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New Buick Regal

The all new Buick Regal is at Sommer's Buick in Milwaukee, WI. Find out more today by contacting our Internet department on which Buick Regal models are currently available.

 
"Hey, this feels pretty nice." Someone's probably said that before in a Buick, too. But not in a Buick hammering around the legendary Nurburgring Nordschliefe. That's because no Buick in history has had its chassis tuned on the same bit of road utilized by the likes of BMW, Porsche, Mercedes, and Audi to get their cars handling right.

More than the chic new LaCrosse or the glittery Enclave, the 2011 Buick Regal takes all your preconceptions about GM's old-fogey brand and drives them straight into the nearest dumpster. The $26,995 Regal CXL is sleek, stylish and comprehensively equipped, with suavely European road manners. The $29,495 Regal Turbo is a wonderfully subversive sport sedan whose punchy, 220-horsepower blown Ecotec four and supple, yet buttoned-down, chassis puts Acura's homely TSX on notice, and seriously makes you wonder whether an Audi A4 is really worth the money.

Yep, it's that good.

2011 Buick Regal On Nurburgring Front
We've previously described the Regal as a rebadged Opel Insignia, but that sells it short. The Regal might be the Buick that was never meant to happen, but from the outset it was conceived as more than just an Opel. The Regal/Insignia (codenamed GMX350) is arguably GM's first truly global car, designed from the beginning to sell in the U.S. (it was originally intended to be the second-generation Saturn Aura) and China (as the Buick Regal, for GM's premier brand in the world's largest and fastest-growing auto market), as well as in Europe as the Insignia. It's built off the Epsilon architecture underpinning the Chevy Malibu and Buick LaCrosse.

While the globalized product development process that created the new Regal is truly transformational for GM, the car itself is relatively conventional fare -- a mid-size, front-drive sedan with MacPherson strut suspension up front and a four link rear axle. While Opel buyers can choose between four-door sedan and hatch Insignias, as well as a stylish wagon, the more conservative American market -- which only seems to want wagons or hatches if they're disguised as SUVs or crossovers -- will only get the Regal as a sedan. For now.

ngine choice will be similarly limited -- no diesels or V-6s, unlike in Europe. Base Regal engine is a 2.4-liter direct injection four that develops 182 horsepower at 6700 rpm and 172 pound-feet of torque at 4900 rpm, driving the front wheels through GM's Hydra-Matic 6T45 six-speed automatic transmission. Regal chief engineer Jim Federico says this powertrain will deliver 0-60 mph acceleration times in the mid-8 second range, and EPA fuel consumption numbers of 20 mpg city and 30 mpg highway.

The Regal Turbo (which goes on sale in August, two to three months after the naturally aspirated car hits Buick showrooms in the U.S.) is powered by a forced induction 2.0-liter Ecotec four that boasts the aforementioned 220 horsepower at 5300 rpm, and 258 pound-feet of torque at 2000 rpm, again driving the front wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission, though in this case it's an Aisin AF40 unit. (A six-speed manual, GM's own transmission, will be available on the Turbo by November.) The extra power and torque will shave at least a second off the 0-60 mph times, says Federico, but without much of a penalty at the pump. Though yet to be finalized, the EPA fuel consumption numbers are only expected to be a mile per gallon worse on both city and highway cycles.

2011 Buick Regal Turbo Test Track Side

The Regal has 230 specific new parts compared with Insignia, some related to appearance and market considerations, others because of the differences between European and U.S. regulations. Some 800 parts have been touched or tweaked during the development process. The Regals have a slightly different suspension tune to the Insignias, primarily to improve ride comfort and accommodate all-season tires. But that doesn't mean the car has been transformed into a wallowing boat. Far from it, in fact.

