Buick hatches a bold new approach for its midsize passenger car

The hatchback sedan is not a new idea. Just look at the Audi A7 that arrived for the 2012 model year. The Buick design follows the same theme and provides double the luggage room of the previous Regal sedan. (Photo courtesy of Buick) The dash layout is uncluttered, with many non-critical vehicle functions operated through a touchscreen. The shift lever is a pleasant departure from the buttons and dials that are commonplace today. (Photo courtesy of Buick)

GeneralMotors has been doing some serious tinkering with the Buick brand.

There’s the launch of new vehicles, the deletion of the Verano sedan, and major revisions to existing models.

The 2018 Regal holds fast to the original name, but the car’s hatchback body is so radically different from the previous sedan shape that it gets a new name: Regal Sportback.

With the ongoing shift to tall wagons from sedans, moving the Regal to a hatchback format could prove to be one of Buick’s smarter moves. And the fact that the car still exhibits a fourdoor-sedan appearance could also work in Buick’s favor with buyers who remain steadfastly averse to the look of a typical hatchback.

Buick’s designers have devised a handsome car. The toothy grille that has been around in one form or another for decades is less prominent than we’re used to, leaving Buick’s “Trishield” logo front and center. The rest of the Sportback’s sheetmetal contains subtle, straightforward shapes with a touch of chrome trim above the doors. The result is tasteful and conservative, mixed with a smidgen of Euro ambiance.

Interior styling is equally understated and is less gimmicky than that of some other models in GM’s fold. Despite a growing trend to dials and pushbuttons for the transmission shifter, the Sportback still provides drivers with a traditional lever.

It’s at the back where the Sportback’s uniqueness is most noticeable. With the giant hatch door cracked open, there’s double the luggage space of the previous Regal sedan. According to Buick, when the rear seat is folded flat, there’s more free space than in the Audi A5 Sportback or the BMW 4 series Gran Coupe.

The front-wheel-drive Sportback uses a turbocharged 2.0-liter fourcylinder that makes 250 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. For allwheel-drive models, the torque value increases to 295 pound-feet.

The FWD model is mated to a ninespeed automatic transmission, but the all-wheel-drive car gets an eight-speed automatic.

The base fuel-economy rating is 19 mpg in the city and 30 on the highway.

At a base price of $25,900, the Sportback 1SV comes with the basic fittings and eschews any serious luxury features. The content found in the Preferred and Essence packages turns the Sportback into a more complete upscale ride.

A subset of the Sportback model range is the Regal GS. Buick refers to it as a premium “sport sedan” even though the body is identical to the Sportback’s. Strange, indeed. The GS has a 3.6-liter V6 that produces 310 horsepower and 282 pound-feet of torque. There’s standard all-wheeldrive with yaw assist that shifts power to the outside rear wheel in a turn for

less understeer (the tendency for the vehicle to continue in a straight light when the front wheels are turned).

Along with the beefier engine, the range of standard equipment in the $40,000 (base price) GS includes shock absorbers that adjust up to 500 times a second. There are also Brembo-brand brakes, 19-inch wheels (17-inch alloy wheels are standard) and heated and ventilated eight-way power-adjustable sport bucket seats with driver’s-side massage. Rounding out the list is a flat-bottom sport steering wheel, front and rear park assist and an 8-inch-diagonal instrument grouping that can be configured according to driver needs.

Among the few GS options is a headup display, navigation system with premium Bose audio package, and a full suite of collision-preventing/avoiding technologies.

The entry fee for the GS Sportback is about $3,500 less than the least expensive A5 Sportback, and roughly $4,000 below the base price of the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe.

The addition of a hatchback might not seem all that groundbreaking, but for Buick the Sportback represents a unique offering that should appeal to more youthful buyers seeking practicality and affordability in their entryluxury ride.