2009 Los Angeles Auto Show: Buick Teases Future Sedan Model

Look closely, or you’ll miss it. Hidden in a shadowy sketch included in the press kit for the 2011 Regal may be a hint at a future Buick Sedan.

You’d be forgiven for initially mistaking the third car for the LaCrosse shown next to it, especially since the two share a similar treatment for Buick’s traditional portholes (i.e. on top of the hood stamping). However, it sports a few details that suggest it’s really an all-new model.

For starters, the waterfall grille actually wraps over the top of the hood, (something the LaCrosse’s aperture doesn’t do), and the headlamps are larger, resembling those used on the Enclave crossover. Further, the A-pillars are shifted forward, and the side window openings have a different shape, and cut lower into the body surfaces.

Seeing as Buick has long suggested it was interested in playing in the premium compact segment, this may well be a sneak peek at such a vehicle. We’re told to “wait and see,” as further design studies — or, perhaps, the car itself — will be shown over the course of 2010.