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2011 Buick Regal

[ Saturday, July 17th, 2010 | by automotiveroom | under Buick, CAR, New Cars ]

The thought of holding a vehicle launch drive for a new Buick sedan at Germany’s Nürburgring race track would have been considered utterly absurd 18 months ago to just about anyone except Jim Federico. Federico is General Motors’ vehicle line executive for its global mid-size car platform code-named Epsilon II. In those late pre-bankruptcy days, few outside of Federico’s team had any idea what Buick had in its pipeline.

buickregalgermany 04opt 2011 Buick Regal

The 2011 Buick Regal marks the return of a midsize sedan and the Regal nameplate to this General Motors division’s lineup. Buick last offered a Regal in the United States in 2004. The 2011 version shares its basic design with the European-market Opel Insignia. Initially, Regals are offered in a single CXL trim level, with additional versions due in the 2012 model year. The standard engine is a 182-horsepower 2.4-liter 4-cylinder. A 220-horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine is optional. A 6-speed automatic transmission will be standard with both engines at first; a 6-speed manual for turbocharged models is slated to arrive later in the model year. Available safety features include ABS, traction control, antiskid system, curtain-side airbags, and front- and rear-side airbags. Standard on all models are 18-inch wheels, leather upholstery, heated front seats, and an 8-way power driver seat. An “Interactive Drive Control System” adjustable suspension is available on models equipped with the turbocharged engine. A navigation system with a hard drive for storing digital-music files is optional. This evaluation is based on preview test drives.

2011 Buick Regal Interior View 588x441 2011 Buick Regal

Soon, a turbocharged and direct-injected 2.0-liter four-cylinder will arrive — with estimated output of 220 horsepower and 258 lb-ft. of torque. The Opel Insignia — the car from which the Regal is derived — is offered with this engine, where, in European emissions specification, it produces 217 horsepower and 260 lb-ft. of torque.

buickregalgermany 17 2011 Buick Regal

Both engines come mated exclusively to six-speed automatic transmissions, although the turbo uses an Aisin AF40 unit and the standard four-cylinder comes with a GM Hydra-Matic 6T45. GM estimates 30 mpg on the highway for the 2.4-liter and 29 mpg for the 2.0-liter, although the company hasn’t said what grade of unleaded will be required for either powertrain.

The turbo model offers a driver-selectable three-mode suspension with 19-inch alloy wheels, although all models come with stability control, an electronic parking brake and 18-inch alloy wheels.