2010 Denver Auto Show: GM Showcases 2011 Buick Regal

When you think of a Buick what comes to your mind? A little old lady driving too slow in the fast lane? Tiger Woods? Either of those would have been correct for some of the past generations of the Buick nameplate, however, GM has been trying to change that image. Like Cadillac, Buick is looking for younger buyers and with the introduction of the 2011 Buick Regal they might be headed down the right road.

For those of you who haven’t heard, the 2011 Buick Regal is based on the award winning European Opel Insignia. One of those awards is the coveted Red Dot design award, which shows how much thought is going into the new designs. During the presentation of the 2011 Buick Regal at the 2010 Denver Auto Show, five key areas were addressed that they believe will make the new Regal a winner in the market—Sculpted Design, Luxurious Interior, Quality/Client Tuning, Personal Technology and Modern Performance.

Chinese Buick Regal

The 2011 Buick Regal that is coming to the U.S. market has already had some success in other markets—one in particular is China. The market in China has proven that the Regal is a younger person’s car with an average buyer age of 32 years old. That might come down to the sculpted design, which can be seen in details that flow all the way around the car (yes, even through the taillights). Or maybe it is the optional turbocharged 4-cylinder engine with available 6-speed manual transmission. And did we mention you can get a loaded Turbo model for a little over $35K and it will run on E-85? On regular gas the naturally aspirated 4-cylinder is said to get 20/30 mpg city/hwy, while the turbo will achieve 18/29 mpg city/hwy.

Yes, GM is making quite the effort with their new cars; even the 2010 Buick Lacrosse saw its best retail sales month last month in March. In the end, the best car will win, but I think consumers will be pleasantly surprised by the new designs coming out of Buick and GM in general. We will have more information once we drive one…hopefully the turbo charged model.

Until next time, be sure to check out the 2010 Denver Auto Show through April 11th if you are in the area (more info here) and while you are there sign up in the GM booth for the Consumer Drive Program. Through that program you will be able to drive some cool GM cars right there at the Convention Center (more here).