.The Regal is the latest Buick to result from the brand's impressive turnaround, and it comes to North American residents via Germany. From design to drive, the new Regal reeks of its German roots and forms a vehicle with few shortcomings for GM’s former geriatric brand.

In person the Regal looks just as good as photos portray. One has to wonder if GM did not foresee the Opel Insignia’s potential future as a Buick product, because it really fits in the family well. In person the car showcases the same tight panel gaps and clean build quality that has become prevalent on all of GM's new products. If there is one downside to the exterior of the Regal, it is that the 2.4-equipped car is saddled with halogen headlamps that do not look nearly as good as the projector beam-equipped Regal shown at auto shows.

The car’s lack of signature portholes on the hood was disappointing to this purist, but rumor has it that the car will gain Buick’s signature trait once Regal production moves to Oshawa, Ontario in early 2011. Outside of that single omission, the Regal looks great from the outside. In an era where most GM sedans look “thick” and larger than physics suggest, the Regal looks smaller than reality and actually evokes a very nimble look, even when stationary.

The Regal’s European roots are even more evident in the interior, which is both a good and bad thing. I found the design of the Regal's interior to be a tremendous asset to the car. It is a vast departure from the LaCrosse’s art-intense interior, but that isn’t a bad thing. The two take different approaches. While the LaCrosse interior is a work of art, the Regal interior is a technical design that appeals to a young, tech-savvy crowd.

 

The interior does not just look the part either. Material quality is as expected from a car that was designed, engineered and built in Germany. The dash is made of a soft-touch cast skin finish that is more than acceptable for a sub-$30,000 sedan. Everything from the control stalk to steering wheel buttons portrayed a high quality, significant feel that every Buick should have. Even the standard leather seats would feel at home in a price bracket above the reality.

The downside of the interior is the center stack. The barrage of buttons that reside on the center stack is intimidating — even to this tech-savvy Millennial. It looks good, but it is one Euro trait that is not the most practical for American tastes.

Having spent a lot of time with GM's other Epsilon sedans, the Regal’s driving position caught me by surprise. Older GM Epsilon-based products had a driving position that left you feeling closed in and sort of “in a hole,” while the Regal gives you a commanding feel from behind the wheel. The driving position in the Regal is very open and a welcome change from older GM sedans.

Driving the Regal is the most significant indication that it is not your typical Buick. The car is incredibly nimble, with minimal body roll. Suspension dampening is subtle and far from Buicks of the past — never providing a harsh ride, but having enough activity to keep you engaged.

Steering feel was also surprisingly good. Regal utilizes an electric steering system, a feature that has been utilized on several GM vehicles to little fanfare. GM appears to have gotten the Regal’s steering calibrated correctly. It was a tad bit light for my tastes, but that seems to be an industry-wide trend.

My particular Regal tester was a 2.4L model. While the power from this mill is smooth and adequate for most, for this enthusiast it left a little to be desired. I never found the car to be lacking power, but it is one of those vehicles that, when pushed, does not rapidly accelerate — it just speeds up. Luckily the car’s six-speed automatic is terrific; never having a reluctance to downshift or found hunting for the correct gear.

In reality, the car’s 184 horsepower limitation is its main drawback. The Regal is a car that has all of the right handling and dynamic attributes going for it, so the upcoming 2.0L Turbo model will likely tell the full story on just how performance-oriented this new Buick can really be.

Overall, I walked away impressed with the new Regal. The European-grade level of attention to detail is evident in the car, with features such as a trunk deck that fully opens on its own (thanks to small gooseneck hinges) and an electronic parking brake. With a classy design inside and out, excellent handling characteristics and impressive feature content, the Regal is certainly a compelling entry for the new Buick. Enthusiasts should perhaps wait for the Turbo model (launching in November) or, like myself, hold out for the Regal GS performance model that will be out in early 2011.
 

Source: www.gminsidenews.com