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Buick Regal restructured as mid-size sedan with sporty flair
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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CAVE CREEK, Ariz. -- A product development team at the Buick Division of General Motors has produced a new mid-size luxury sedan which bears the familiar label of Regal but behaves with spry moves like no previous Regal incarnation -- and no other Buick.
The new design, badged as the "1997-1/2" Regal, features a subdued yet sophisticated exterior shape with curving wedge-shaped forms, an interior that's far more generous in space than previous Regal models, and a system of engineering assets which produce rather precise road manners to mimic the agility of best-selling imports.
Regal also packs active powertrains, including a supercharged edition that zaps it ahead of the crowd.
It's fun to drive, comfortable and practical in interior fittings and performance, and definitely more closely attuned to imports than previous GM products.
What sets Regal apart from past incarnations concerns the way it rides and handles. It's polite, responsive, almost -- but not quite -- sporty.
The intent seems to be to make the new Regal appeal to those forty-something Boomers with kids in tow who seek dependable and affordable family-style sedan transportation but who may also desire the spark of performance when stepping outside the carpooler's mind set.
To create the newest Regal, Buick's designers began with a GM platform which this Buick shares with the revised Pontiac Grand Prix and a new Oldsmobile called Intrigue that will reach the marketplace by summer.
With previous mid-size sedans from General Motors, you'd be challenged to pick out the Buick from the Oldsmobile or separate a Chevrolet from its Pontiac cousin. The future for GM's cars could be different, however, as the era of divisional car clones ends with the advent of brand managers, whose collective goal is to segment models from domestic and import competitors as well as other GM brands.
After comparing the new Regal with Grand Prix and the upcoming Intrigue, one tester admits that each establishes its own unique character. That's the way it used to be, of course, back when a Chevrolet looked like nothing else but a Chevy, and a Buick was unmistakably a Buick.
In recent years, Buicks have been aligned visually with certain proprietary styling cues, such as distinctive oval grilles and overall smooth shapes which promote free-flowing curves at all sheetmetal corners and severely cast down-sloping hoodlines.
Regal extends this delineation but makes its own mark with subtle variations, like the switch from vertical grille bars to horizontal ones, which look progressive.
"We wanted an exterior shape that seems sporty but not faddish, certainly not extreme," confided the new Regal's designer, Wayne Kady. "Regal incorporates a number of Buick design cues, such as the oval grille, but it still pulls away to make its own statement."
The look also appears unmistakably aggressive, with a wide stance and monotone treatment to trim elements, plus the subdued blackout of the sedan's B pillar to evoke the image of a sporty coupe. A bird's beak lip on the tail caps this muscular posture.
Regal measures 1.5 inches longer in wheelbase than past issues and it's more than two inches longer overall. Wheels were stretched to outer limits of the rectangular plan, as a head-on glance of Regal's new prow reveals that walls of tires extend to curvy sides of the car's body.
The broad stance sets up a stable performance attitude which, when combined with a suspension that's independent at all corners and steering system that's lively and quick, indicates that Regal can act aggressively too.
Then add that supercharged V6 engine to the up-level GS edition, and you end up with one sweet sedan.
My introductory tests, occurring with throttle-up on the Squaw Peak Expressway in Phoenix, immediately revealed Regal's exciting character that's as assertive in thrust as its sheetmetal appears aggressive in design.
Driving a pre-production Regal GS with the car's brand manager, Roger Adams, aboard, I quickly zipped out of the urban sprawl to reach an isolated mountain road leading to Bartlett Reservoir, where I could push Regal through a series of steering, accelerating and braking tests.
Overall, Regal produced firm and controllable handling attributes, and it reacted with a certain athletic agility when asked to steer around slower traffic.
"We're pitching Regal as a sports sedan geared for a high-performance family," Adams said. "We think it's not good enough to be an okay kind of car for everybody -- we want Regal to inspire passion for only some people."
Acceleration from the supercharged 3.8-liter V6 feels quick and satisfying.
Regal's independent suspension checks undue body roll and sets up a ride quality that's both soft and easy over potholes yet also firm in feedback to driver.
A new safety cage unibody structure for Regal contains an underbody with extra bracing added to develop rigidity and torsional stiffness when the vehicle moves down the road. Special engineering measures and insulation create a quiet cabin where road and engine noises are locked out, with road bumps and resultant vehicle vibrations dampened.
Interior room surprised me, particularly in areas like the space above the head -- it's big enough to add a Texas-size hat without crimping the crown.
Regal's seats receive special attention, as in other Buicks, with added folds of plush layers and special contours for more comfort.
The plan pitches twin buckets up front (and, unlike other Buicks, there's no option for a front bench), with scooped spaces for up to three in back.
The two trim levels include a base Regal LS with non-supercharged version of the 3.8-liter V6 reaching 195 hp.
Top-level GS gets the 240 hp supercharged edition, along with its own version of the automatic 4-speed transmission with performance shift patterns, more crisp steering ratios and larger wheels -- big 16-inchers.
Both Regals earn a lot of standard items, beginning with air conditioning and power operation for windows and door locks, instruments including tachometer, plus plush features for GS like leather seats. A child's seat built into the center back bench lists for only $100 extra.
Pricing looks as good as Regal's exteriors, starting with LS pared to $20,545. Load up Regal GS and you'll still invest only about $24,000 yet gain class-leading power.
1997.5 BUICK REGAL
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| Vehicle Specifications: |
| 1997 BUICK REGAL Specs |
| Description: |
Mid-size luxury sedan |
| Model Options: |
Mid-size luxury sedan |
| Wheelbase: |
109.0 inches |
| Overall Length: |
196.2 inches
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| Engine Size: |
LS: OHV 3.8-L V6
GS: OHV 3.8-L V6 SC
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| Transmission: |
Auto/4 |
| Drive: |
Front |
| Braking: |
Power 4-disc/ABS/TCS |
| Airbags: |
2 |
| Gas Mileage: |
19/30 mpg |
| Price: |
$ 20,545 to $ 24,000 |
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