The most recent vehicle to earn the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) Top Safety Pick award is the 2011 Buick Regal. This means that the Regal joins other winners including LaCrosse, Audi A4, Lincoln MKZ, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Ford Fiesta and Hyundai Genesis that also many the Top Safety Picks for 2010.

All Top Safety Picks must have good ratings in the front, side, rear, and roof strength tests, and electronic stability control must be available.

“The Buick Regal is not only catching the attention of consumers with its design and responsive driving performance but also by being a leader in its class for safety,” said John Schwegman, vice president of Buick Marketing.  “The IIHS Top Safety Pick Award acknowledges our commitment to offering our customers great safety systems that enhance their driving experience.”

One of the most important conditions to getting this award is the roof strength test. The Regal withstood a force equivalent to about five times its weight; the federal standard is one-and-a-half times the vehicle’s weight.

Buick has announced pricing for its 2011 Regal. The Regal will first be available some time in the second quarter 2010 with a 2.4L engine with a sticker price of $26,995. A turbo-charged 2.0L version will come in the late summer at $29,495.

The Regal will initially offered only in the premium CXL trim, with a CX trim coming as a 2012 model, likely after production shifts from Russelsheim, Germany to the Oshawa Car Assembly Plant early in 2011.

The standard Regal CXL will be powered by a 2.4L Ecotec direct injection engine claiming 182-hp while the turbo-charged version will be powered by a 220-hp 2.0L Ecotec direct injection engine. Both engines are paired to six-speed automatic transmissions with Driver Shift Control. According to Buick, the 2.4L version gets an estimated 30 mpg on the highway while the 2.0L turbo engine takes a slight dip with a fuel efficiency of 29 mpg.

“The Regal is the next chapter in Buick’s transformation and we’re excited to bring this Buick sport sedan to market,” said Craig Bierley, Buick Marketing Director. “The dynamic driving experience and intuitive, personal technologies offer customers a premium sport sedan for great value.”

Gallery: 2011 Buick Regal

Official release after the jump:

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Buick has just officially announced the release of the all-new 2011 Regal at the LA Auto Show. With the car, General Motors is taking aim at luxury rivals like the Acura TSX in the entry-level sport/luxury market. Normally, you’d expect a Buick to underperform in this dynamic segment but Buick insists the Regal will be up to the task, even touting the car’s Autobahn upbringing. After all, the Regal is based on the same chassis as the award winning Opel Insignia, which was made in (and for) the German market. This is also the same chassis used for the new Buick LaCrosse, but is shortened by four-inches between the wheels and shrunk by 6.7-inches in total. The smaller overhangs should make for a more dynamic driving experience, as should the standard 18-inch wheels.

Under the hood, Buick will offer two engines – both of which are four-cylinders. Initially, the base engine model will be available with the same 2.4-liter direct-injection 4-cylinder as found in a lot of GM’s products lately. It will make roughly 182-hp and get 30 mpg on the highway. Later an optional 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder will be offered with 220-hp and 258 ft-lbs of torque and get 29 mpg highway. Both engines will come standard with a six-speed automatic transmission that features driver shift control.

Buick has confirmed that the turbocharged model will be available with a six-speed manual transmission as well, which it hopes will help promote the idea that the brand is now more youth and performance oriented than ever.

Having just had our first up-close experience with the Regal we have to say it’s not quite as exciting as we had expected – although the car’s touted European driving experience may change that. It’s not overly exciting to look at (being a smaller and more tame interpretation of the LaCrosse) and the interior is just so-so. In fact, after sitting in the car we scurried back over to the newly launched  Tucson to double-check it the Hyundai’s interior does seem higher grade.

When the turbocharged model launches in the summer of 2010, it will also come with a new Interactive Drive Control (IDC) option that will let the driver choose from three settings (Sport, Tour and Normal) for the suspension, throttle, steering and transmission. Cool stuff!

The 2011 Buick Regal will go on sale in the first half of next year. Only the 2.4-liter model will be offered in top-level CXL trim, with the turbocharged motor arriving in the Summer and other trim levels after that.

