As coincidence would have it, we were parked next to each other.

"That's a really nice-looking car," she said of the LaCrosse that Buick had loaned us for this review before getting into her Acura.

Back in Detroit, a Buick executive should have experienced a giddy moment of joy. Drivers like her are the very people Buick hopes to reach with the completely redesigned 2010 LaCrosse sedan - people who have abandoned American luxury cars for foreign nameplates.

"We've gotten a lot of surprised comments from people who say, 'That's a Buick?'" said Steve Parsons of Parsons Buick of Plainville. He said the first LaCrosse he sold was to a buyer who traded in a 2009 Acura TL with 1,200 miles.

"We had ordered the car with him in mind, but when it finally arrived, he told us that he had won the Acura in a drawing and that he was out of the market," Parsons said. "The salesman said OK, but invited him to come in and take a look at the car. When he did, he found the LaCrosse more comfortable, quieter and nicer to drive. He decided to trade."

The new LaCrosse has the best of all worlds: Good handling that should please the import buyer, a comfortable and quiet ride and an attractive design inside and out.

There are three LaCrosse trim levels. The base CX is anything but basic with a long list of standard equipment. Our mid-level CXL was even more luxuriously outfitted with leather upholstery. At the top of the lineup is the CXS that targets buyers who want a sportier sedan.

The CX and CXL are powered by a 255-horsepower, direct injection, 3.0-liter V-6, and are paired with a six-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive. This engine also powers the new Cadillac SRX.

CXL buyers have the option of stepping up to an all-wheel drive; this should be a popular option in New England. Buick promises to add a four-cylinder engine during the 2010 model run.

At the top of the lineup is the CXS, with a 280-horsepower, direct injected, 3.6-liter V-6. It too uses a six-speed automatic but is offered only with front-wheel drive. To sharpen the handling, a sport suspension is included.

The car's performance with either V-6 is more than adequate and highly refined. Our review vehicle, with the 3.0-liter V-6, reached 60 miles per hour in 8.4 seconds. The car felt livelier than that performance suggests; much livelier, actually. Trials in California of the CXS, with its 3.6-liter V-6, produced a more competitive 7.6-second time for the dash to 60 miles per hour. Both engines were precise while accomplishing this run; the transmission also turned in a flawless performance. The automatic gearbox, however, sometimes delayed downshifting when it came time to pass or merge. The ride is quiet, soft, comfortable and well-controlled. That is a difficult combination to pull off effectively, but Buick has done it. One ES 350 owner who took a brief ride called the LaCrosse highly competitive with his Lexus. That should have brought another moment of joy to the Buick executive.

LA Auto Show | 2011 Buick Regal

This will defy preconceived notions about driving a Buick,” Craig Bierley, the brand’s marketing director, said at the auto show introduction. (Buick had released details about the car a week earlier.)

What they didn’t say: Yes, this level of luxury, refinement and brand engineering could once only be found in North America at, ahem, Saturn. Could this sedan, early in its gestation period, have been planned as one?

What makes it tick? Take your pick of 4-cylinder engines, either a 182-horsepower 2.4-liter or a 220-horsepower 2-liter turbo. Either will get at 30 m.p.g.; neither will stack up well against Regal’s V-6-powered rivals (think Lincoln MKZ or Nissan Maxima). Sadly, buyers in the United States won’t be able to get the high-m.p.g. diesel engine from the European model.

How much, how soon? No official word, but figure it will be around $25,000 to start — undercutting the Acura TSX, its main competition. The Regal arrives as soon as the ships from Germany dock here.

How’s it look? The Insignia — oops! — Regal is a very worthy example of a midsize luxury sedan from Europe. In fact, let’s give the basic car its due — it’s the reigning European Car of the Year.

