Follow us on TwitterOpel Insignia is Next Buick Regal
Another rumor that’s been flying around for some has been confirmed: Buick is bringing back the Regal nameplate in America, and it will be a North American version of Europe’s Opel Insignia. The Regal has been a well regarded name within Buick for quite some time, and making a U.S. version of an Opel also fits in with GM’s penchant for sharing platforms and saving money. But there’s some other interesting twists and turns here.
The word is that the US-spec Buick Regal will be identical to the Chinese market version of the same car, and the Chinese version is based on the European Opel Insignia. Wait, they sell a Buck Regal in China but not here, you ask?
Indeed they do. That’s one of the reasons why the corporate ex fell on Pontiac when it did. Although they sell more Pontiacs in America than Buicks, they sell more Buicks in China in a month than GM sold Pontiacs in a year. Hence, the downfall of Pontiac. And that also explains why the “new” Regal is headed this way.
Susan Docherty, Buick GMC General Manager, had this to say: “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. We’re thrilled to announce that the Regal will be the next member of the Buick family.”
It’s also worth keeping in mind that even though the Regal hasn’t been produced for the past six years, it still has one of the best nameplate recognition scores for Buick. With the announcement GM did not say when the Regal will go on sale in the States, but it should show up at dealerships towards the end of 2010 or early 2011. Engine options will probably include 4-cylinder turbocharged units as well as a V6.
And no, for you motorheads out there with a long memory and dreams of a modern GNX revival, there most likely won’t be one on the cards. A shame really, because in Europe there is the Opel Insignia OPC that features all-wheel drive and a 325HP 2.8-liter turbocharged V6. So a modern day GNX is completely possible, if GM could just find a reason to build it.
Source: CarScoop
Man, I hate GM.
The Opel Insignia is the new Regal!
The Opel Insignia is the new Malibu!
Here they go again. If this car is meant to compete against the Accord and Camry, then it’s also competing against the Malibu. So now, while we talk about how Chevy is a core brand for GM and one which they would never shelve, they are consistently introducing models which directly compete with the Chevy packages.
This is so freaking stupid!
They can go on and on about luxury and performance, but the fact remains, the Malibu and this Regal will be exactly the same underneath. They will have the same dash board, the same crappy GM Delco radio, the same engine choices and the same transmissions. They might alter spring rates a bit to give a slight difference in handling “feel,” but it’s the same damn car with a different body.
If anything, they’re trying to do the whole Honda-Acura, Toyota-Lexus, Nissan-Infiniti thing and they’re just not very good at it. While the Japanese brands have pushed the limits of luxury over the years, their core brands have been catching up, which diminishes the value of that premium nameplate. GM, on the other hand, pushed bland, mediocre Chevy models, then just gussies them up a bit to be Buicks. Not the way it works, people.
(sigh) This is nothing for Lexus to relentlessly pursue. They were better than this about six years ago…
I do think that cars shouldn’t be rebadged (as GM has done in the past) but I disagree that this is case here. The Regal is a very different car than the Malibu. It is an Opel, developed in Europe.
The Regal is the kind of upscale vehicle that people have been wanting from GM, and they are delivering on it. Malibu-LaCrosse-Regal will be well differentiated. What GM is doing (stress now, they weren’t doing it before with atrocious rebadges) is what other automakers like Toyota-Lexus, Honda-Acura,Ford-Lincoln, etc do as well.
And, in this instance it is actually a lot better though, because the car will be brought over from Europe.
It just frustrates me that they continue to do this sort of thing. They might be bringing the Insignia over with minor trim modifications and calling it a Regal, but the Malibu is based on the same platform. So that means, what, in addition to the USDM grill, headlights, and badging, they also changed up the door skins, maybe more aggressive lighting fore and aft, and changed the shape of one of the windows.
I’m sorry, but I just can’t get over what I perceive as a continued lack of actual ability or intelligence when it comes to GM. The Regal is a nicer version of the Insignia, which is essentially the Malibu. Fuck the Malibu, I’m buying a Regal. The GMC Sierra is “Professional Grade.” Fuck the Chevy Silverado, I’m getting the GMC. And so on and so forth.
Add to that they still haven’t managed to work out the deals of the sale to Opel. What the hell is wrong with these guys? Nevermind the fact that their darlings of the mainstream automotive press are all being based on Opels and it would be suicide to cut ties with the source of the design and engineering, but get on with it already.
And, beyond all that, they still took giant handouts from the government under the premise of preventing plant/dealership closures, layoffs, and reinventing the way they do business. They got their money, they closed the plants and dealerships, they laid off thousands, and they’re are right back to doing business the way they always have. They refuse to let THE MARKET dictate their actions. They say, “This is what we’re going to do. Check it out. Isn’t it great? C’mon. We’re better than we used to be. Buy any of our cars. Keep it for 60 days. If you don’t like it, bring it back! (But here’s $500 if you waive your right to bring it back.)”
I will never buy another GM product and I will passionately help those I know to select anything else.