More power, handling and some sweet seats
A sedan that has features like an SUV
PORT ALBERNI, B.C. •‘It’s an SUV that drives like a car!’
To me, that automaker marketing slogan has always smacked of hard-selling a veggie burger that ‘tastes like meat!’ Inherent to each statement is the unsaid truth that to convince the buying public on the suspect merits of the former is to equate it to the bona fide merits of the latter. Which leads to the obvious conclusion: Why would I sacrifice settling for an SUV/soy patty when it’s really a car/beef burger I desire?
In the case of the SUV, the fact of the matter is people who purchase one aren’t really that interested in it performing like a car at all. Instead, they like the utility — from passenger room to storage space — and often cite the notion that they enjoy the perspective from the higher seat in comparison to a sedan.
Fair enough. There’s no arguing the SUV/CUV segment has all but eliminated the station wagon and brought the once-omnipotent sedan to its knees. Fortunately for those of us who still like the sensation of driving a car, some automakers continue to refine and fiddle with the sedan format to turn that opening statement on its head and create a car that has features like an SUV.
The latest incarnation of this hopeful trend is the 2018 Buick Regal Sportback, a four-door hatchback for all intents and purposes, and a vehicle that tries hard to fulfil that promise.
And to underscore its serious intentions in offering a fun-to-drive sedan with great cargo capacity, Buick has brought to market a GS version of the all-new Sportback, complete with V6 power, Brembo brakes and sport front seats.
Earlier this week I drove both the base Sportback and the GS model on Vancouver Island, covering the 200-orso kilometres bisecting the island from Nanaimo to Tofino.
Anyone who has driven this scenic route knows the at-times-harrowing twists and turns along the way — particularly on the stretch between Port Alberni and Tofino — so it was a good test run for the new sedans. My focus here is on the GS model, but for comparison’s sake it was good to get some seat time in the base version during the trip.
The all-wheel-drive GS differs from the base model (available in front-wheel and all-wheel drive). in performance. The GS has a 310-horsepower 3.6-litre V6 with 282 pound-feet of torque, compared to the base trim’s 2.0-L turbocharged in-line four (250 hp and 260/295 torque in FWD/ AWD respectively).
In addition, the V6 features direct injection, cylinder deactivation and stop-start technology. The GS gearbox is a nine-speed manumatic (no paddle shifters) with an active twin clutch, while the base model’s FWD gets a slightly different nine-speed and the AWD gets eight-speed. The GS gets meaty four-piston Brembo brakes up front, while the base trim has your garden-variety four-wheel discs. And the GS has a fivelink rear suspension while the base has a multi-link suspension.
As to the exterior, the GS gets some sport-inspired tweaks to the front and rear ends and side skirts, a rear deck-lid spoiler and 19-inch wheels. The base comes with a choice of 17- or 18-inch wheels. And around back, the GS’s sport-tuned exhaust gets chrome exhaust tips.
The GS’s performance personality is also on show in the cabin, most notably with the front bucket seats. These perforated performance seats feature integrated headrests, thigh supports and power-adjustable lumbar support, heat and massage functions. They are also AGR-certified, meaning a German association of chiropractors have give them the thumbs up. Once you’ve settled into the driver’s seat, a heated flat-bottom sport steering wheel reaches out to you in the driver-oriented cockpit. And your feet will easily find the GS-specific pedals. The GS shares the same eight-inch infotainment package with its base stablemates, however it comes with a head-up display option as part of the Driver Confidence II package, which includes a number of tech-based safety features.
What the two trims share, apart from each being built in Germany, is impressive cargo capacity. With the rear seats up, the trunk has 892 L of space; with them down there’s a massive 1719 L. And kudos to Buick for the 40/20/40 rear-seat split, allowing two rear seat passengers with skis stored in between.
I piloted the base model and was suitably impressed with handling and passing performance. Cabin noise was whisper quiet (and will be even more so with the standard QuietTuning Continental tires, which were not on the testers). Ergonomics were pretty good, though I’d be in favour of more button and dial controls rather than the touchscreen functions of the display. It is a component sedan.
The next morning it was into those back-friendly sport seats of the GS and out onto the tight twists and turns of the Pacific Rim Highway. The sport seats certainly performed as advertised, and the GS-specific gauges conveyed a different feel from the previous day’s ride.
While the engine performance of the GS was also different from the base model, I have to say I was a little underwhelmed. That 50-plus more horsepower didn’t come to the fore as I expected (and hoped!) and while real-time stats might say otherwise, the passing acceleration of the V6 seemed in line with the turbo four. There was no question the chassis sport tuning held the tight turns better than the base models, and the GS’s braking was also superior. Cabin noise was also more intrusive in the GS, however the lovely sound of the sport-tuned exhaust was welcome.
Is the all-wheel-drive Sportback GS, with a price range between $43,000 and just under $50,000, worth the extra money over the base Sportback (FWD $31,845 and AWD $37,345)? Well, if you like a little sizzle with your beef burger, I’d say so. Just don’t expect a double patty.