2018 Buick Regal and 2017
Opel Insignia
From prototypes caught
testing on both sides of the Atlantic, we know that, like their current
siblings, the next Insignia and Regal are one and the same. However, it remains
to be seen if Opel and Vauxhall offer both a classic four door sedan and a five-door
fastback with a more slanted roofline in addition to a station wagon edition.
Buick will almost certainly get the sedan body style, but it could expand the
range later on.
Either way, GM’s mid-size
model draws inspiration from Opel’s Monza Concept, featuring sleek styling,
with a tapered, semi-floating roofline - a design theme initiated in the latest
Adam B-segment car and the C-segment Astra.
Up front, styling is
dominated by silver intake surrounds flanking the lower corners and a chrome
highlighted grille. The side profile features lower door scollops and a crisp
shoulder line.
The interior is said to
mimic the latest Malibu, so cue diagonal dash styling, chrome/alloy-framed air
vents, instrument cluster and a large central infotainment touchscreen.
Front wheel drive will be
standard, with the option of AWD possible in most markets. There’s not much
information on the powertrains at this point, but expect an assortment of
4-cylinder turbocharged gasoline engines and possibly, a hybrid unit, with Europe
and other markets outside North America getting plenty of diesels too. A new
Opel OPC / Vauxhall VXR and Buick GS variant is said to be in the works
sporting a new turbocharged V6 and all-wheel-drive.
An official reveal for the
Opel Insignia is tipped for the 2016 Paris Motor Show in October, with European
sales starting early 2017. Buick’s version, the Regal, should appear next year.
