Regal: More Than Just Bred On the Autobahn

Edward Niedermeyer
by Edward Niedermeyer

The single trim level is what tipped us off, and if we’d looked closer at its spec sheet, we’d have seen that its manufacturing location is listed as “Rüsselsheim, Germany.” Automotive News [sub] reports that Regal will be built in Germany for 15 months before production shifts to Oshawa. Which makes the Regal even more of an odd duck. In addition to being stuck into GM’s bursting lineup of Epsi-II midsize sedans, it’s also losing whatever profit it might have made on the dismal foreign exchange rate and the boat ride over from Europe. Or it will be just plain overpriced. Think of it as the love child between a Saturn Astra and a Pontiac G8. And another sign that some things never change.

Edward Niedermeyer
Edward Niedermeyer

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  • Mtymsi Mtymsi on Nov 12, 2009

    From this picture I like the styling. There's a lot more styling differentiation between the Regal and Malibu then the Fusion and Milan as an example. Hard to say if there's a market for this car or not. With the G6 and Saturn gone maybe there is, soon we'll find out.

  • Carguy Carguy on Nov 12, 2009

    Maybe all this criticism of the new Regal is a bit premature. Buick desperately needed new product and they are bridging the gap for a few months with European production. As for the "Buickness" of the car - why not wait until you've had a chance to drive it? Just sayin' - a couple of months back TTAC wrote off the new Taurus and it seems to be doing OK.

  • Chrisgreencar Chrisgreencar on Nov 12, 2009

    I think it's very attractive. To the haters who say it's just like a Malibu, I would reply that it's no more similar to a Malibu than an Accord is to an Acura TSX -- which is to say, similar in many ways, but sized differently and with a different target market. Malibu is more of a family sedan. This Regal is smaller and more intimate, and more like today's version of a personal luxury car. I do think the Regal name is a misstep. I love heritage when properly used, but the Regal name conjures up 1970s excess at best and at worst, bland 1990s models. I think Century or even Gran Sport would have been better names if they wanted to draw from the past.

  • Robert Schwartz Robert Schwartz on Nov 12, 2009

    "... an Opel Insignia ... a price of about 35,000 Euro (4-cylinder engine, no big extras, no leather etc. )." Or $52,000 ooowwww that hurts. I am loosing the thread here. I can no longer tell the difference among midsized GM cars. What if anything other than Badges is the difference between the Regal, the LaCross, the Malibu and the late lamented Saturn Aura, and Pontiac G6?

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