2010 Buick LaCrosse Looks like a Lexus

2010 Buick LaCrosse CXS Front View

2010 Buick LaCrosse CXS Black Series

2010 Buick LaCrosse CXS Wallpaper

2010 Buick LaCrosse CXS Side View

2010 Buick LaCrosse CXS Interior

2010 Buick LaCrosse CXS Rear View

2010 Buick LaCrosse CXS Display

2010 Buick LaCrosse CXS Picture

2010 Buick LaCrosse CXS Sport Car

An attractive, premium-looking sedan pulled up, and for a moment I thought I had been given the wrong car — a Lexus. But no, it was the 2010 Buick LaCrosse, with Lexus-like styling, that caused the confusion.

The LaCrosse, Buicks newly revamped, mid-size sedan, is surprisingly different from stereotypical Buicks. Styling is modern, and the interior in the top-of-the-line CXS has upscale appeal. Even the instrument gauges are jazzy, with light blue background and eye-catching font.

There are two good engine choices — both V-6s with direct injection like that found in some German powerplants. A more fuel-thrifty, 182-horsepower, four-cylinder is coming later in the model year.

The ride is smooth and quiet, even blocking out most road chatter from the tires.

Also not to be missed: The LaCrosse carries an across-the-board 5 out of 5 stars from the federal government for frontal and side crash protection. The LaCrosse also is a top safety pick of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which conducts tests for frontal, side and rear crashes.

Pricing is competitive for the upperscale mid-size sedan segment. Manufacturers suggested retail price, including destination charge, for a base, front-wheel drive, 2010 LaCrosse with 255-horsepower V-6 is $27,835.

This compares with $28,695 for a base, 2010 Toyota Avalon with 268-horsepower V-6; $35,675 for a base, 2010 Lexus ES 350 with 272-horsepower V-6; and $34,965 for a base, 2010 Lincoln MKZ sedan with 263-horsepower V-6.

All models are front-wheel drive and come standard with automatic transmissions and seats for five. But note that unlike the major competitors, the LaCrosse is offered in all-wheel drive, too. This model starts at $32,570, which is still below the starting prices of the ES 350 and MKZ with two-wheel drive.

The 2010 LaCrosse is based on a new, improved platform. Atop the new platform is a new body with correct proportions, short-clipped overhangs, a prominent grille thats not overdone and a graceful rear end.

The quietness of the interior was pleasing. Not only were passengers well insulated from outside noises, they could barely notice the engine was on during idle. But this wasnt an old-style quiet car, where so much attention is spent on keeping driver and passengers isolated from the ride.

Rather, the steering in the CXS test car gave the driver good hands-on feel, even if it wasnt exactly sporty. The suspension — front MacPherson struts and rear four-link independent configuration — managed road bumps without fuss and yet gave the sense of the car being well-connected to the road.

The LaCrosse CXS test car was, simply, the best-handling Buick I have ever had the pleasure to drive.

Sure, there was some trepidation on my part when I sent this 4,000-pound-plus car speedily down an off-camber, downhill curve. But the LaCrosse maintained its poise and rewarded me with confidence.

The engine in the CXS is the upscale 3.6-liter, double overhead cam V-6 with variable valve timing and direct injection. It uses regular unleaded to develop 280 horses and a commendable 259 foot-pounds of torque at 4,800 rpm.

Coming through a six-speed automatic transmission, the power felt strong, steady and well-managed in the CXS test car, and it provided relaxed driving in both city and highway travel.

Unfortunately, the government fuel economy rating isnt the greatest at 17 miles per gallon in city driving and 27 mpg on the highway. In combined city/highway driving that admittedly was not skewed for fuel economy, I managed just 19.4 mpg.

The base V-6 available for the LaCrosse is a smaller, 3-liter, double overhead cam engine with variable valve timing and direct injection. It generates 255 horses and 217 foot-pounds of torque at 5,100 rpm. Despite the slightly lower performance numbers, though, the LaCrosse with this V-6 and front-wheel drive has the same 17/27-mpg rating as the LaCrosse with the 280-horsepower V-6.

The roominess of the LaCrosse back seat is exemplary. There are 40.5 inches of legroom back there, or 4.6 more than in a Lexus ES 350. As I sat in the LaCrosse back seat, I could extend and even stretch my legs. The comfort continues with large door openings for easy entry and exit. And while the 37.3 inches of headroom in the back seat is less than the 37.8 inches in the back seat of Lincolns MKZ, its a tad more than whats in the ES 350.

