New-Gen Buick Midsizer Flaunts German DNA
November 11, 2009
General Motors Co.'s Buick division today released images and information for the 2011 Buick Regal and is openly billing the new-age Buick as a sport sedan.
Given the new Regal's origins with GM's second-generation global midsize chassis that was engineered by Adam Opel AG - the Germany-based European division GM just retrieved from the clutches of mega-supplier Magna and Russia's Sberbank - there might be reasonable credibility for the sport-sedan claim.
In addition to being based on the German-engineered Epsilon II architecture also used by the well-regarded new Opel Insignia (not to mention Buick's new LaCrosse sedan), the 2011 Regal also will be built in Germany at Opel's Russelsheim assembly plant.
The Regal's lines may be some of the crispest ever to be seen in a Buick showroom and GM is calling out the Acura TSX, Volkswagen Passat, Mazda6 and even the Volvo S60 as competitors. The Regal goes on sale in the second quarter next year - and in a significant sign of the times, only 4-cylinder power will be on offer.
No Six - No Sweat?
Yes, no 6-cylinder engine for the new Buick midsizer. The Regal's base engine is the direct-injected Ecotec 2.4-liter, developing 182 horsepower and 172 lb.-ft. of torque. A few months after launch, a 2-liter turbocharged variant will be optional; also direct-injected, it generates 220 horsepower and a thumpy 258 lb.-ft. of torque.
The Regal base engine's power is markedly less than the TSX (201 hp) and Passat (200 hp) and also is less than the Volvo (208 hp), but it does outdo the 170-hp 2.5-liter 4-cylinder of the Mazda6. A Buick press release, meanwhile, says the 220-hp of the turbocharged engine "cements the sport sedan credibility of the Regal, with on-demand power comparable to a V-6."
Buick is certain to focus on the new Regal's fuel-economy story. It's standard 6-speed automatic means estimated efficiency of 20 miles per gallon in the city and 30 mpg on the highway - class-competitive figures, but not class-topping. Buick did not give a city fuel-economy estimate for the Regal's optional turbocharged engine, but said the highway figure is projected at just 1 mpg less than the normally aspirated 2.4-liter.
And while size comparisons with the TSX and S60 show advantages in several areas, the Regal's listed base curb weight of 3,600 lbs. is heavier - in some cases, by hundreds of pounds - than all of its named competitors, explaining why despite less power and the use of direct injection, the new Regal merely matches competitors' fuel economy.
Emphasis On Handling. Yes, Handling
Cars with the optional turbocharged 4-cylinder also will offer adjustable damping settings for the MacPherson front and 4-link independent rear suspension. The Interactive Drive Control System allows the driver to select from normal, tour and sport settings that dictate the degree of firmness from the electronically controlled damper at each corner; the system also alters the "tune" of the power steering and throttle and transmission responses.
Not Just About The Metal, About The Mental
Perhaps equally important, however, is how customers continue to perceive the new metal in the quickly evolving Buick showroom.
Buick says a majority of those buying the Enclave crossover - the first of Buick's new-age models - were not only younger than the brand's renowned geriatrics but also were first-time Buick buyers. Buick hopes the new 2010 LaCrosse, which has been on sale for several months, will continue to alter Buick's stereotype. The LaCrosse also is targeting popular import stalwarts.
By dancing around the front door of the entry-luxury segment with the 2011 Regal, Buick flirts with stiff competition. But more competitive still is the upper end of the mainstream midsize-sedan market, the place where the Regal's real work is likely to take place.
There, the Regal will have to make its bones against the likes of the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, maybe even the edgy new Ford Taurus. And, uncomfortably, its own interdivisional competitor, the Chevrolet Malibu. - Bill Visnic, senior contributing editor
Photos courtesy General Motors Co.
1. The 2011 Regal will be unveiled to consumers in Los Angeles this week, goes on sale in the second quarter of 2010.
2. Design cues shared with the Opel Insignia, such as the lower-door sculpting, are obvious.
3. Interior carries the dual-cockpit theme started with this year's new LaCrosse.
Posted by Bill Visnic at 8:55 PM under Business , Companies , GM , News , Technology | Comments (3) | digg this | Seed Newsvine
This is a very handsome car but the "Regal" name conjures up the rental fleet. And why does it seem to me that GM cars are always heavier than their competitors? The Insignia is an impressive car, so perhaps GM really is going in the right direction.
Posted by: sprocketboy | November 12, 2009 at 9:53 AM
I don't know Regal, LaCrosse, Lucerne don;t these all overlap each other at some point?
Posted by: carguy58 | November 12, 2009 at 10:53 AM
If they used Kobe's new lithium-aluminum alloy for casting, the hardest, most ductile known, they should be able to build a 2-cylinder, direct injected engine with twin turbos producing 50lbs or more peak boost. It shouldn't be too difficult to produce 275 net HP from a 1.6 liter engine this way. Well below the 267 hp/liter considered the current upper limit for a durable engine. Add electric or pneumatic valves and you might need only one cylinder; the mother of all Singles.
I suppose all of the OEM's will keep finding ways to increase specific output while decreasing cylinder count, but a 2.4L V-count'em-8 would \sound\ a lot sweeter than the Ecotec turbo 4 ever will.
Posted by: fulcrumb | November 12, 2009 at 12:44 PM