buick (century) regal

The Regal first arrived for the 1973 model year, and was initially part of the Century line and called ‘Buick Century Regal’, though the car lacked a Century badge. Next to the less distinctive Century Luxus (called Custom by 1975), it was a 2-door ‘Colonnade Hardtop Coupe’ (without open space behind the front door window), outselling the Luxus Coupe, both with a formal roof. By 1974, a 4-door ‘Colonnade Hardtop Sedan’, also with frameless windows, was added in the Regal series. Two years later, it was called ‘Buick Regal’ and the Coupe received less swooping sheet metal, doubling its sales and with some 175,000 (Coupe) sales in the United States representing over half of the Century/Regal line by 1977, before the downsizing for the 1978 model year.

As the Regal sedan comprised only 5% of the Century/Regal line, the sedan was confined to the Century when the downsized models arrived in autumn 1977, but only as a slow selling fastback, making the wagon the most popular body style in the Century line, with the Regal Coupes selling almost three times better than all Centurys. A year later over half of the Centurys was a wagon, and Regal Coupes now outsold the Centurys on a basis of nearly five to one. When Buick changed its sedan into a decent notchback, the Century/Regal line production rose with 20%, with now one out of every three Century/Regal a sedan, the remaining being Regal Coupes, except for 5% wagons, and a handful of Century Coupes.

These Regal models remained in 1982, with the sedan deleted by 1985, after the release of the fwd A-body Century that lasted until late 1996 with the roof line altered for 1989 sedans and coupes. The Regal became a cheeky front-wheel-drive model by 1988, with a sedan added again for 1990. These models stood on the W-body platform, longer and wider than the Century. The ‘Regal’ sedan had continued in Japan, which actually was a rebadged Century, as Toyota used that name for their top model. A Regal Estate Wagon was offered as well. Japan wouldn’t get the next Century/Regal after 1996, when import of Buicks stopped.

Then, in spring 1997, after 15 years, the Buick Century and (the more luxurious) Regal again would use the same body shape, a tasteful sedan, now with four-link coil independent rear suspension, built in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. It was this sedate model that was chosen by the Chinese to be manufactured by SGM since late 1998, as Buick (Sedan) GL, GLX, with the top model named ‘New Century’, all with a 3-litre engine (a destroked 3.1), supplemented in 2000 by a sporty GS, and a 2.5-litre for the Buick G. The Buick GLX and New Century exited in 2001. By early 2003, the front was redesigned by PATAC and the series became known as Buick Regal (JunWei for the Chinese), adopting a hood ornament, except for the Regal without a suffix which had an Opel 2-litre DOHC engine coupled to a Saab F25 5-speed transmission. Production soared that year with 90,000 built, mostly 2.5 models, to which a GL was added. The 6-cylinder models lost their ornament at the arrival of the Holden-built Buick Royaum in 2005. Whereas the American models were replaced by the larger LaCrosse in autumn 2004 (with the Regal deleted earlier in the year), the Chinese 2.0/2.5 models lasted until 2008, after the 3-litre Regal was succeeded by the Chinese-designed LaCrosse in 2006, using its engine, accompanied by the alloy 4-cylinder 2.4 Ecotec.

China built almost 400,000 Buicks of this generation, and Canada nearly 1.5 million Century and Regal, with one out of every three a Regal. These cars were not exported to Europe, where Buicks were no longer sold.

In Taiwan, the Buick Regal was imported from Canada with the 3.1-litre engine of the Century, rather than the 3.8. The smaller Skylark and larger Park Avenue were also available here. The Buick Regal was also sold in South Korea, before KIA introduced the (Optima) Regal in 2002. Neither of these countries would get the next Regal.

Buick Regal China (E10/15) December 2008, USA February 2010 (Opel/Vauxhall Insignia A November 2008)

The Insignia had sharp pike looks with both sedan and hatchback models having a fastback profile, seemingly sharing the side windows. As compared with its Vectra predecessor (Opel Vectra B and C were imported to China in limited quantities), the wheelbase of the sedan/hatchback rose 3.7 cm, but the overall length almost 20 cm more, making it look a bit short-wheeled. In Europe, less than one out of every ten was a sedan, the remaining equally shared between hatchback and wagon. Vauxhall decided to delete the sedan after about six years. Sedans were the only body style for the Buick Regal, for sale in North America and China, where it succeeded on the somewhat larger American models, which in North America had been abandoned already in 2004. For the Chinese who preferred an American Buick, there was the LaCrosse, with a Chinese designed body, but the American designed successor came in 2009.

