By Mark Elias
Thursday, May 27th, 2010 @ 12:30 pm

Seen throughout Europe as the Opel Insignia, and on sale in China since the Bush administration was in power, the Buick Division of General Motors finally delivers the 2011 Buick Regal to North America. To drive home the point that this was a new Buick, GM brought us to the hip surf community near San Diego Beach for a chance to drive the new sport sedan.

That point wasn’t lost on us. GM doesn’t want this Buick sitting in the Golden Corral parking lot.

Well, really, they’ll take any sale they can get.

But you know what we mean.

Old name, new look
Like the LaCrosse that preceded it, the Regal is a new look for an old nameplate. But don’t let that circumstance fool you. The new Regal is a four-door, five-place sport sedan (pity the fool who sits in the middle). Let’s just call it a four seater.

Buick officials have squarely aimed at the Acura TSX , Volkswagen Passat and Volvo S60. Let’s add the Mazda Mazda6 , Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata and the upcoming Kia Optima as secondary targets.

Truthfully, the Insignia was supposed to be badged as a Saturn Aura when it made the journey to America. But with Saturn a victim of the 2009 GM-o-cide, the Buick brand was deemed the best place for a shapely 190-or-so inch sedan.

Details, details
Based on the car that garnered the 2009 European Car of the Year (Opel Insignia) award, the Regal features some never before offered details for the Buick lineup, including a multi-function controller on the center console for audio, navigation and Bluetooth devices. On the driver’s side of the equation, a new Interactive Drive Control System (IDCS), available on the uplevel 2.0-liter turbo model, offers a real-time active dampening system with selectable suspension settings.

Also new for the Regal is the use of high strength steel to tighten up platform flex. (We used to refer to this as chassis flex, but since the car doesn’t ride on….oh, you get the idea) Think of it as up to 25-percent more rigid than the past Regal, which really isn’t saying much, but the result is the ability to make a more sporting, precise suspension and, according to Buick officials, a quieter ride.

Shapely, yes
The Regal features what some GM officials have called a plug and play grille so that the look of the Opel Insignia can be quickly changed into the Regal that has sold over 64,000 copies in China since 2008.

A smooth aero package has been sculpted into the bodywork, while seams and weld valleys have been kept to a minimum. The “waterfall†grille is the leading edge centerpiece of the car with swoopy headlights, a stylish front fascia and a long hood to convey a new aggressive style that at times may be foreign to previous Buick customers. Progress for sure.

A short deck manages to hide the capacity of a rather large-for-the-segment trunk capacity of 14.25 cubic feet of space (three golf bags if packed correctly). Although some of our colleagues disagree, we found the fairly small right and left side mirrors perfectly adequate for rearward monitoring of traffic.

The Inside Scoop
We love the look of the Regal’s interior. Similar to a smaller-scale version of the big brother Buick LaCrosse , it is naturally marginally more compact, but not scarce on features or, for that matter, buttons.

There seems to be a fascination with small buttons in the Far East; in this case they just tend to muddy the waters. Case in point: A center stack-based command controller features a dial wheel with stationary center pad. Rotate the dial to your desired radio station, navigation destination or Bluetooth function, and then, using three fingers, press in on the outside ring to activate the selection. The addition of a button that reads ok, enter, or go would simplify operations, much like the second, redundant command controller located towards the rear of the center console.

Curiously, though, that rearward dial is set up correctly with the driver turning the entire knob and then pressing inward to activate a command. Having two different controls that complete the same tasks is confusing, but at least forgoing the optional navigation simplifies the controls a little.

Seating is stellar with European-styled contour bucket seats that were benchmarked against the leading imports – even if lumbar was a little excessive even at the lowest setting. After a two hundred mile route through the San Diego region, including brushes against the Mexican-American border, we never felt fatigued or aching to get out of the car.

We also found a surprising amount of legroom in the rear. A 60/40 pass through expands the cargo capacity through the rear seats. The Harman/Kardon audio system keeps things entertaining inside and, on navigation models, it’s assisted by an internal flash drive and a 10 GB hard drive for music.

Bangers and no mash
When powered by the standard transverse-mounted direct-injection 2.4-liter engine with its six-speed automatic transmission, the new Buick Regal makes a decent city and highway performer, if not a lighting fast machine. Producing 182 horsepower and 172 lb-ft. of torque, it manages, according to GM, to achieve 20 mpg around town and 30 mpg on the highway.

Flip over to the Mr. Hyde side of the equation and you get the 2.0-liter direct-injection turbocharged engine, which puts out 220 horsepower and 258 lb-ft. of torque for power on reserve. Estimated to deliver 18 city and 29 highway mpg, it is a fun, and rockin’ ride – two words that haven’t described a Buick since the GNX. No, the Regal isn’t a GNX by any stretch; maybe the Regal GS set to debut later will be closer.

Both four-bangers are initially joined to six-speed automatic transmissions. The non-turbo gets a Hydra-Matic 6T45, while the Turbo version is attached to an Aisin AF40 six-speed auto. A six-speed manual will be available in late 2010, although Buick predicts low volume for the row-it-yourself option.

The Regal’s ride is controlled by modified MacPherson struts in front with tuned coil springs, and a stabilizer bar. In the rear is a four-link independent rear with a stabilizer bar. Opt for the Turbo and you can have that aforementioned available continuous damping control system (IDCS), which monitors road conditions within milliseconds to change the characteristics of the car. Using the IDCS also adapts to the characteristics of the driver, allowing driver-selectable suspension settings.

Driving through and around the surrounds of San Diego, we managed to experience most driving conditions including marginal back roads, high-speed interstates, and twisty mountain roads. The naturally aspirated Regal displayed poise and stability on the mountain switchbacks, allowing for quick maneuvers when necessary. Braking was well modulated with little fade and offered surfeit grabbing power when called upon for a stop.

Our stint in the Turbo found more of the same. Great braking coupled with firmer spring rates gave us more confidence around the turns but we, too, had our limits lest our driving partners reach for the motion sickness bands-or worse. The manumatic function of the Aisin transmission allowed for us to row the gearbox in an effort to take matters into our own hands when it came time to overtake slower traffic or downshift for a downward mountain grade.

Why you would buy it:
An enthusiastic early adopter, you are willing to reach out to embrace the new GM and, in the process, a new Buick.

Why you wouldn’t:
Your vision of Buick is either a Grand National or a LeSabre. The Regal fits somewhere in the vast “great between.â€

Leftlane’s bottom line
Buick has proven to us that it can compete with established Japanese luxury players with the LaCrosse. At least as good, if not better, than rivals from Lexus and Acura , the LaCrosse pales only in terms of its dealer network.

The same can more or less be said for the Regal. Hardly revolutionary, the Regal nonetheless is a competent, comfortable and capacious performer that is again at least as good, if not better, than its chief Acura TSX rival.

With a few interior tweaks and a thorough revamp of the dealer network, Buick can cement its reputation and that of its parent corporation as a builder of truly excellent automobiles.

2011 Buick Regal CXL base price, $26,995.
2011 Buick Regal CXL Turbo base price, $29,495.

Words and photos by Mark Elias.

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