On the standard Michelin Pilot P235/50R18 all-season tires, the Regal is impressively quiet and remarkably composed, with the smooth, flowing transitions and confident straight-line stability so typical of a German sedan. The steering is liquid and linear, with just the merest delay as you pull the rim off-center. That's a trait deliberately dialed into the car to make the Regal feel more stable on slippery surfaces, says chassis engineer Andreas Holl. "Our steering benchmark was the Ford Mondeo," Holl says, "but I felt the Mondeo's turn-in was too aggressive on wet roads. The tail kept wanting to come around."

While there's nothing wrong with the base suspension setup, enthusiasts will be tempted by the Interactive Drive Control System (IDCS) optional on the Regal Turbo. The IDCS offers three modes -- Touring, Normal, and Sport -- that alter suspension travel, damper rates, throttle pedal mapping, and automatic transmission shift algorithms accordingly. The Touring mode offers the plushest ride and relaxed responses, while Sport mode makes the car more aggressive and buttoned-down, though at no stage could it be called harsh. The IDCS also allows drivers to mix and match settings -- sharp steering and relaxed throttle, for example.
2011 Buick Regal Grey CSX Blue Turbo

With the IDCS set in Sport, and the (Turbo only) optional Goodyear Eagle RS-A P245/40R19 tires caressing the blacktop, the Regal Turbo proved surprisingly adept around the sweeps and swoops, crests and dips of the 72-turn Nurburgring Nordschliefe. The Buick is utterly unfazed by mid-corner lumps and bumps, resolutely holding its line through the turns, yet it's impressively agile on the change of direction. The suspension is firmer -- not harsher, a critical distinction -- gently checking unwanted body motions, and there's a touch more weight to the steering. Our testers were U.S.-spec cars, which means they were fitted with U.S.-spec brake pads instead of the heavier-duty metallic items that are standard on the Opel Insignia. While there was never an issue slowing the car from warp-speed, you could feel the pedal softening if you punished it too hard.

While the naturally aspirated 2.4-liter engine feels breathless when pushed, the turbocharged 2.0-liter Ecotec four delivers a solid surge of acceleration when you nail the gas. Check the Turbo's power and torque figures again -- all that grunt and twist comes on strong in the mid-range, where it's instantly accessible. It's a terrifically smooth and responsive engine, easily the best four-cylinder motor yet from GM. In fact, it's so good, you can't help but think a V-6 in this car would simply be a waste of money and gas, and the extra mass over the front axle would probably ruin the chassis balance.

Away from the 'Ring, the Regal Turbo happily cruised at 120-130 mph on the autobahn, scattering slow-moving Volkswagens out of the fast lane like autumn leaves, their drivers doing a quick double-take as they spotted the Regal's unfamiliar badges. Straight-line stability at speed is superb, and the Regal's measured responses are welcome when braking rapidly midway through a sweeper for slow-moving traffic. You can feel the Regal's low drag coefficient at work on the highway, as the car keeps momentum when you lift off the gas. The slippery shape is obviously good for the gas mileage, too, as the Regal's trip computer showed we averaged 29 mpg while cruising at an average of 70 mph.
2011 Buick Regal Turbo Rear

We had a brief run in an Insignia Turbo with the six-speed transmission (no Regal versions have been built yet), and it's a pleasant combo. The slightly notchy Aisin six-speed isn't as snickety-snick quick as, say, a Honda tranny -- the fore-aft throw is bit long and the gate a tad wide -- but it works nicely nonetheless. Director for Buick GMC advertising and sales promotion Craig Bierley admits he's not sure how many buyers will opt for the Turbo with the stick, but he's convinced it's worth the cost of certifying for the U.S. market because of the message it sends about Buick.
2011 Buick Regal Turbo Country Road

And make no mistake, this is not your granddad's Buick. It's not a hairy-chested musclecar, either, like the crude but lovable Grand National. Well-equipped and beautifully styled inside and out, the Regal CSX and Turbo are suave and sophisticated sedans that have what it takes to appeal to buyers who would normally drive right past the Buick showroom on their way to the Acura or Lexus store.