Posting respectable 2011 sales numbers, the quietly successful Buick Regal outsold the Audi A4, Lexus IS250 and Acura TSX last year. For 2013, the Buick Regal has received some drivetrain upgrades. First, the performance trim Buick Regal GS will receive an automatic transmission. Second, the 2013 Regal will possess eAssist technology as standard.

Introducing the Buick GS with a manual transmission is an interesting move and, according to U.S. vice president of Buick Marketing Tony DiSalle, “With the Regal GS, we made a conscious decision to go against the current trend and give enthusiasts the manual transmission they desire as standard equipment. Adding an automatic simply makes the performance of the GS even more accessible.” The new Aisin AF40 automatic transmission will be a no-cost option from the manual. According to GM, the new automatic transmission will deliver firmer shifts, capable of matching the manual Regal GS to 0-60 at 6.7 seconds. EPA ratings for the GS is at 19 mpg city and 27 mpg highway.

For 2013, the Regal will come with eAssist hybrid technology as standard equipment. A system that provides a light, but effective, secondary electric motor that assists to either motivate the car during slow traffic or to provide an additional boost to the engine, eAssist was initially a $2,000 option for Regals equipped with the Ecotec 2.4 liter engine. According to EPA ratings, the eAssist Regal reaches 25 mpg city and 36 mpg highway.

GALLERY: Buick Regal GS

More than 1,900 GMC and Buick dealerships are getting a face-lift by 2013, but it’s about more than just a look. It’s also about a new atmosphere that enhances the customer experience.

“Luxury shoppers today expect a certain level of treatment when purchasing a vehicle,” said Brian Sweeney, U.S. vice president of Buick & GMC sales and service. “Those expectations are now being met at many Buick and GMC stores around the country.”

The image enhancement program, as it’s called, will boost the stores’ image by adding a new exterior façade with updated signage, a bright and airy showroom featuring a greeting station and lounge with free Wi-Fi. You may even find a café or a salon in a few locations — pretty fancy stuff.

So why did GM feel the need for an enhancement program? It’s because Buick and GMC attract more than 40 percent of its buyers from brands outside General Motors. So far, about 170 dealers underwent a face-lift through the image enhancement program. Right now, 1,900 Buick and GMC dealers are involved, but by the end of 2013, that number will grow to more than 2,000 across the U.S.

“These aren’t just new faces on old buildings. We’re creating the complete and convenient dealership experience that attracts these buyers,” Sweeny said.

When GM sold 9.03 million vehicles globally to become the world’s largest automaker of 2011, a great deal of the American automaker’s success came down to its dominant popularity in the Chinese market.

According to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM), the best selling car in China for 2011 was the Buick Excelle. While it has been reported China sold 253,514 Excelles while only 177,633 Buick cars and SUVs were sold in the United States, confusion with Buick’s naming system revealed that the hot Buick Excelle isn’t the same as the Buick Verano sold stateside as we presumed. Oddly, the Buick line-up offers a total of three unique Excelles. Of the three, it’s the oldest generation model based on a dated Daewoo design that earned the most amount of sales. Powered by an engine designed by Holden, this particular Excelle is also known as the Kai Yue and was last given a face lift in 2008.

The second and third Chinese market Excelles are known as the Ying Lang. Using Opel Astra architecture, the hatchback Ying Lang XT and the Verano sedan variant, Ying Lang GT, only sold a combined 8,381 units during December 2011 when the older Kai Yue model sold 13,846 units in the same month.

Much of its popularity is due to its competitive pricing. At just 100,000 renminbi, or $15k USD, the Kai Yue Excelle is the gateway vehicle into China’s coveted Buick Owner’s Club.

GALLERY: Buick Excelle

[Source: China Car Times]

Buick has launched an app for iOS and Android smartphones to help raise MPG awareness. A trio of eAssist Fuel Efficiency smartphone games are packaged into a single app that’s now available to download for free and offers a fun way to hone your driving techniques in order to maximize fuel economy.

The three games are titled “Regeneration Road”, “Roll and Boost”, and “Wind Tunnel Tester.” Regeneration Road focuses on the regenerative braking featured found on Buick eAssist vehicles which helps capture and store energy when a vehicle is braking in order to recharge the lithium-ion battery. Players must make it through the town without running out of fuel while avoiding pedestrians along the way.

The second game, Roll and Boost, has a focus of distance and not speed with battery management being the main priority. By using the energy stored from braking strategically, an emissions-free boost of acceleration can be had and using that energy at optimal times is key to Roll and Boost.

Lastly, Wind Tunnel Tester allows players to put on their automotive engineering hat. Sit there and tweak the vehicle’s length and width on the screen, understanding how the sleek and modern shapes of Buick vehicles help maximize aerodynamics and ultimately fuel efficiency.

eAssist can be found on the Buick LaCrosse and Regal models and aids the performance of a fuel-efficient 2.4L gas engine to achieve 36-mpg. eAssist also allows the gas engine to turn off completely while the car is sitting idle.

“The driving force behind eAssist’s development was to make great vehicles like the LaCrosse and Regal even better,” said Dan Cottrell, General Motors assistant chief engineer for the eAssist powertrain. “With eAssist we can improve both vehicle performance as well as fuel economy.”

In North America, Buick is trying hard to shed its blue-rinse, AARP image. In China, however, the brand’s status is very much revered. In fact, to own a Buick in many aspects, is to know that you’ve arrived.

Perhaps its not surprising then that among the best selling cars in China, Buicks rank right up there. In fact, last year, the best selling model of all wore a Tri-Shield logo, the Buick Excelle, sold stateside as the Verano.

