The Buick Regal GS will be coming out soon, and I have to say it is terrible. You see, the Regal is based on the same chassis as the Vauxhall/Opel Insignia in Europe. The problem is that in Europe GM went all out with the VXR version of the Insignia, where as it has been half assed for us here in the states.    

The Regal GS will have the 270hp 2.0L turbo motor from the Cobalt SS, and front wheel drive as well, a mediocre setup for a car that should be leading Buick’s charge upmarket. After GM’s brand consolidation, Buick has been left as a sort of mid range luxury brand set to compete with Lexus, Acura, Infiniti, and even Hyundai, as well as lower range models from the European manufacturers. To succeed, I believe Buick needs to offer some serious value for money. They have done a great job dressing up their interiors, but in this part of the market it becomes about more than the façade. They need to build cars that are legitimately equal to or better than their competition at a much lower price. This Regal GS is being touted as a sport sedan, but it won’t hold a candle to real sport sedans from more established companies in this realm, mainly because of its front wheel drive crutch.

The answer to the problem is the Vauxhall Insignia VXR, left as is but with a buick badge on the front. Have a look at the figures, 325hp from it’s turbocharged 2.8L V6 and power goes to all four wheels. In Europe the Insignia VXR is a direct competitor to Audi’s acclaimed S4 sedan, and the same would hold here in the States. This is what the Regal GS should be, not some glorified American rice burner. I imagine the price for the proper Regal GS would be in the high $30k range, so it would undercut the S4 by a few thousand dollars and would give enthusiasts a more grown up option to cross shop with the Mistu Evo and the Subaru STI. The Regal GS, in this form, would fit absolutely perfectly into this market segment, stealing sales from both the Europeans and the Japanese.

This begs the question of why GM has decided to half ass the Regal GS. I attribute it to convenience and lack of vision. As of now, in America, Buicks are still just for people who want dressed up Chevys, but can’t quite get a Cadillac yet. There is a lack of real purpose for the brand here. Yes, in China things are different, but this isn’t China. I say either make Buick relevant, or get rid of the brand here in the US and leave it for China to have (like Opel in Europe).

To make Buick more than just a middle class Chevy, they need to earn some respect by making extremely good products (as Hyundai has been doing). My proposed V6, AWD Regal GS would serve such a purpose. People would hail it as a bargain S4 killer, and that would do wonders for Buicks public image, allowing them to peak the interest of new buyers who wouldn’t have considered them before. A lot of the car business is theatrics. Buick needs to put on a show for people, make some bold moves and stop playing things safe and boring. Recent Buicks have very nice interiors, but remain boring and unremarkable as overall cars. I want to see Buick step up to the plate and start stealing sales from the likes of Audi and Lexus, forging an identity for themselves as the main player in the mid-range luxury market.

Still, for some reason GM thinks that American buyers wouldn’t want the most serious version of this car, a mistake that many other manufacturers have been making too (Audi). This is a stupid notion because we are still a wide open, speed-loving country with little road restrictions when compared to Europe with all their speed cameras. We are also, at least for the time being, the largest luxury car market in the world. For some reason though, they still hold back. The most frustrating thing is that great things have been done with Cadillac’s V line, so why not continue the same sort of practices down market with Buick? Overall I think GM is still growing out of their pre-2008 stupidity, and that it will be a few more years before they will fully understand that America is not an isolated market anymore, and that they must compete with the rest of the world on all fronts. Wake the hell up, GM!!!

-Nick