Here we have a global GM D-segment car, that only in Europe (and some export markets) could be had with a 6-cylinder engine, up to the end of its career. The Chevrolet Malibu on the same platform had a 6-cylinder offered only in the Middle East. The Chinese Regal introduced the naturally aspirated alloy L850 2-litre engine, that became also available in the 2012 Chinese and South Korean Malibu.

Germany built some 950,000 models, China over 700,000, and Canada over 150,000, total 1.8 million. Percentual market penetration in Canada was only half of that in the United States. All-wheel-drive models were not offered in China. In Germany some 200,000 were sold, of which three-quarter were diesel, and 12% all-wheel-drive and 82% business cars. The United Kingdom sold over 275,000 Vauxhall Insignia A. In China, about 80,000 were sold in the first years, with over half the 2-litre engine, and a quarter the much more expensive 2.4-litre, to be deleted in 2014, while the 1.6 turbo, priced in between, got its momentum by 2013, when the manual gearbox was replaced by an automatic, even overtaking the entry-level 2.0 in 2015. A facelift lifted the annual sales in China to over 100,000 in 2014. In 2016, three quarter were the more expensive 1.6 turbo models. The share of the top 2-litre turbo Regal GS dwindled from 10% in 2009 to 1% in 2016, in despite of a power boost by 2014.

platform:

Epsilon II

Insignia A

rear suspension:

4-link independent, coil springs

Opel

Family 0

Family I

MGE

Family I

L850

HF6

MDE

ex Fiat

curb weight from:

1503

4 cyl.

wheelbase (cm):

273.7

DOHC

sedan/hatch:

length from (cm):

483

cc:

1364

1598

1598

1598

1796

1998

2384

2792

1598

1956

wagon:

length from (cm):

490.8

injection

dir. inj.

injection

dir. inj.

injection

dir. inj.

injection

dir. inj.

width (cm):

185.6

turbo

(bi)turbo

diesel

market:

Europe

Opel/Vauxhall Insignia

11-17

08-12

08-13

13-17

08-17

15-17

08-17

sedan '

08-17

fwd

fwd/awd

awd

fwd

fwd/awd

hatchback

08-17

6M/6A

wagon

09-17

103

132

125

103

162-184

191-239

88'-120

81'~143

export to selected markets worldwide

140

115

180

170

140

220-250

260-352

100'-136

110'~195

' Vauxhall sedan 08-14 (VXR 2.8: 09-17)

not Vxhll

Ger: -13

' not Vxhll

USA/CDN

Buick Regal

10-17

sedan

curb weight from:

1660

fwd/awd

fwd

export to Mexico

6M/6A

164~201

136+11

220~270

182+15

13- awd 6A

11- eAssist

China

Buick Regal

09-17

08-17

08-11

11-14

sedan

curb weight from:

1555

fwd

6M/6A

132

108

162-184

125

134

180

147

220-250

170

182

13: 6M > 6A

AUS/NZ

Holden Insignia

15-17

sedan

awd

239

352

Buick Regal China (E2SB) July 2017, USA: November 2017, (Opel/Vauxhall Insignia B June 2017)

Then came the much-awaited successor, unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2017 by Opel CEO Dr. Neumann in front of Dan Ammann, president of General Motors, and PSA boss Carlos Tavares who promised that when replaced, all Vauxhall/Opel models will switch to PSA chassis platforms. The car stood on the new light-weight E2 platform, that had the wheelbase extended with some 9 cm, and as the length was a bit reduced, the car looked more solid. The fastback appearance remained with the side panelling a bit more elaborated. The rather high convex roof of the previous sedan/hatchback was equalized and reduced with a hefty 43 mm. The extended side windows further gave the car a less bent appearance. The wagon now had a length of almost 5 meters, the higher-on-the-wheels Country Tourer exceeded it slightly. China opted for continuing the sedan without a hatch, with a slightly steeper back window, and a small rear deck, while beneath the hatch/deck lid deflector the vehicles were equal, as before.

As in Europe the sedan share of the previous model was low, and the Oshawa production was not to be continued with the PSA take-over in sight, North America was forced to get the hatchback instead of the sedan, resulting in 37% lower sales in its first full year 2018 vs 2014, the first full year since the update of the previous model, in despite of an additional wagon. Import from China was presumably not considered. In Europe as well, there was a dip of 27%, mainly at Vauxhall as, apart from the Brexit turmoil, PSA didn’t like fleet sales, where profits are marginal. In Germany sales were 10% higher, notwithstanding the deletion of the sedan. In China, sales were 10% lower with probably in-house competition of the Verano at the lower side, and the LaCrosse at the upper side of the range.