With sales of some 253,514 units (by contrast the entire US Buick lineup sold 177,633 cars and SUVs last year), it clearly indicates that GM’s “premium” division is absolutely going gangbusters in the world’s largest auto market.

Other “global” cars that fared well include the Chevy Cruze (which was the third best selling car in China in 2011) and the Ford Focus, which ranked number 10.

2010′s best seller, the Chinese BYD F3, saw demand plummet last year, ranking as 11th on the best seller list. Recently, the Chinese government passed legislation that aims to restrict the sale of some imported cars in an effort to spur demand for home grown vehicles, which so far have been largely overlooked by Chinese buyers, especially in the premium and luxury segments.

Volkswagen, which was among the longest established and largest  presence among Western automakers in China, had no fewer than four vehicles on the best seller list last year, the Bora, Jetta, Lavida and Santana.

[Source: Automotive News]

In 1989, Rick Moranis played a nerdy dad who accidentally downsized his children to an insect scale in Honey, I Shrunk The Kids. He probably wouldn’t have believed it if someone told him that 23 years later automakers would be doing the same thing to their cars.

For those of us living in the North American 2012, there are increasingly large swarms of little cars buzzing around the streets. The din their tiny engines makes isn’t overwhelming yet, but just wait.

General Motors’ German subsidiary, Opel, is planning to release a micro car they’re calling the Allegra (or, tentatively, Junior). No, not the allergy medication, though the thing is small enough to be mistaken for a bee in ragweed season, at least compared to the standard American palate. When the Allegra hits Europe in 2013 it will probably stand to compete against cars like the Volkswagen Up, MINI Cooper and Fiat 500.

In fact, it’s a solid 3.3 feet longer than the Mercedes-Benz spawned Smart ForTwo, which looks like a cross between a golf cart and an alien space pod. Our spies caught the Opel Allegra on camera during winter testing, but what’s the big deal? Opel cars aren’t sold in North America, right?

Well, not necessarily. Rumors are floating around that the not-so-smallish micro car might make it overseas rebadged as a Buick. (Why not? It’s not the first Buick to come from Opel). And with the recent launch of the Fiat 500 and the Scion iQ on our shores, the market for mini-cars is growing.

Of course, the name will likely change to keep big pharma happy.

GALLERY: Opel Allegra/Junion Spy Photos

Fuel mileage, horsepower and overall performance are key ingredients in the recipe for any successful car these days.

Maybe that’s why GM made the announcement to reporters at the North American International Auto Show that they plan to scrap the unimpressive naturally aspirated 2.4-liter four cylinder found in the Chevrolet Equinox, GMC Terrain and Buick‘s Verano and Regal. In it’s place, a 2.5-liter direct injected (cue fireworks) Ecotec inline four! The new engine will be 18 horses peppier than its predecessor for a total of 190 hp and 180 lb-ft of torque. It’s also going to be a lot less noisy, smoother and best of all, more efficient.

GM said they plan to make the transition between engines within the next 12 months, so look forward to a more refined American experience from GM.

Buick has achieved two straight years of growth and the brand is looking to keep up the momentum, targeting new buyers with unconventional new products. The Enclave SUV kicked-off the new Buick and it’s been a smash success, and even near the end of its product cycle continues to be the brand’s best seller. So if one crossover is a good idea, two must be better… right?

That thinking has spawned the Encore, a sub-compact crossover, that’s a step down in size from GM models like the Chevy Equinox. Rather than being based on a compact car platform like the Cruze, it’s based on the sub-compact Sonic.

For more on the Encore, watch AutoGuide’s first look video from the Detroit Auto Show below.

GALLERY: 2013 Buick Encore

Looking like a jacked-up hatchback, Buick has unveiled its newest model today at the Detroit Auto Show today. Called the Encore, it’s part of the GM premium brand’s plan to move further down-market in search of added sales – an area it’s actually been very strong in recently with two full years of gains.

An entry level offering sitting next to the new Verano compact, the Encore is designed to evoke the style of the larger Enclave, which is easily Buick’s volume model.

The Encore is a surprisingly small crossover, at 168 inches in length it’s actually two steps down from the Enclave, leaving space for yet another model in the brand’s growing lineup. Still, despite its compact size, it boasts 18.8 cu-ft of cargo room, or a total of 48.4 cu-ft with the rear seats folded flat. This out-does both the Audi Q3 and BMW X1, a strong hint that at least Buick sees these two models as rivals.

Power is adequate, at best, with a 1.4-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder making 140-hp and 148 lb-ft of torque mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission.

Standard equipment includes 18-inch wheels as well as a 7-inch LCD screen with Buick’s new IntelliLink system and 10 airbags, while optional goodies include navigation and a back-up camera, heated seats and steering wheel, remote start and memory seating. Other available features include a forward collision alert and lane departure warning.

Buick continues to push its Quiet Tuning philosophy and takes it a step further with the Encore, adding noise canceling technology that uses the car’s speakers to counteract sounds coming into the cabin..

The Buick Encore will arrive at dealers in early 2013.

GALLERY: 2013 Buick Encore

We’re 75 percent there! Well not really, you can probably guess what’s hiding behind the last square in Buick‘s little puzzle-style picture of their Encore small SUV. In case you’re missing the joke, it’s a wheel.

GM hasn’t released details about the Encore yet, though we can make a couple of educated guesses to tide you over until the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, where it will officially debut.

We do know that it will take advantage of the sub-compact Chevrolet Sonic‘s architecture. We are expecting to see GM’s new 1.4-liter and maybe 1.6-liter turbocharged four cylinder engines, as well as options for front- and all-wheel drive choices.

We’ll be in Detroit for the show, offering up-to-date information starting a week from today. Until then, see AutoGuide’s complete Detroit Auto Show Preview here.