At the press conference Buick did announce that it is planning yet another more entry-level luxury sedan to fit in under the Regal.

GALLERY: 2011 Buick Regal

Buick appears to be serious about getting into the sporty entry-level luxury market, first unveiling that the 2011 Regal and announcing it would come with a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder, and now confirming that it will be offered with a six-speed manual transmission.

This top-level model, boasting 220-hp and 258 ft-lbs of torque, won’t be available until next Summer, with the initial offering being a direct-injection 2.4-liter four-cylinder with 182-hp. No doubt it will be the manual transmission that will help the more powerful Regal model to achieve 29-mpg highway, which almost matches the standard car’s 30-mpg rating. The 2.0T model will also be available with a new Interactive Drive Control (IDC) option that will let the driver choose from three settings (Sport, Tour and Normal) for the suspension, throttle, steering and transmission.

The Regal is based on the same chassis as the award winning Opel Insignia, which was made in (and for) the German market. This is also the same chassis used for the new Buick LaCrosse, but is shortened by four-inches between the wheels and shrunk by 6.7-inches in total. The smaller overhangs should make for a more dynamic driving experience, as should the standard 18-inch wheels and six-speed manual transmission.

GALLERY: 2011 Buick Regal

[Source: Autoblog]

Plans for a high-performance version of the newly-launched 2011 Buick Regal appear to be solidifying, with the horsepower output now rising to a lofty 335-hp! During the launch of the 2011 Regal last week, the folks at Car & Driver sat down with GM product boss Bob Lutz, who spoke about the possibility of a high performance “GS” version of the Regal, with all-wheel drive and 335-hp.

As the Regal is based on the German Opel Insignia, this hi-po Buick is easier to build than one might expect, as Opel already sells what it calls the Insignia OPC, with a 325-hp 2.8-liter turbocharged V6 – with all-wheel drive.

Lutz also commented that there’s a possibility the car could come with a six-speed manual transmission. He even said a wagon version was initially part of the product offering but that the recession and Chapter 11 filing by GM put the brakes on that.

C&D decided to weigh in on the matter, suggesting that Lutz combine the products to offer a WRX-like Regal GS Wagon, with a six-speed manual and AWD. We have to say, that sounds like a winner to us and would definitely change people’s perceptions of Buick – but would anyone buy the thing… other than us of course.

[Source: Car&Driver]

With the launch of the all-new 2011 Buick Regal, General Motors is taking aim at cars like the Acura TSX in the entry-level sport/luxury market. Normally, you’d expect a Buick to underperform in this dynamic segment but Buick insists the Regal will be up to the task, even touting the car’s Autobahn upbringing. The Regal, you see, is based on the same chassis as the award winning Opel Insignia, which was made in (and for) the German market. This is also the same chassis used for the new Buick LaCrosse, but is shortened by four-inches between the wheels and shrunk by 6.7-inches in total. The smaller overhangs should make for a more dynamic driving experience, as should the standard 18-inch wheels.

Under the hood, Buick will offer two engines – both of which are four-cylinders. Initially, the base engine model will be available with the same 2.4-liter direct-injection 4-cylinder as found in a lot of GM’s products lately. It will make roughly 182-hp and get 30 mpg on the highway. Later an optional 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder will be offered with 220-hp and 258 ft-lbs of torque and get 29 mpg highway. Both engines will come standard with a six-speed manual transmission that features driver shift control.

When the turbocharged model launches in the summer of 2010, it will also come with a new Interactive Drive Control (IDC) option that will let the driver choose from three settings (Sport, Tour and Normal) for the suspension, throttle, steering and transmission. Cool stuff!

The 2011 Buick Regal will go on sale in the first half of next year. Only the 2.4-liter model will be offered in top-level CXL trim, with the turbocharged motor arriving in the Summer and other trim levels after that.

GALLERY: 2011 Buick Regal

Official release after the jump:

Continue Reading…

Thanks to a quick thinking amateur spy photographer, we now have a single photo of what the upcoming 2011 Buick Regal will look like. Caught outside the Grand Rapids Art Museum in Grand raids, Michigan, the car was reportedly being photographed for future editorial or advertising images. A gentleman who goes by the name Nathan, snapped the pic and quickly posted it on Buick’s facebook page.

