America Finally Gets Astra VXR - As A Buick?

I test drove the last-generation Vauxhall Astra way back in 2008.  For one single year, GM imported Astras as Saturns - basically by changing the badge and putting the steering wheel on the left side.  It was actually a pretty great car in my estimation: a lot of the Eurosnob charm of the VW Golf, without the price tag or general feeling that it was swimming through syrup in all it's controls.

Of course, the death of Saturn in 2009 meant the end of Astra importation - at least until 2012, when a strange little thing called the Verano started showing up on Buick lots across the country.  Buick, formerly the purveyor of boring vehicles for octogenarians, has been on a roll as of late rejuvenating their image.  Gone are stodgy upscale rental fodder like the Lucerne, and badge-engineered SUV's like the Rainier.  Buick's been cast as a hipper, more European "classy luxury" company.  The first noticeable changes were the "whoa, that's pretty nice" LaCrosse and the Regal (an Opel Insignia with a chrome grille) in 2010.  Lately, they've been stepping up their game even more.  Most noticeably with the remarkably aggressive Regal GS, which features things you just wouldn't expect in a Buick ten years ago.  270 horsepower turbocharged 4-cylinder, fancy camber-correcting front suspension, Brembo brakes... and a six speed manual.

The Regal GS is a cool car, for sure.  I can't wait to get behind the wheel of one.  Unfortunately, they were a little optimistic on the pricing: at $35,270 the GS has it's head stuck in some fiercely competitive territory.  Probably a great car, but ringing up the register at more than $38,000 fully loaded, a questionable purchase.

Now, the Verano is a bit more intriguing.  It's had a circuitous life: it started out as the Buick Excelle in China (where Buick is huge), came here as the Verano, and soon will be sold in Europe as the Astra sedan.  In standard trim, the Verano's a nice car and a good value, but not all that exciting.  It mates the Astra/Cruze chassis with a larger 2.4L Ecotec naturally aspirated I4, which is fine for a commuter but fairly boring.

That's about to change with the introduction of the Verano Turbo.  Announced yesterday, the Turbo ditches the 2.4L for GM's Ecotec 2.0L Turbo engine.  This 4-cylinder is also found under the hood of the Regal GS, and previously powered the Cobalt SS and Pontiac Solstice GXP.  With high-pressure direct injection, continuously variable valve timing, and a small low-inertia turbocharger the Verano Turbo will deliver a healthy 250bhp and 260lb-ft of torque to the front wheels.  A 6-speed automatic will be standard, with a 6-speed manual transmission as a no-cost option.  The engine is slightly detuned from that in the Regal GS, but the Verano's a smaller, lighter car.

It should be cheaper, too.  The Verano has a base starting price that's around $4,000 cheaper than the comparable Regal for base models.  The Turbo will come standard with the Convenience and Luxury packages, which add things like a Bose 9-speaker audio, heated leather seats and steering wheel, park assist, and push-button start.  A regular Verano with those options rings up at $26,850 - which is still less than the base price of a Regal.  Figure that the Turbo option might cost $1,000-1,500 on top of that, and you're still looking at a sub $30,000 vehicle.

At that price, it's still going to be one of the faster things around that isn't a sports car: Buick quotes a 6.2 second 0-60 time for both the manual and automatic transmissions.  If they sold one without all the luxury features, it'd be closer to the mid-twenties: pitched directly at more overtly sporting hardware like the VW GTI, MazdaSpeed3, Focus ST, and Cooper S.

This probably won't be a vehicle that appeals to the same buyers, of course.  Despite the European underpinnings and frankly awesome motor, it's still a luxury car in a small package - so the turbo/six speed combination is an interesting contrast.  More accurate competition for the Verano Turbo would be the Acura ILX 2.4L, and the Audi A3 2.0T.  The Audi starts just over $28,000 with destination included, but it's a bit handicapped: the $28,000 starting price and hatchback-only configuration don't help, and the 50bhp/53lb-ft deficit put it more than a second behind for 0-60, and without the mid-range power the GM Ecotec Turbo has.  The Acura ILX 2.4L (which is basically a new Civic Si in Acura trim) starts at $29,200 and offers less power (201bhp) and almost 100lb-ft less torque (170lb-ft) with a 6-speed manual.

The "compact luxury sports sedan" market is admittedly a developing one in the US, but let's not dismiss the importance of this car.  Buick wants to sell you an attractive compact sedan, with a 6-speed manual mated to a powerful (and tuneable!) turbocharged engine, impressive luxury features, and without all the overstated "boy racer" body kit.  The only way to tell a Turbo apart is the small lip spoiler, special wheels, and dual exhaust.  It's a sleeper par excellance.  So, is Vauxhall finally sending over the Astra VXR to the states?  Yes, only better.  Do Want.