GM surprised everyone by unveiling the 2011 Buick Regal this afternoon. Reported designed to compete with the Acura TSX and Volvo S60, the 2011 Regal chassis was designed in Germany. Some of the hardware is questionable in a premium sports sedan, specifically the base engine, which only puts out 182 HP. Here are the full specs:
2011 Buick Regal Specs
- 182 HP 2.4 liter I4 ( 172 lb-ft of torque )
- Optional turbocharged 220 HP 2.4 liter I4 ( 258 lb-ft of torque )
- Six speed automatica transmission
- EPA Says: 20 MPG city / 30 MPG city for non-turbo, 18/29 for turbo
- Standard 18″ wheels
- Curb weight: estimated 3600 lbs
Buick definitely looked to BMW for styling inspiration, and you can see a lot of 5-series in the looks of the new Regal. That’s not a terrible place to look, as the BMW is a good looking car. However, people don’t buy BMW’s because they look nice – they buy BMW’s because the driving experience is amazing.
I don’t think “amazing driving experience” when I hear Buick.
That’s not to say the Buick won’t drive fantastically well. But the perception is that Buicks drive like big, floaty clouds, and that’s going to be a tough perception to change.
2011 Buick Regal Gallery
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Just like always, GM has no idea how to match a decent powertrain to a Buick model. If they have targeted the TSX, the GM 2.4L (also available in such luxury stalwarts as the Cobalt) 4 cyl, even beefed up, is not a sophisticated powertrain, and at 3600 pounds, it will be a dog. The turbo will require premium, which is a big mistake for domestics. Why not put the 3.6L 6 in this car? Regular gas, superior powertrain, and will compete nicely then. Just who is the braintrust at Buick?
Not only the chassis is designed in Germany, the whole car is construkted by Opel in Germany. So the driving experience will be closer to BMW than to Buick