A Carscoops reader snagged pictures of GM testing two different body styles of the common replacement to the Buick Regal in North America and China, Opel Insignia in Europe and other global markets, and according to some accounts, possibly even the Holden Commodore in Australia and New Zealand.
Photo Gallery
The Buick Regal may have aged well, but that doesn’t detract from the fact that it’s based on GM’s eight-year old Opel Insignia, and the competition, be that from upper-trim levels of mainstream mid-size cars or base compact luxury models, have moved forward.
It has been said that the next Buick Regal won’t adopt the fastback styling of its European twin, the Opel Insignia. This begs the question what was the five-door model with its more striking coupe-like roofline doing in Colorado where reader Brett Borgard caught it next to the more conventional four-door sedan, the answer to which is either the reports are wrong or GM’s engineers were just evaluating both models in the States. At this point, though, we can only speculate. Another unknown is whether Buick will import the Insignia Wagon from Germany.
Even though the Verano will reportedly be phased out from the US market so Buick can focus on crossovers leaving the Regal as its entry level sedan, the new mid-size model will get a bigger footprint expanding rear passenger legroom, but at the same time, it will lose a great deal of weight over the current car.
Riding on the same platform as the latest Chevrolet Malibu, the next Regal will take advantage of GM’s smaller displacement turbocharged four-cylinder units, possibly offering a 1.5L unit alongside a newer 2.0L turbo engine. We should see a hybrid model and a replacement for the GS sporting a high-output V6 and all-wheel drive.
Sources expect the new Buick regal to go on sale in mid-2017 as a 2018 model year.
Spy nod to Brett Borgard for the pics!