km : Automotive News

The move to bring the Opel Insignia had to be a no-brainer for General Motors. The car has had a seemingly endless flow of awards sent its way since its debut, and in China the car has already sold well with a Buick grille and a Regal badge. With Saturn, GM's go-to Opel converter, gone, Buick was the ideal place for a car already sold in this exact form elsewhere.

The new Regal represents some first for the Brand, and we don't just mean that it'll attract the first Buick buyer under the age of 30 in decades. It will be the first vehicle wearing the Regal name to use a four-cylinder, and it'll be the first mid-size Buick with such a small cylinder count. And correct us if we're wrong, but we're quite sure it's the first mid-size American car ever to be sold exclusively with four-pots. Another Buick first is the electronically adjustable chassis settings.



Those engines we mention should be familiar to anyone following GM lately. Standard is a 2.4-liter Ecotec making 182 hp that should give the Regal a 30 mpg highway rating. Like the recently-debuted Chevrolet Equinox, the Regal will have a new version of the engine with direct-injection. The up-level engine choice will be a turbocharged 2.0-liter, the first turbo four-cylinder in a Buick and the first turbo period since the iconic Grand National of the late Eighties. Buick has toyed with forced induction in the period between, but only with superchargers. All new Regals will use a six-speed automatic transmission.

Other notable features and options for the European transplant Regal include standard 18-inch wheels, leather, and heated seats. A hi-fi stereo from Harman/Kardon will be offered, and the aforementioned IDCS chassis, with Normal, Sport, and Tour settings, will be a late arrival in Summer 2010, when the turbo model also goes on sale. The base model launches in the second quarter of next year.



Tuners are no doubt hard at work making aftermarket "Grand National" packages, which we guess will include black-out trim, more aggressive bumpers, and a tuning package for the 2.0-liter, which has already proven its potential in cars like the Pontiac Solstice and Cheverolet Cobalt SS. We're just happy to see some great Opel products will still make it over without Saturn, and expect a Buick Astra in the near future.

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