Monday, November 30, 2009

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

http://www.chinacartimes.com/wp-content/regal-launch-pic.jpg

2010 Buick Regal Front Three Quarter


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.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

2011 Buick Regal First Drive

2011 Buick Regal Picture

2011 Buick Regal Picture

2011 Buick Regal Picture

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.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

325 Horsepower Buick Regal GS Rumored

2010-opel-insignia-opc-vauxhall-vxr-001_100199471_l.jpg

So, not only is the Buick Regal nameplate returning to the American market after a long absence, but there are growing rumors that Buick will be bringing back a 325 Horsepower GS version of the Regal. Great news to me. The Grand Sports of old were serious cars, not to be trifled with at stop light drags, or real quarter mile strips for that matter.

Now, whether the supposed new GS will be that fearsome remains to be seen, but what is known is that “plain” Regal probably won’t be anything to be underestimated either. The inbound and new for 2011 Buick Regal will be a rebadged version of corporate sibling Opel’s Insignia. The Insignia won the celebrated 2009 European Car Of The Year award the when it debuted.

It seems that one element that is fueling these rumors is what options are available for the original Opel Insignia. One of the Insignia variants that’s roaming around The Continent is a 325 horsepower turbocharged V-6, sporting a manual transmission and a very advanced all-wheel drive system.

That takes us to the second element in the rumored Regal Grand Sport. The OPC model, which stands for Opel Performance Center, is the one with the aforementioned goodies, and according to Bob Lutz it’s under consideration for the U.S. market.

Oh really Bob?

Lutz enlighten Car and Driver that both all-wheel drive and manual-transmission versions of the Opel Insignia are being mulled over for the American market, and you’ll note how the OPC version of the Insignia has both of those nifty little attributes.

2010-opel-insignia-opc-vauxhall-vxr-002_100199470_l.jpg

And it’s not like this would be a big stretch for Buick to make, either. Regals have been associated with hot rod Buicks in the past. Think of models such as the Grand National, GNX, GS and GSX for some examples.

Maximum Bob also let out that a Regal Sport Wagon is also under consideration. That seems like an easy fit too, since there’s already an Insignia Sports Tourer, i.e. a wagon, rolling around Europe. Not only is there an Insignia Sports Tourer hanging on the racks, but there’s even a high-performance OPC version of that ride too.

opel-insignia-opc_100233227_l.jpg

New Buick Regal as Premium Sport Sedan

2011 Buick Regal.
2011 Buick Regal.

Good thing General Motors held onto Opel, its German subsidiary. Otherwise, where would it get the platforms for new products?

On Thursday, Buick announced that its new Regal would go on sale in the second quarter of next year as a 2011 model. Based on the Opel Insignia, winner of last year’s European Car of the Year award, the Regal has been available in China since December. More than 64,000 have been sold.

Buick will formally introduce the new midsize car in America at the Los Angeles auto show next month. At first, it will be available only with a 2.4-liter, 4-cylinder engine with 182 horsepower. A turbocharged 2-liter, 4-cylinder with 220 horsepower will be added late next summer. The turbocharged version will come with bigger brakes. Both engines will come with a 6-speed automatic transmission.

Buick Regal Inside the 2011 Buick Regal.

Buick said that the Regal equipped with the 2.4-liter engine would get 30 miles a gallon on the highway, while the turbo model would get 29.

Buick has not used the Regal nameplate since 2004, when the car fell squarely under the heading of family sedan. In its Thursday news release, Buick compared the 2011 Regal with the Acura TSX and the Volvo S60. Buick also called the new Regal a premium sport sedan, which means that people will no doubt compare it with the BMW 3 series and the Infiniti G37 (both rear-wheel-drive cars). All four competitors’ cars will provide the new Regal with tough competition because Buick is typically not associated with premium sports sedans.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

2011 Buick Regal live in Hollywood

2011 Buick Regal
2011 Buick Regal in Hollywood
On my way to the 2011 Buick Regal event , hosted yesterday (November 12) at the Hollywood Palladium, I had some time to kill at LAX while I waited for my ride. As I stood outside baggage claim, I tried to count how many Buicks drove past. It turns out it was a very easy job, besides an older Century and previous generation LaCrosse, nary a Buick sped by. That dearth of market penetration explained part of the reason why I was in LA to cover a Buick, two things you probably wouldn’t put together. Buick is changing and it would dearly love Californians to give it another chance.

