When Leftlane last reported on the upcoming Buick Verano compact car from the North American International Auto Show, all that was confirmed with specifications was a 2.4-liter four-cylinder good for 177 horsepower and 170 lb-ft of torque for launch.
It was known that General Motors was working on adding a 2.0-liter turbocharged variant into the product mix, but no timeline or power figures were available, until now. According to a leaked consumer brochure that was obtained by GMInsideNews, it is believed that the Verano 2.0T will be rated at 250 horsepower, yielding a zero-to-60 time of 6.5 seconds.
Also visible in the leaked brochure was mention of a refined chassis, promising better handling than the standard model.
What does the 2.0T mean for the Buick brand?
Should the 250 horsepower figure be accurate – which it quite reasonably is – that figure could mean several models will be getting some changes in the very near future. Why? Because the highly-touted “sport” offering that is the Buick Regal GS currently only sports 255 horsepower, which would mean the smaller, less sport-minded Verano 2.0T would be stepping all over its big brother’s toes.
The consideration for a more powerful engine for the Regal GS is hardly new, as the model that the Regal GS was cloned from, the Opel Insignia OPC, actually boasts a much more powerful 325 horsepower turbocharged 2.8-liter V6 in Europe. It appears that it may end up being the Verano 2.0T that delivers the uprated powertrain so many cried for adding to the Regal GS after all.
It is also possible that GM has no intention of changing the engine for the Regal GS, as it also uses a 2.0-liter turbo, and it could very well be that Buick downrated that engine to 250 horsepower in order to create the separation it deems satisfactory.
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