Keep in mind that the 16.4-foot-long LaCrosse is 6 inches longer in overall length than the Lexus ES 350 and 9 inches longer than the MKZ.

But the LaCrosses 13 cubic feet of trunk space is less than the 16.5 cubic feet thats in the MKZ and the 14.7 cubic feet of the ES 350.

Leather-trimmed seats in the tester had a realistic, pliable feel and wouldnt be confused with vinyl. They were black with perfectly-done white stitched accents. The metal pillars at the sides of the windshield, however, are large and easily block views. I was glad to have the optional backup camera, because it was difficult to see behind the vehicle as I backed up.

The long doors could use better positioned handles or grab spots for short-statured passengers. I nearly fell out of the driver seat reaching for and trying to close the driver door.

Theres no dead pedal to the left of the brake pedal in the LaCrosse, so I kept banging my left ankle against the plastic wall trim down there.

GM to begin production of 2011 Buick Regal in Canada

General Motors Co. announced Wednesday that it will begin North American production of the new 2011 Buick Regal at the Oshawa Car Assembly plant in Canada during the first quarter of 2011.

The Detroit automaker plans to begin selling the Regal in the United States during the second quarter of next year and has said that initial assembly will occur in Europe.

"The new Regal gives Buick a modern performance sedan, and its production here in Oshawa is terrific news for our employees, the CAW, dealers and suppliers," Arturo Elias, president of GM Canada, said in a statement. "Combining Buick's top position in the industry in terms of brand quality with the Oshawa Car Plant's long-standing reputation for top quality assembly means customers' highest expectations will be met with this midsize sport sedan."

GM needs new Buick Regal, Chevy Cruze to be hits

Two General Motors cars due in showrooms next year must be hits to help the automaker turn around sales and pay back its big debt to U.S. taxpayers.

The Buick Regal midsize sedan and Chevrolet Cruze compact, both sold in key segments of the U.S. car market, face stiff competition and other obstacles to success.

GM was to roll out the Regal on Thursday in Los Angeles, and it's counting on the sleek-looking sedan to claw out a new market for the once-stodgy Buick, now the official brand of bingo night at the senior center.

Buick has been absent from the tough midsize market since 2004, while the Cruze was recently put on hold because GM wasn't happy with how it drove.

Executives have high hopes that the Regal, much of it designed by GM's Opel engineers in Ruesselsheim, Germany, can help bring younger buyers to Buick, crucial to the brand's long-term growth. Currently the median age of a Buick customer is around 68, but GM is targeting new models for those in their 40s and 50s, said Craig Bierley, Buick's product marketing director.

"Clearly having a midsize entry is absolutely critical for us," Bierley said.

Buick sales so far this year are down 33 percent compared with last year, worse than the overall U.S. market, which is off 25 percent.

Midsize cars like Toyota's Camry, the perennial sales leader, are attractive to young families and baby boomers who are downsizing their vehicles. They typically can haul five people and have decent trunk space. Also, several entries get well over 30 mpg on the highway, making them the default buy for those who need space but are concerned about the return of $4 per gallon gasoline.

So far this year, the midsize segment is the biggest part of the U.S. car market, making up 47 percent of sales. Camry dominates the segment with 294,000 sales.

GM has no margin for error with the Regal or any other new vehicle, said David Koehler, a clinical marketing professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

"Their success in the future is riding on these new launches," he said.

The new Regal, due in showrooms in the second quarter of next year, is aimed at those who want a car that's fun to drive yet is practical. The Regal has three ride settings (normal sport and touring) and is smart enough to tailor the car to the way people drive, Bierley said.

The Regal is designed to compete with the sporty Acura TSX made by the Honda luxury brand, and the Volvo S60.

Pricing wasn't announced, but it will be between the mainstream midsize Chevrolet Malibu at $21,325 and the $27,835 base price of a larger new Buick, the LaCrosse, aimed at luxury buyers.