Last week Buick announced the Regal name would return to North America as a new entry-level Buick model that will slot in below the LaCrosse – which lists for $27,085. Currently sold in China and based on the Opel Insignia (which uses a slightly smaller version of the LaCrosse’s platform), Buick is expected to debut the Regal as a 2011 model. Two engines will be offered initially, including a 180-hp 2.4-liter four-culinder, as well as a more powerful 220-hp turbocharged 2.-0-liter four-cylinder. According to recent reports a sporty GS trim level may also be offered with a 280-hp V6, Brembo brakes, 19-inch wheels, and a six-speed manual transmission.

[Source: Facebook]

Just a week after GM announced the return of the Buick Regal nameplate, reports suggest the General may be preparing to launch a high-powered GS trim level. All versions of the car would be based on the European Opel Insignia platform (shown above) but the GS trim model would get the LaCrosse’s 280-hp 3.6-liter V6, as well as Brembo brakes and 19-inch wheels. It will be offered in both front-drive and all-wheel drive and there is a strong possibility it will be offered with a six-speed manual transmission.

Two other trim levels will also be offered, with the base model using GM’s 180-hp direct-injection 2.4-liter EcoTec engine, while a more powerful turbocharged direct-injection 2.0-liter EcoTec engine will be offered.

Buick is expected to deliver the Regal as a 2011 model with production starting soon.

[Source: GMInsideNews]

Buick is continuing to improve and expand its lineup of vehicles and build itself into a legitimate luxury car brand. The latest addition to the Buick lineup is a new mid-sized sedan with a familiar name: Regal.

The car will slot in under the new LaCrosse, which is priced from $27,085 and will be based on the European Opel Insignia. Currently such a vehicle is offered in China (pictured above) with a choice of two engines, a 164hp 2.4-liter four-cylinder and a 211hp turbocharged 2.0-liter four cylinder. And considering its European heritage we should expect a solid vehicle with some decent handling characteristics too.

“The transformation of Buick began with our luxury crossover, the Buick Enclave and continued this year with the launch of the 2010 LaCrosse premium sedan,” said Susan Docherty, Buick GMC General Manager. “We’re thrilled to announce that the Regal will be the next member of the Buick family.”

Buick has decided to bring back the Regal name as its one of Buick’s better known badges, despite the fact that the company hasn’t made a Regal vehicle (no pun intended) in six years.

Buick has yet to announce when the new Regal will arrive.

GALLERY: Chinese Market Buick Regal

Official release after the jump:

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If you’re a car junkie, Twitter is the place to be today. Ahead of a webcast tomorrow morning by GM CEO Fritz Henderson, the General arranged for a select few media to meet with its PR folks and get a preview of what the New GM has to offer.

Many of those folks have been tweeting on Twitter and so we have a good idea of what’s going on. In a press release from earlier today, GM said that Fritz will unveil a new model during the webcast. The only problem is, the tweets cover so many new models that we don’t know which one it will be.

Some of the biggest stories of the day include a new Cadillac model named the ATS, which is aimed at taking on the BMW 3 Series (yes pulease)! And it would be offered as both a coupe and sedan. Other Cadillac news includes a story we ran earlier today about the new CTS Coupe and CTS-V Coupe coming in May. Tweets also covered a story we ran several weeks back about the DTS replacement being called the XTS and using the LaCrosse platform – meaning AWD will be optional.

As for the Buick brand, there will reportedly be a new model added to that lineup – a mid-sized sedan due out in the next 24 months. This will no doubt the the Chinese market Regal, a story we reported on several weeks back as well.

In Chevy news, those lucky enough to be at the General’s party today got to glimpse the 2012 Malibu, well ahead of its unveiling. Additionally Bob Lutz still isn’t done getting peoples’ hopes up, saying that the Pontiac G8 might still have a life at GM.

[Source: Twitter via Autoblog]