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The connection between Buick and Opel is hardly new (remember the slinky GT?), but the new 2011 Regal may be the best vehicle to come of the relationship.
Apart from the grille and emblems, the new Regal is largely an Opel Insginia, a car that would have become the next-generation Aura had General Motors not ditched the Saturn brand. Although the practice of swapping trim and emblems may have struck former CEO Fritz Henderson as “badge engineering,” we’re glad GM found a place for this car stateside.
As our own assistant editor David Zenlea reported, the Regal happens to drive as well as it looks. Base powertrain consists of a 182-hp, direct-injection 2.4-liter I-4 and a six-speed automatic, but GM’s also letting buyers spring for a 220-hp, 2.0-liter turbocharged I-4. Come this summer, buyers can also spec turbocharged Regal models with a six-speed manual transmission.
The black-on-black interior we sat in at the show wasn’t the most visually stimulating color scheme, but fit and finish seemed up to snuff. Buick retained the Insignia’s center stack arrangement, which is cleanly arranged, although controls are slightly small. Luckily, a control knob located just below the transmission (much like BMW’s i-Drive) helps drivers scan through menus.
If Americans warm to this taste of Europe, we may find other Opels channeled through Buick outlets. Not only is the automaker already looking at bringing a compact car based off Opel’s Astra our way, but word on the street is a high-performance Regal offering is also under consideration…
“Although the practice of swapping trim and emblems may have struck former CEO Fritz Henderson as “badge engineering,” we’re glad GM found a place for this car stateside.”I only have a problem with “Badge Engineering” when an automaker develops one car (car not platform), and then uses it in every division in the same market, with only minor cosmetic changes. This is what US automakers did a lot of in the 80′s, and they suffered because of it. This is not the same situation with the Regal, the Astra/Excelle/whatever they wind up calling it and even the G8. Yes, it is the same car with different grills and badges, but it was developed from the start to meet the needs of several markets, and it’s not being marketed against another version of it from a different division. If this is “Badge Engineering”, it’s “Badge Engineering” in the best sense of the term.