Buick Still Believes That Americans Will Buy The Regal Wagon

The company has even raised its projections for wagon sales.

Wagon sales have been on an enormous decline in the US. American consumers don't have fond memories of road trips in their parent's wood-paneled station wagons as children. While these types of wagons have now become ironically cool, they were about as cool as minivans are today. There are still some amazing wagon models that are available in the US because companies like Volvo are keeping the wagon alive. Buick is also placing its bets on wagons. Automotive News reports that the company has increased its forecast for wagon sales.

Buick has completely redesigned the Regal for the 2018 model year. The sedan body style is gone, and in its place are the Sportback and TourX models. The Sportback looks like a traditional sedan on the surface, but it has a liftback hatch design like the Audi A5 Sportback, BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe and Kia Stinger. The more interesting option is the TourX, which is a traditional station wagon. Buick is ready to put its faith in the TourX and expects that the wagon will account for 50% of Regal sales. This is up from Buick's initial projections of 30%. We hope that Buick is right, because we'd like to see more wagons in the US.

We're pretty realistic about where the car market's at, but we're getting some pretty good feedback on it," Phil Brook, U.S. vice president of marketing for Buick and GMC said during a media drive event. Buick hopes that the TourX will help distinguish the Regal in a crowded midsize segment. The Regal wagon could help draw buyers away from Subaru, Audi and Volvo. "It really is a head-turner" Brook said. "We're not an old-man sedan brand anymore. We're very much a cutting-edge SUV brand with some really good sedans to back that up." The Regal TourX starts at $29,995, which is around $4,000 more than the Sportback.

The TourX is available with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo generating 250 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. Unfortunately, Buick has no plans to sell the TourX with the more powerful V6 engine from the Regal GS. Even though wagons were once known as the boring family runabout, that boring role has been taken over by SUVs and minivans. This frees the wagon up to be something more unique, and in our opinion, cool.

2018 Buick Regal TourX Review

The TourX is last of 3 new Buick Regal variants that will be making landfall at the end of 2017. Where the Regal Sportback and GS cater to everyday commuting and performance respectively, the Regal TourX gives the Regal range a go-anywhere, take anything edge. Regal TourX models will be available solely in AWD trim, paired with a station wagon body and lifted suspension, plus some body cladding, to create a wagon-cum-SUV model in the same mold as the Subaru Outback, Volvo V60 Cross Country, and its most direct rival, the Audi A4 Allroad.

Interior

Inside, you get the exact same package as the standard Regal Sportback. That means as standard a 7-inch IntelliLink infotainment display, with an optional 8-inch unit taking centre stage on a dash angled towards the driver for a completely driver-focused environment. The materials are all of a high standard, genuinely premium in quality with leather and other soft touch claddings throughout the cabin.

The Regal TourX seats 5 occupants very comfortably, with plenty of headroom compared to Sportback variants. But where the TourX differs vastly from the Sportback is in cargo space. With a 3.4-inch longer wheelbase, even with the rear bench in place, cargo space measures in at 32.7 cubic feet. Drop the 2nd row of seating, and that figure leaps to a class-leading 73.5 cu ft. The cabin can be made to feel even more spacious with the optional moonroof in Preferred and Essence trims.

Driving (Ride and Handling)

As a crossover between a wagon and an SUV, the Regal TourX needs to do two things. 1) Provide the safety and impressive handling dynamics of a regular wagon/sedan, and 2) have enough ground clearance to be capable on most surfaces buyers will take it on. The TourX does both, and though body roll will be slightly more pronounced, levels of grip will still be high – mainly thanks to the trick AWD system. It’s the same system you’ll find on the Sportback and GS models, featuring the GKN twin clutch pack for mechanical torque vectoring on the rear axle.

That extra grip, along with the ride height, is likely to come in handy on dirt roads, where the TourX proves once again that these allroad type wagons really are the perfect compromise between sedans/hatchbacks and SUVs.

Performance (Engine and Transmission)

Like the Regal Sportback, there’s only one engine on offer – a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4 cylinder gasoline motor. Unlike the Sportback though, the TourX offers only one power and torque output – 250 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. All wheel drive is standard with all models – no front- or rear-driven options are available – and all models feature an 8-speed automatic gearbox. At a later date, the 8-speed is likely to be phased out in favor of GM’s family 9-speed automatic found in FWD Regal Sportbacks.

