V-6 power gives Buick Regal GS silky smooth ride,
With sedan market in decline, Buick offers up an intriguing twist
The new Buick Regal GS sport sedan will offer its first V-6 engine in a generation and a more accommodating interior when it goes on sale early in
2018.
The Regal GS accelerated smoothly, absorbing bumps and clinging to curves in test runs around a 5.3-mile ride and handling track at General Motors’ proving ground here northwest of Detroit. The 3.6-liter V-6 delivers
310 horsepower. All-wheel drive and a 9-speed automatic transmission are standard.
The adaptive suspension kept the car flat through fast curves and muffled the impact of the test track’s close-spaced chatter bumps.
Buick sales have been rising steadily, mostly thanks to the brand’s growing line of sport-utility vehicles, but the Regal and GS names have a loyal following based on decades of strong designs and advanced performance.
Adjustable drive modes let the GS driver modify shift points, suspension and steering. It also shifts 10% more torque to the rear wheels to mimic the dynamics of rear-drive sport sedans.
Simple controls that include buttons and dials for climate and audio, a large touch screen and voice recognition promise to make the Regal a particularly driver-friendly sport sedan.
The V-6 produces 51 horsepower more than the turbo- charged 4-cylinder engine that powers the 2017 Regal.
Regal GS prices will start at less than $40,000, Buick chief Duncan Aldred said.
The GS offers deeply sculpted heated and cooled sport seats, Brembo brakes, adaptive suspension and optional head-up display.
Buick aims to offer “attainable
luxury,” Aldred said.
Buick has two other new Regal models coming late this year: the Sportback, a roomy hatchback that looks like a sedan, and Tour X, a wagon with a raised ride height and standard AWD to attract buyers inclined toward SUVs and crossovers. Both have a turbocharged 250-horsepower, 2-liter, 4-cylinder engine and 8- speed automatic transmission. The base Sportback is frontwheel drive, with an all-wheeldrive option.
Regal Sportback prices start at
$25,915 — $2,000 less than the less powerful 2017 model. Tour X prices start at $29,995.
“The midsize sedan market is in decline, but Buick has offered a couple of interesting twists in the GS sportier version and the Sportback hatchback, which combines good looks and practicality,” Autotrader senior analyst Michelle Krebs said.
The new model’s more accommodating rear seat also will be a selling point, Autopacific analyst Dave Sullivan said.
Buick will tout the Sportback and Tour X’s combination of practicality and performance because executives say they both offer more cargo space than competitive sedans such as the Acura TLX, Audi A4 and Lexus
IS350.
The GS was the star of the show at GM’s Milford proving ground, but the Tour X and Sportback acquitted themselves well on the test track.
Their 250-horsepower 4-cylinder engine delivers more than adequate acceleration. It’s linked to the 9-speed for front-wheel-drive models and 8-speed transmission with all-wheel drive.