The flabby old Regal, discontinued five years ago in part because it couldn't compete with the Camry and Honda's Accord, bears little resemblance to the new one, which Bierley said is equipped only with four-cylinder engines to boost fuel economy.

At first the car will have only one engine choice, a 2.4-liter, 182 horsepower powerplant that gets around 30 mpg on the freeway. By next summer, a 220-horsepower 2-liter turbocharged four with power comparable to a V-6 also will be available.

Stephanie Brinley, an analyst with the AutoPacific marketing and consulting firm, predicts that GM will sell about 40,000 Regals in its first full year, not a huge number but enough to bring critical profits to GM. Last year, Acura sold almost exactly 40,000 TSX models.

"It doesn't really matter how many they sell of the Regal. It matters if it's profitable," she said.

Koehler said even more is riding on the smaller Cruze, which must sell in larger numbers than the Regal because of its lower profit margins. The Cruze will be targeted at younger entry-level buyers as well as those seeking fuel economy. It's supposed to get around 40 mpg on the highway.

But GM postponed the Cruze's April build date about three months, said Mark Reuss, GM's vice president of global vehicle engineering.

The company, he said, wasn't happy with the Cruze's performance, especially with the six-automatic transmission.

2011 Buick Regal First Drive

2011 Buick Regal Picture

2011 Buick Regal Picture

2011 Buick Regal Picture

You see, one of the vehicles that we recently drove around southeastern Michigan was actually an Opel Insignia, a straight-up European sedan that we wrote about when we drove it in Europe. Two of the other vehicles we drove were Opel Insignias with the suspension settings that the U.S.-market Buick Regal will use when the model goes on sale here next spring. One was equipped with a six-speed automatic and one carried a six-speed manual, both of which will make it to American showrooms. What we didn't drive was the vehicle that Buick had on hand that actually wore Buick badges.

But, you know what? It doesn't matter. So close is the Regal to the well-loved Insignia in mechanical specification, appearance and basic demeanor that badges don't really mean much.

And with this foray into sporty sedans, Buick must be desperately hoping that badges don't mean much to prospective buyers, either. Because to the people who are shopping the Acura TSX and Volvo S60, the Buick name is, well, it's not currently even close enough to be in consideration to have even a negative impression.

It reminds us of an old Jon Stewart joke in which a Canadian friend approaches Stewart with what he claims is a common question up there in Canada. That is, what do Americans really think of Canadians? After a long pause, Stewart answers, "Um, we don't."

Like Discovering a $50 Bill in Your Coat Pocket
Like the 2004-'06 Pontiac GTO and the 2008-'09 Pontiac G8 before it, the 2011 Buick Regal is a kind of found-money car for General Motors in that a nearly identical car already on sale somewhere else in the vast GM universe turned up with just the right credentials for a slot in the North American market. Unfortunately the GTO turned out to be a $5 bill instead of the $50 bill the company hoped for and the G8, well, rest in peace, brother.

We think the 2011 Buick Regal has the best chance at success of any of them, not the least because we think GM isn't going to kill Buick any time soon and unlike the GTO, the Regal doesn't look like a half-used bar of soap.

We can't say how potential buyers will react to this genuinely attractive, Euro-style sporty sedan from the geriatric division of GM. What we can say is, if Buick can somehow convince people to test-drive the thing, the Regal's got a good fighting chance at success. Or, let's say, if it fails, it won't be the fault of the car.

Those Boisterous Euros
We were lucky to start our day of driving in the fully Euro-spec Opel Insignia, powered by the same basic turbocharged, direct-injection 2.0-liter inline-4 that will be the optional power plant for the Regal. The Insignia is a nice piece, solidly put together yet nimble thanks to trusty, linear steering. It feels relatively lightweight, at least compared to the German sedans that are a step or two up on the prestige scale. Like other sedans direct from the roads of Europe, though, the Insignia isn't ideally suited to the crappier selection of American roads. On our warty byways, the Insignia's suspension feels awfully busy, noisy and simply too stiff for duty in a luxury-brand midsize sedan. Nevertheless, the Insignia's body is well controlled over the undulations on its MacPherson strut front suspension and multilink rear suspension.