Friday, March 19, 2010

2011 Buick Regal Introduced at Fort Lauderdale Auto Show

2011 Buick Regal exterior

2011 Buick Regal

2011 Buick Regal interior

Buick revealed its new 2011 Regal Thursday at a media event at the Fort Lauderdale International Auto Show in Florida. The Regal has been around for decades and the newest version is definitely not your grandparents’ old Regal.

“Many of you have been asking us, ‘When is Buick going to have a sports sedan? No really, a true, authentic sports sedan?’ Christopher Ayotte, Buick national marketing manager, said. “And we think the answer is the 2011 Buick Regal.

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Test Drive: Buick LaCrosse

2010 Buick LaCrosse CXS
By now you’ve seen the commercials where Buick calls out Lexus and claiming that their new LaCrosse is as good, or better, than the ES series. And not only is it better, that it’s cheaper, too. Sounds too good to be true, don’t it? We thought so too until we hopped behind the wheel of Buick’s new mid-sized luxury sedan. The car that was designed partly by GM’s Chinese arm—Buick’s are HUGE in China. Ask about ‘em—packs in a hell of a lot of luxury in a package that doesn’t look as if it was made for your grandmother. Read on to see if Buick latest offering is as good as they claim. Spoiler alert: it is…

PRICE: Base $33,765, As Tested: $36,560

POWER: 280 hp, 3.6L V6

MPG: 17 city/ 27 hwy

2010 Buick LaCrosse CXS
RIDE: The goal for the LaCrosse, as you can see by the commercials, was to go head to head with Lexus’ ES. But in order to do battle against their mid-sized, front wheel drive offering, they had to make sure the LaCrosse was just as comfortable to drive. And they’ve succeeded. The CXS we drove with the 3.6 L, 280 hp V6, was a smooth as any Lex we’ve driven. There’s a real sense of calm when you drive it. The six-speed automatic transmissions shifts smoothly, the road noise is kept to a minimum and the steering is nicely weighted to provide you with just the right amount of info. Not enough for you to confuse it for a sports sedan, but enough so you don’t fall asleep behind the wheel.

2011 Buick Regal Pictures

2011 Buick Regal2011 Buick Regal
2011 Buick Regal2011 Buick Regal
2011 Buick Regal
2011 Buick Regal
2011 Buick Regal

Friday, March 12, 2010

Regal fuels Buick revival

2011 Buick Regal
2011 Buick Regal may be the best chance for that. About an inch longer and wider than the current Toyota Camry, the Regal is certainly an alternative to the popular Camry/Honda Accord/Nissan Altima trio, but the Regal is aimed slightly more upscale, in both content and price. It should be available by May.

The Regal is essentially an Americanized version of the Opel Insignia, and the first Regals sold in the U.S. will be built in the Opel plant in Russelsheim, Germany. Later this year production shifts to the GM plant in Ontario, Canada, which is currently building the Chevrolet Camaro.

Yes, General Motors has tried to sell Opel-based vehicles in the U.S. before, most notably the Cadillac Catera. But this time, GM hopes the result is more successful. And after a brief drive in a 2011 Regal that was close to U.S. production specifications, I think it could be a hit.

Styling is attractive, and quite un-Buick-like – gone is any hint of the traditional triple portholes on the front fenders. Inside, the Regal CXL – a base-model CS will be offered next year – comes standard with leather upholstery and a lot of other luxury features. Also standard is most every safety feature GM has, including stability control and OnStar. Base price of the CXL is $26,245, or $26,995 with shipping.

2011 Buick Regal to make debut soon

2011 Regal
The new 2011 Regal started production earlier this week in Germany, and will begin making its way to dealerships in the U.S. in the next couple months. Later, production will be moved Stateside, but to get the vehicle in consumer's hands as quickly as possible, production started in the same plant that currently produces Regal's European sibling: the Opel Insignia.

Saturday, March 6, 2010

2012 Buick Regal GS might be offered without the all-wheel drive system

2012 Buick Regal GSAs you may know already GM is woking hard on the 2012 Buick Regal GS, which will be based on the Regal GS Concept, unveiled back in January at the Detroit Auto Show but also on the all-wheel drive Opel Insignia OPC.


Now here is the bad news… Apparently, the upcoming car will be offered without the all-wheel drive system. This was confirmed by Bob Lutz, GM’s Vice Chairman who said that the produc planners are debating whether all-wheel drive is worth the added weight and cost.

2012 Buick Regal GS Pictures

2012 Buick Regal GS
2012 Buick Regal GS Pictures