Over the past two years one of the best-selling car lines in China has been Buick … yes, the same Buick name that just went through bankruptcy here with General Motors. In fact, Buick’s success in China led GM to keep this brand rather than Pontiac or Oldsmobile or the Saturn brand.
Key to that success has been the model you see here — the latest midsize Regal. Essentially a rebadged Opel Insignia, and made in Germany until production shifts to Canada later this year, the latest Buick is a stylish interpretation of the automobile that was Europe’s Car of the Year in 2009.
A front drive, fully-independent chassis riding on a 107.8-inch wheelbase (middling measurement for the segment now) the Buick has better ride control and smoother handling than the Buicks that we might remember from our past. In featured CXL-Turbo trim, this Regal even sports Interactive Drive Control that provides three selectable modes for the suspension, steering, throttle and six-speed transmission responsiveness — normal, touring, and sport. Electronic adaptive-damping shocks — some of the technology learned from racing Corvettes and Cadillacs — is employed to alter the Regal’s driving characteristics.
While there are subtle yet notable variances between chassis selections, what is most memorable about the Regal’s performance is the robust output from the new Ecotec 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine.
Audi and Volkswagen have wowed us for several years with a series of 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engines, motors that are quick, smooth and fuel-efficient. The Opel-based Regal makes the same attempt with a variation of the Ecotec engine that has been available for years in Chevy Cobalts as well as the Chevy Malibu.
Base power in the Regal is a 182-horsepower version of the 2.4-liter Ecotec with 172 pound/feet of peak torque running through a six-speed automatic transmission. The CXL-Turbo model jumps up to 220 horsepower, with peak torque a credible 258 pound/feet, that runs through a six-speed automatic sourced from a different vendor. Both automatics have manual shift mode.
Buick promises an even sportier GS-trim line later this year with 255 hp and a six-speed manual gearbox, plus an E-assist mild hybrid sedan that should boost EPA mileage estimates to around 37 mpg.
The Turbo Regal is surprisingly quick and never hesitated to respond to immediate requests for forward thrusts. The engine is quiet and nicely balanced, too. Yet, there is a fair amount of torque steer evident when maneuvering the sedan over the centerline for a fast secondary-road passing event, or, even while making quick freeway lane changes.
This is Buick’s first foray into four-cylinder engine use in a midsize or larger sedan. However, it is not Buick’s first exposure to a turbo-engine as fans of the previous Regal Grand National models — that celebrated the brand’s NASCAR success — will recall.
The initiative here is to meet ever-tightening fuel economy standards by offering smaller, more fuel efficient powertrains. While well and good, automakers realize that buyers are not yet willing to sacrifice power and acceleration on this march to lofty fuel economy, hence the application of turbochargers to hone the output of these smaller four-cylinder engines. Ford, Hyundai and others are following this path as well.
All in all, the Regal’s turbo engine has to get a thumbs-up. It definitely delivers the power that drivers crave, yet the fuel economy numbers may still be a work in progress. Despite seeing actual fuel economy numbers greater than the car’s trip computer — 27.3 mpg for the week (very close to the EPA highway mileage estimate of 28 mpg) as opposed to the digital 25.8 mpg reported on the info screen — the Regal’s four is not as efficient as the former 3.8-liter Buick V-6 engine that regularly returned over 30 mpg on the highway in many sedan applications, often in cars larger than this Regal.
Externally, the Regal’s body has a certain Audi-esque look, revealing some of its Germanic roots. Distinctive LED daytime running lamps and polished wheels that look like Audi wheels cement the positive impression. Perhaps the mere notion that we are mentioning Audi and Buick in the same sentence is a clue to how vastly different this car is from previous Buicks.
Internally, the Regal’s presentation was a mixed bag for me. The bank of round gauges behind the tilt and telescoping steering wheel are bright and easy to see — except when the wheel is comfortably placed for protracted use and the tops of the upper gauges disappear from view. The sloping center stack of controls has nicely labeled buttons and switches that are convenient for both driver and navigator, yet the monochromatic scheme makes some buttons harder to discern at a quick glance. This is contrasted by a ‘chrome’ plastic ring that surrounds the shift lever — sunlight often annoyingly glared off this surface making visual access to the center stack awkward.
The Regal’s seat heaters were welcome afterburners during our protracted winter-time test, while the driver’s door pull is a nice large handle that is properly placed for easy use. This is not always the case in too many cars today, so it is worth mentioning here. Critically, the driver’s sun visor is too short for side duty, the center console lacks pockets for anything but beverages, the Audi-esque folding keyfob seems old school after sampling several recent cars with push-button ignitions, and the optional nav system, which could offer updated weather alerts, directed me toward two Exxon stations in Belfast for refueling. Exxon hasn’t done business in Maine in over two years.
I have to admit that my first few hours in the new Regal were critically negative. But as the days went by I settled into a reserved admiration for the Buick’s buttoned-down chassis and stable performance. Buick cites the Volvo S60 and Volkswagen Passat as its premium import rivals —fair cars each, but none of which I would use as a benchmark for this segment. Indeed, the Buick will probably be shopped more by drivers looking at upscale versions of Ford Fusions, Hyundai Sonatas or Chevy Malibus than it will shoppers seeking import sedans.
For many of those buyers, the Buick name lacks the cachet and market credibility of some competitors, still denoting the car of their parents, or worse, their grandparents. This Regal is not your grandfather’s Buick.