View a slideshow of the 2011 Buick Regal live in Hollywood in the slideshow below this article. For official GM imagery, you can view this linked slideshow of the 2011 Buick Regal.

Buick has been on a bit of a roll. The Buick Enclave crossover has received a lot of notice and re-launched the brand. The recently arrived 2010 Buick LaCrosse kept that momentum going as one of the best looking Buick sedans in decades. Now Buick is turning to the 2011 Buick Regal to keep the ball rolling.

Both the LaCrosse and Regal share a common platform, Epsilon II, with the Regal coming in just a bit shorter than the LaCrosse (four inches less on the wheelbase and 6.7 inches shorter overall) . From an exterior perspective, the Regal is the plainer looking of the two cars. The Opel Insignia, on which the Regal is based, was going to be next Saturn Aura, but that plan was changed when the ringed brand was phased out. This shift in GM’s game plan allowed the Chinese Regal to arrive stateside. The Regal's front end has the traditional Buick waterfall grille, but its execution is less elegant that the LaCrosse. The side profile is clean, but you really miss drama of the LaCrosse’s sweep-spear. The trunk of the LaCrosse is a bit discordant to me, with its integrated ducktail spoiler, it doesn’t match up Buick’s design language.

2011 Buick Regal Photos and Info

2011 Buick Regal

2011 Buick Regal
the 1992–1995 Skylark? Remember the nose it had? That lackluster automobile serves as a prime example of the old Buick, which pumped out cars with quality and styling so substandard we wanted to cry. Fortunately for Buick’s customers, crap cars don’t appear to be on the menu anymore, and the handsome design and high quality seen on the latest LaCrosse likely will carry over to the brand’s newest entry, the 2011 Regal.
2009 Vauxhall Insignia sedan
The new Regal is based on the Opel/Vauxhall Insignia. Well, actually, it is the Insignia, albeit with Buick badging and a few tweaks to allow it to conform to U.S.-specific regulations. When it goes on sale in the second quarter of 2010, the Regal will slot in size-wise below the LaCrosse as—get this—an import-fighting sports sedan. Buick cites varied competitors: Acura TSX, Mazda 6, Volkswagen Passat, and Volvo S60. Lending further to its European-ness, the first year’s supply will be built in Europe, specifically the Russelsheim, Germany, plant where the Insignia is produced.

Epsilon Around the World

Designed from the start as a global car, the Insignia has already spawned a Buick Regal that has seen success in China, where the brand is beloved. Since sales started there at the end of last year, 64,000 have been sold to customers whose average age is 36. While the Americanized Regal isn’t intended to attract such young buyers, Buick has told us it is aiming the Regal at a younger crowd than the LaCrosse.

So the Regal is an Insignia, and it’s also basically a LaCrosse with four inches sectioned out of the rear doors—that car also shares the Epsilon platform. This positions the LaCrosse as the family-hauling luxury sedan and the Regal as the sporty, driver-focused Buick. The aforementioned Americanizing tweaks include different side-view mirror glass, modified headlight guts, and a different front-license-plate bracket (the filler insert is still Euro-spec wide). Jim Federico, the vehicle line executive responsible for the Regal, tells us the car’s tuning even matches that of the Insignia, with the only modifications being to the dampers to compensate for the fitment of all-season tires in place of the Insignia’s summer rubber.

Four-Cylinders, For Now

Power will initially come from GM’s direct-injected 2.4-liter four-cylinder, which makes 182 hp and 172 lb-ft of torque. Several months after its introduction, a 2.0-liter turbocharged and direct-injected four-cylinder will be added as the optional engine, in this application producing 220 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. Both will send power to the front wheels and be mated to a six-speed automatic transmission with manumatic shifting affected via the shift lever. Fuel economy is estimated as at least 20/30 city/highway mpg for the 2.4-liter and 18/28 for the 2.0-liter turbo.

