 2011 Buick Regal. Click image to enlarge |
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2011 Buick Regal
Kelowna, British Columbia – With a turbocharged four-cylinder engine, a driver-selectable suspension system and a rigid Euro-tuned chassis, the new Buick Regal is a Buick like no other. The woody-wagon Buick that your family owned and loved back in the seventies is a distant spec of history in its rear-view mirror.
Development of this car started in Germany where GM’s globally led engineering team created the Opel Insignia: the 2009 European Car of the Year. The Insignia is currently the best-selling midsize sedan in Europe and it arrives in Canada as the Buick Regal.
A row of Buck Regal models awaited us on our noon arrival at the B.C. interior city of Kelowna, and the plan was for us to drive them (by a roundabout route) to Osoyoos in the southeastern part of B.C., and then back to Vancouver the next day.
  2011 Buick Regal; bottom photo by Russell Purcell. Click image to enlarge |
Fred Dixon, Canadian Product Manager for the Buick Regal, explained that there are basically two types of premium vehicles: premium luxury and premium sporty. “We developed the LaCrosse as a premium luxury vehicle and with Regal we hope to compete on the other (sporty) side of premium,” said Dixon. “This Regal is nothing like the previous Regal, other than it shares the same name.”
It didn’t take very long, after leaving the Kelowna airport, for us to recognise and appreciate the taut attributes of the body platform that underpins the new Regal. It’s also complimented with a suspension that’s tuned to take advantage of the rigid chassis.
Although not a direct copy of the European Insignia, the turbo version of the Regal should not be ignored if looking at other front-drive premium vehicles like a Volvo S60 or an Acura TSX. The Regal has a longer wheelbase and a larger trunk than these two and notable features include a six-speed automatic transmission and a selectable driving mode option.
   2011 Buick Regal; top and bottom photos by Russell Purcell. Click image to enlarge |
Unfortunately, the turbo version of the Regal is not available until the fall, but dealers may get some early demos you can test drive. The turbo models we drove in B.C.’s Okanagan district were U.S. spec vehicles (speedometer in mph) and sourced from that country.
“What we need to do is get people to drive this car to really appreciate what we’ve done,” said Dixon. “Like every thing else it starts with a great car… and we think we’ve got one in the new Regal.”
The 2011 Regal is offered in premium CXL trim with two drivetrain options, and initial production will be sourced from Germany. Additional trim levels will be offered for the 2012 model year and its production will switch to Canada (Oshawa) next year.
The standard engine is an 2.4-litre direct injected Ecotec four-cylinder engine rated at 182 horsepower (136 kW) that comes with a six-speed automatic transmission – both American-made components. The transmission has a manual mode and it’s a combination that provides decent power and excellent highway fuel consumption, rated at 6.5 L/100 km.
For everyday use, this drivetrain does a decent job, but an eight-second-plus time to 100 km/h is not sport sedan territory; the gas pedal was pinned to floor during passing manoeuvres on the less travelled sections of our route.
 2011 Buick Regal. Click image to enlarge |
The optional 220-horsepower (164 kW) 2.0-litre turbocharged direct fuel injection Ecotec engine is a different story. The transmission is a crisper-shifting six speed with a manual mode, and its 6.9 L/100 km highway fuel comsumption rating is also excellent, considering the extra power.
An Interactive Drive Control system is available with the 2.0L turbo and offers three different operating modes: Standard, Tour and Sport. This system changes suspension and stability settings, throttle response, shift pattern and steering sensitivity. In its most aggressive “Sport” setting, the vehicle’s attitude change can be noticed immediately.
  2011 Buick Regal; bottom photo by Russell Purcell. Click image to enlarge |
The Regal has a MacPherson strut front suspension and four-link independent rear suspension. Its four-wheel disc brake system has four-channel anti-lock braking plus brake assist and a unique standard electronic parking brake.
Its rack-and-pinion steering has hydraulic power assist and models equipped with the 2.0L turbo engine also come with larger brakes, to provide extra stopping power.
On the inside, the Regal CXL comes with leather upholstery with heated front seats; a 12-way power driver seat; a 120-volt outlet; Bluetooth for phone; XM Satellite Radio and OnStar. Available options include a navigation system, a Harman Kardon sound system with internal flash drive, 40-GB hard drive with 10 GBs for music and a USB port.
On the safety front, standard Regal equipment includes “StabiliTrak” (GM’s stability control system) and OnStar emergency service, which checks to see if you need assistance in situations, such as an airbag deployment. Six airbags are standard and rear seat side airbags are an option.
  2011 Buick Regal. Click image to enlarge |
All the chassis development work was done in Germany, adding authenticity to its premium European sport sedan claim. The body structure is one of the most rigid in the segment, according to Buick, and it’s approximately 25 per cent stiffer than the previous Regal.
The Regal is a nicely sized automobile with an attractive, sweeping coupe-like design silhouette. Up front, Buick’s chrome-trimmed signature “waterfall” grille is prominently positioned. At the rear, it has a sporty-look short deck and wrap-around taillights. Eighteen-inch alloy wheels are standard, while the turbo edition comes with nineteen-inch wheels.
The sweeping design theme carries over to the interior, where its dash flows into the side panels. It’s similar to the LaCrosse but has a more driver-centric instrument panel where the gauges are lit with ice-blue LED lights. Its thick-rimmed, leather-wrapped steering wheel had a sculpted feel to match its sporty aspirations.
The Regal has generously-sized, nicely bolstered seats that, according to Buick, were benchmarked against the top import competitors for comfort and support. After the six-hour drive back to Vancouver on the second day, my sensitive lower back was completely pain-free, always a good indicator of a well designed seat with good support.
In general, rear seat space provided for passengers is good, but headroom is limited for those taller than average. There are lots of storage spots and a flow-through design centre console offers storage for passengers in the front and back.
A well-designed, modern sport-minded sedan, the all-new Regal signals a bright new direction in the rejuvenation and transformation of Buick, and bodes well for its future.
2011 manufacturer’s suggested retail prices for the are $31,990 for the Regal CXL and $34,990 for the Regal CXL Turbo.
