So are these Buicks mentioned (for sale in North America) made in Germany, China or here in US? I see a lot of contradicting articles. Just curious.
The new Buick Regals are rebadged Opel Insignias. They were developed by Opel in Germany and are assembled at their Rsselsheim factory. Opel (and Vauxhall) recently changed hands from GM to PSA. The engine is designed and built by GM in the US. The 8-speed transmission is made by Aisin.
Please share your impressions. Thx.
I drove the Sportback sedan/hatch and TourX wagon. Both were the Essence trim, which is the highest trim level. MSRP was about $39k for the Sportback and $42k for the TourX. Given current incentives, the OTD price is likely about $5k less than that. A few impressions:
In person, they are good looking cars. I especially liked the look of the TourX in a candy red colour. The interior design is nice overall, but materials quality and fit & finish are on the cheap side. More Chevy than Buick. The gauge cluster in particular looks like a dated Chevy parts bin special. The seats were comfortable. The cabins were also quiet, with similar road noise to the 2017 CX-5, but less engine noise.
On the road, the Sportback drives like an average mid-sized sedan. There's a little bit of steering feel, but not as much as a Mazda. The suspension strikes a good middle ground. Given the winter road conditions (mix of dry, wet, and a little slush or snow on the edges), I wasn't able to really test the handling. But it's definitely not as sharp as the Mazda6 or Fusion but not as isolated as the Legacy or Camry. Power was adequate for passing and easy cruising. I wouldn't call it exciting, but it made the CX-5 feel lethargic in comparison. The TourX drove about the same, maybe slightly softer but it was hard to tell. I definitely noticed the extra cabin length when backing out, or when looking out the rear view mirror or trying to check the rear quarter before a lane change.
The killer feature of the Sportback is the cargo area. The liftgate is huge, and the cargo area is long and spacious, way more than your average sedan or hatchback. On paper, it has the same cargo space as the CX-5. While the CX-5's cargo area is taller, the Sportback's is longer. It also has a 40/20/40 split folding rear seat, which is a nice plus for a skier like me. Surprisingly, the TourX doesn't really have more space than the Sportback; just a little extra height in the very back but that's about it. I think the Sportback is definitely the better choice of the two, even though I like the look of the TourX a little better. The TourX is about $2-3k more, and is also a little heavier and less fuel efficient, but you don't really get more space.
Overall, I liked the Sportback but it didn't bowl me over. The price is on the high side for a mainstream mid-sized sedan, but the interior is not on the same level as a Mazda6 GT or Accord Touring. If you want an AWD sedan or wagon on a mainstream budget, there's only a few options: the Regals, the Legacy, and Fusion. I can buy a Legacy, Fusion, or CX-5 for a fair bit less money. I like the cargo versatility of the Sportback, but don't really need it, so ultimately I didn't think it was worth the money for me.