When asked about a hybrid version, GM officials gave no specifics, but all but confirmed its imminence by saying it wouldn’t be the brand’s first hybrid offering. There was also a lot of talk about Regal heritage, leading us to believe (hope) that a performance variant—a revived turbo-six Grand National, perhaps?— might be in the cards. Hatchback and wagon body styles are feasible (however unlikely) since both are offered with Opel and Vauxhall badges in Europe. All-wheel drive is likewise possible but not guaranteed.
2009 Vauxhall Insignia sedan

Sunday, November 8, 2009

2010 Buick Lacrosse CXS

2010 Buick LaCrosse (Courtesy of GMC media, Buick Division)
For years, sales of the Buick brand have been high overseas, especially in places like China, which buys more of the product that any other country in the world.

The Lacrosse is one of the reasons that Buick has such a good name as it exudes a feeling of quality among its buyers. It is equipped with a 3.6-liter direct injection V-6, real-time active-dampening suspension (optional), perforated leather-appointed, heated, and ventilated seats, and chrome-plated 18-inch alloy wheels. The engine comes in a 6-speed automatic transmission that generates 280 hp and 259 lb.-ft of torque.

Looking from the driver's seat (Courtesy of GMC media, Buick Division)
Heated and ventilated seats kept me warm in Dallas when our first cool front came through last week. The ambient blue lighting in the instrument panel, on the doors and at other often-darkened corners made for happy and comforting night riding.

Pricing for the 2010 Lacrosse starts at just a little under $28,000. The top base model, and the one I got to test-drive for a week, was just a little over $33,000. The mileage was 17 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway. I averaged a little less in the city and a little better on my trip out west.

Buick also offers an optional 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine. It doesn’t carry all the amenities or luxury accessories of the 3.6L, but gets around 30 mpg. At my slightly slumping age and increasing profile, I prefer the larger engine with the luxuries. But lop off 30 years and 35 pounds and I would be in the market for the smaller engine. Regardless of which engine you choose, the interior of the vehicle is spectacular and the comfortable ride gives you a taste of luxury.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

2011 Buick Business Concept

2009 Buick Business Concept
2009 Buick Business Concept
2009 Buick Business Concept

The Buick Business Concept, a new concept vehicle designed to showcase Buick’s future vision of “business class on the road,” made its global debut today at Auto Shanghai 2009.

The multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) was developed in China by the Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center (PATAC), a design and engineering joint venture between General Motors and Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC), with global design input.

The Buick Business Concept Vehicle captures the essence of the Buick form language in a thoroughly elegant and expressive design, with its taut surfaces, double sweep spear belt line, strong front and rear identities and dynamic presence.

“The Buick Business Concept Vehicle has a grand presence and makes a strong statement when it pulls up to the front of any establishment,” said Ed Welburn, GM Vice President of Global Design.

“The Chinese market and business person have some unique requirements. Our team has responded with an elegant solution to their business and personal needs.”

Classic Influences in Modern Design

According to Cao Min, PATAC Concept Car Chief Designer, the design team set out to create a modern global design for Buick, yet include a subtle Chinese essence and influence.

To achieve this balance, they sought to draw from their heritage outside the automotive industry – from classic shapes to arts and ancient relics.

The Buick Business Concept Vehicle’s dynamic exterior surfaces and “yin and yang” interior tones are drawn from diverse inspirations including the 2008 Buick Riviera concept car, Chinese artifacts and modern electronic icons. The vehicle, inside and out, communicates an orderly elegance that transcends cultural boundaries and conveys the tranquility and power of Buick.

Exterior Design – A Sense of Presence and Buick Essence

To establish their design direction, PATAC designers took the global Buick design vocabulary of sculpturally beautiful and dynamic forms established by the Riviera concept car and successfully extended it to a tall, one-box architecture.

The Buick Business Concept Vehicle develops the Buick form language further and incorporates elements of Chinese culture and artistic influences into the details. It takes the Buick design treatment to a new level of sophisticated boldness.

The famous Buick waterfall grille takes on a bolder treatment. Intricate detailing gives it an even more prominent look. The backlit Buick tri-shield logo leads into the distinctive mid-hood crease prevalent in classic Buicks and consistent across the new Buick line today.

The prominent LED headlamps show influences of popular Chinese liuli glass through three-dimensional transparent and multifaceted surfaces. Liuli is a Chinese crystal sculpture art form that incorporates cultural and modern references. It has become a popular symbol of modern Chinese prosperity.

