Buick’s Avista Concept proved the company could think radically, but without any plans for a production model, we’ve been waiting to be wowed with a real car.
Which brings us to the 2018 Regal. Gone is the underwhelming compact sedan and in its place is a pair of new body styles. Buyers will have their choice of the Regal TourX wagon (which rivals Volkswagen’s Alltrack and Subaru’s Outback) or the Regal Sportback (which shares a name and segment with Audi’s A5 Sportback).
Given Americans’ weakening appetite for sedans and interest in four door coupe-esque designs, Buick’s move makes sense, but it’s certainly a departure from the automaker’s conservative norm. Both vehicles share a sharp front end with styling cues from the all-new Lacrosse and increase utility compared to the Regal sedan predecessor. The Sportback’s gently sloping roofline and liftback trunk falls in line with the recent four-door coupe craze. The TourX butches up traditional wagon design elements with body cladding and a minor lift. Fun fact: Buick hasn’t sold a wagon since the Roadmaster in the 1990s.
Mechanically, the TourX will come standard with all-wheel drive and the Sportback will offer four driven wheels for an extra fee. A 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder making 250 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic, is standard in the TourX and AWD Sportback. The front-wheel drive Sportback uses the same engine, sans 35 lb-ft of torque, and a nine-speed automatic.
Both vehicles will bow at next week’s New York International Auto Show and go on sale late this year. Pricing has yet to be announced.
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