In Europe, the entry-level model’s 1.4-litre turbo engine grew to 1.5-litre, keeping the 140 hp output. In China, the entry-level naturally aspirated 2-litre engine of the previous model was replaced by the 1.5 turbo and was labeled 20T, while the 2-litre turbo was called 28T, selling about 10% of the range in 2018, next to less than 1% hybrids. There was now also a regular Regal 2-litre turbo, next to the GS, with the top version priced equally to the “entry-level” GS model. In 2019, 6% of the 100,000 units sold had the 2-litre engine. In the United States, one out of every three was a (4wd) wagon, while at the sedans, nearly one out of every three was all-wheel-drive.

Market (incl. SUVs) penetration in 2019 was 0.5% in Germany and China, 0.7% in Australia, while in the USA and Canada the share among passenger cars was 0.2%. In Germany, as common for this segment, the majority were diesels. In Australia the model choice was very comprehensive with gasoline 4- and 6-cylinder engines, a diesel engine, front-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive, hatch, wagon, wagon with raised ride height, though the economical 1.5-litre was denied here, as it is for Americans. The Holden brand however, incl. the Commodore will end in 2020.

The facelifted Insignia, unveiled at the Brussels Motor Show in early January and marketed from September 2020, is equipped with the LSY 2-litre with cylinder deactivation, new to Opel, but introduced in autumn 2018 in several Cadillacs, and later in Chinese Chevrolets and Buicks. The 3-cylinder 1.5 all alloy diesel, developed in the former GM Powertrain site in Turin and known from the Astra K is also available, next to a 4-cylinder 2-litre derivative.

The facelifted Chinese Regal GS received the new 2-litre engine in April 2020, and in August 2020 the facelift was granted to the other models with 552T and 652T badges where the first number represents the engine torque output range being under or from 350 Nm, and the second number 5 rather casually standing for the 9-speed automatic transmission, the third number 2 meaning the eConnect 2.5 car networking system, and the final letter T stands for Turbo pressure models. The 2-litre share dropped to under 10% in 2021.

In China, 78,800 Regals left the factory in 2022, retail sales were 77,500, and 61,300 in 2023.

The 2024 Chinese models were introduced in July 2023 and basically keep the sheet metal but get a wide-mouth grille. While retaining the existing engines, the 1.5 and 2.0 models are rebadged 25T and 28T respectively. The prices are at the 80% level of the previous models, to stay below the LaCrosse, itself at the 90% level of the previous models. The GS has been cancelled.

platform:

E2XX

Insignia B

rear suspension:

5-link independent, coil springs

Opel/SAIC

Opel

SGE

MGE

L850

CSS

HF6

CSS dsl

MDE

ex Fiat

CSS dsl

curb weight from:

1440

4 cyl.

3 cyl.

4 cyl.

wheelbase (cm):

282.9

DOHC

hatch:

length from (cm):

489.7

cc:

1490

1598

1796

1998

3649

1496

1598

1956

1995

wagon:

length from (cm):

498.6

dir. inj.

width (cm):

186.3

turbo

hybrid

turbo

(bi)turbo

turbo

diesel

market:

Europe

Opel/Vauxhall Insignia

17-20

18-19

17-18

20-22

20-23'

17-20

20-23'

export to selected

Grand Sport

hatch

June 2017

fwd

awd

fwd/awd

fwd

fwd/awd

markets worldwide

Sports Tourer*

wagon

June 2017

6M/6A

6M/8A

6M/6A

6M/8A

Country Tourer*

wagon'

October 2017 kW

103-121

147

191

125'-147/169

81-100

125-154

128

* Vauxhall: -19

' awd: raised ride height hp

140-165

200

260

170'-200/230

122

110-136

170-210

174

' not Vxhll

'Vxhll: -22

USA/CDN

Buick Regal

GS:

Sportback

hatch

17-20

18-20

USA

TourX (awd)

wagon'

18-20

fwd/awd

awd

9A/8A

186

231

250

310

wagon awd

not wagon

China

Buick Regal

sedan

July 2017

20: 20T > 552T

30H

(GS) 28T

GS/652T

23:

25T

28T

length from (cm):

490.2

17-

17-19

17-20

20-

fwd

EVT

net kW

20: 120 > 119

91+114

187

169

max kW

124

94+114

192

174

net hp

20: 163 > 162

124+155

254

230

max hp

169

128+155

261

237

AUS/NZ

Holden Commodore

18-20

Liftback

hatch

fwd

awd

fwd

Sportwagon

wagon

Tourer (awd)

wagon'

191

235

125

260

315

170

Net output data are approximate.

with thanks to carsalesbase.com and wikipedia.org

For recent specifications on Buick cars built in China, see:
On a Global Mission: The Automobiles of General Motors International

Malibu vs Regal vs LaCrosse

Far East Auto Literature

27 January, 2024