Equipment and Safety

The Buick Regal TourX gets several extra bits of kit standard, including roof rails and rugged body cladding. In addition, optional extras include a hands-free tailgate, remote start, and 8-way power adjustable heated seats. Navigation is available as part of the Sights and Sounds package. Connectivity is guaranteed with standard 4G LTE Wi-Fi inbuilt to every Regal TourX.

From a safety aspect, ABS and traction control are standard, as is a reverse camera. Driver Confidence packages add blind spot monitoring, rear park assist with rear cross traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, and forward collision alert. The TourX has not yet been crash tested by the IIHS or NHTSA.

Verdict

With more cargo space than the A4 Allroad, V60 Cross Country, or Subaru Outback and with a trick AWD system and turbo power, the Buick Regal TourX combines practicality and performance in a stylish wagon-shaped box. This just proves that the crossover trend is overrated – long live the wagon.

2019 Buick Regal Avenir Will Cost Over $10K More Than The Base Regal

But you're still getting a lot of luxury for a darn good price.

Earlier this month we learned that Buick will launch a Regal Avenir trim level for the 2019 model year. Avenir, as you likely already know, is Buick’s premium sub-brand that has become a massive success, with one in every four new Enclave crossovers sold is Avenir spec’d. That means additional profits and sales for GM’s premium brand, so it makes total sense to expand its Avenir sub-brand to other models.

According to Cars Direct, the 2019 Buick Regal Avenir will carry a base price of $36,195, and that includes the $925 destination fee. Compared to the base Regal Sportback, the Regal Avenir carries a significant price increase, $10,200 to be precise.

The top-of-the-line Regal GS, however, begins at $39,995. Think of the Avenir trim as Buick’s version of GMC’s Denali; same basic car, only with many premium features piled into a single and far more expensive package. It’s really brilliant business on GM’s part. So, what will buyers get in the 2019 Regal Avenir? The interior will feature several upgrades, among them Whisper Beige or Ebony theme with Ebony accents, diamond quilt-stitched front seats, embroidered headrests, and Avenir sill plates. The exterior will be enhanced with 19-inch wheels, a unique grille, and Acrylite exterior lighting. Owners will also enjoy Buick’s new cloud-connected infotainment system, a rear-view camera, and an air ionizer.

Under the hood will be the familiar 2.0-liter inline-four engine with a total of 250 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque, which is sent to the front wheels through a nine-speed automatic. Another benefit of the Avenir trim are the driver assist and safety technologies that come standard, including rear park assist, rear cross traffic alert, lane change alert, LED headlights with auto leveling, cornering lamps, and driver side auto-dimming mirrors. Adaptive Cruise Control will probably be optional.

Buick Still Believes That Americans Will Buy The Regal Wagon

The company has even raised its projections for wagon sales.

Wagon sales have been on an enormous decline in the US. American consumers don't have fond memories of road trips in their parent's wood-paneled station wagons as children. While these types of wagons have now become ironically cool, they were about as cool as minivans are today. There are still some amazing wagon models that are available in the US because companies like Volvo are keeping the wagon alive. Buick is also placing its bets on wagons. Automotive News reports that the company has increased its forecast for wagon sales.

Buick has completely redesigned the Regal for the 2018 model year. The sedan body style is gone, and in its place are the Sportback and TourX models. The Sportback looks like a traditional sedan on the surface, but it has a liftback hatch design like the Audi A5 Sportback, BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe and Kia Stinger. The more interesting option is the TourX, which is a traditional station wagon. Buick is ready to put its faith in the TourX and expects that the wagon will account for 50% of Regal sales. This is up from Buick's initial projections of 30%. We hope that Buick is right, because we'd like to see more wagons in the US.

We're pretty realistic about where the car market's at, but we're getting some pretty good feedback on it," Phil Brook, U.S. vice president of marketing for Buick and GMC said during a media drive event. Buick hopes that the TourX will help distinguish the Regal in a crowded midsize segment. The Regal wagon could help draw buyers away from Subaru, Audi and Volvo. "It really is a head-turner" Brook said. "We're not an old-man sedan brand anymore. We're very much a cutting-edge SUV brand with some really good sedans to back that up." The Regal TourX starts at $29,995, which is around $4,000 more than the Sportback.

The TourX is available with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo generating 250 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. Unfortunately, Buick has no plans to sell the TourX with the more powerful V6 engine from the Regal GS. Even though wagons were once known as the boring family runabout, that boring role has been taken over by SUVs and minivans. This frees the wagon up to be something more unique, and in our opinion, cool.