The Opel Insignia Grand Sport was
unveiled for Europe, now the North American twin has been unveiled in the form of
the 2018 Buick Regal Sportback and the Regal TourX before the New York Auto Show.
The Regal Sportback is a
sleek-looking four-door hatchback with a design essentially identical to the
Insignia Grand Sport. The TourX on the other hand is the first
crossover-flavored wagon to be badged a Regal and is just like the Insignia
Sports Tourer.
As the Regal is so similar to the Insignia and the
new Holden Commodore, it incorporates a slew of features previously reported.
Among these is an available intelligent all-wheel drive system with an active
twin-clutch and an eight-speed automatic transmission. For those models ordered
with front-wheel drive, a nine-speed auto ‘box is the only option.
In terms of powertrains, the 2018 Regal Sportback is
limited to a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder delivering 250 hp and 260 lb-ft
of torque in FWD spec. If the all-wheel drive model is ordered, torque
increases to 296 lb-ft. This engine also comes standard with start/stop
technology. Other key standard features on the 2018 Regal Sportback include
push-button start and entry, 10 air bags, heated side mirrors and Hill Start
Assist. There’s also an OnStar 4G LTE WiFi hotspot available for five years.
It can also be ordered with the Driver Confidence I
and Driver Confidence II packages. The first adds Lane Change Alert, Side Blind
Zone Alert, Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Rear Park Assist. The Driver
Confidence II packages then adds Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning,
Front Pedestrian Braking, Forward Collision Alert and Adaptive Cruise Control
with Forward Automatic Braking.
As for the 2018 Buick Regal TourX, it directly
targets the likes of the Volvo V60 Cross Country, Audi A4 Allroad, BMW 3-Series
Sport Wagon and the Subaru Outback. It is available exclusively with the
aforementioned 250 hp, 295 lb-ft, all-wheel drive setup and compared to the
Sportback, is 3.4 inches longer, giving it 73.5 cubic feet of space behind the
front seats. The TourX is offered with all the same options as the Sportback
and will be available in three trim levels, TourX, Preferred and Essence, details
of which should be released shortly.
Pricing for the 2018 Buick Regal range has yet to be
announced but will come closer to its on-sale date in the fourth quarter of
2017.