The elongated, jewel-like headlamps are connected to the body shoulder line through a strong chrome accent that flows the length of the vehicle from the hood to the body sides, accentuating a strong double sweep spear design until it finally comes to rest wrapped around the taillights. This is the most distinctive design element of the Buick Business Concept Vehicle, as it offers a modern approach to the classic Buick double sweep spear. Familiar Buick portholes are gracefully integrated into the chrome strip extending from the headlamps.

This distinctive double sweep spear shape not only provides expressive dynamism to the vehicle profile, it is also functionally important. It defines the window line from the body sides and incorporates the rail guides for the power sliding doors. Additionally, it lowers the rear passenger sightline and adds significant shoulder room to the rear compartment.

“This vehicle was inspired by the grace and gesture of great Buicks. PATAC designers have cleverly incorporated other design cues from traditional Chinese art, such as applying a huiwen motif on the turn signals and fog lamps,” Cao Min said.

The Zitan Purple exterior color was chosen to elicit the right level of attention and respect. The color is found in rare zitan wood used for sculptures and fine Chinese furniture. This deep burnt-purple color perfectly highlights the concept’s grandeur.

Power sliding doors with no B-pillar were selected for their ability to showcase an expansive view of the interior and ease of entrance and egress.

The Buick Business Concept Vehicle sits on 20-inch, 9-spoke forged aluminum wheels, with a polished mirror finish, and low-profile tires. The outside mirrors incorporate turn signals with the huiwen motif.

Interior Design – Functionality and Soothing Serenity

Serenity and advanced functionality come to mind when entering the vehicle. The use of deep burgundy suede and subtle creams, representing earth and wood themes, are conveyed through high-quality leather bucket seats, plush vehicle carpet and a luxurious padded steering wheel. Completing the tranquil feel is a roof comprised of two full-length sunroofs that offer a celestial connection for occupants.

“Through deep burgundy suede carpet, high-quality leather interior decoration with liuli and soft, ice blue ambient lighting, we wanted to create a mobile VIP lounge for passengers,” Cao Min said.

Interior trim and features befitting Buick prestige abound such as a power central console with a deployable tablet for writing or to hold a laptop computer. The console can be moved up and down the two rows of rear seats. The second row of power captain’s chairs slide on hidden rails and swivel 225 degrees, enabling them to be adjusted to an infinite combination of orientations. Traditional huiwen patterns are embroidered onto the seats and seat backs, bringing harmony to the entire design theme.

The three-dimensional instrument cluster reaches across the entire width of the front panel and features a multi-layer information display. The instrument cluster design reflects the liuli art influence but is utterly modern in design. It is complemented by a central console with touch pad controls on either side of a cylinder-shaped roller mouse. A large LED display crowns the central console. Once again, the huiwen motif shows up as details on the wings of the instrument panel.

The OnStar security telematics feature is easily accessible on the rearview mirror, with three prominently yet tastefully displayed call buttons.

“The design of the vehicle inherits Buick’s vision for business class on the road, creating a sense that space means possibility,” Cao Min said.

Next-Generation GM Hybrid System

PATAC designed the Buick Business Concept Vehicle to accommodate the next-generation GM Hybrid System, which will be introduced in China in the near future.

The next-generation GM Hybrid System will build upon the successful belt-alternator-starter hybrid technology currently available in the Buick LaCrosse Eco-Hybrid. An advanced lithium-ion battery will help make the next-generation GM Hybrid System more powerful than the current system, improving fuel economy of vehicles with this system by up to 20 percent, depending on engine and vehicle application.

The next-generation GM Hybrid System helps optimize fuel efficiency and reduce emissions by:

-Turning the engine off at idle
-Offering brief electric-only propulsion
-Using a more powerful electric motor to enhance engine efficiency
-Extending fuel cutoff during deceleration
-Extending regenerative braking to recapture more energy
-Performing intelligent hybrid battery charging

“Developing and launching the Buick Business Concept Vehicle in China underscores the diversity, strength and depth of GM’s global design network,” Welburn said. “It also reflects PATAC’s growing role within the GM design family and China’s significance as the world’s largest Buick market.”

2009 Buick Business Concept
2009 Buick Business Concept