Traverse City, Michigan – Attitudes are hard to change. No one knows this more than car companies. How many years did it take the Japanese companies to move the perception of their products in the North American conscience from “cheap” imports to “reliable” vehicles? And, more recently, the Koreans: what has it taken them to gain acceptance on this continent? A lot of hard work, time and relentless marketing.
Now it is the domestic manufacturers who are working hard to change consumer attitudes. Ford is probably the most successful of late, but General Motors is not far behind, re-engineering its vehicle line-up as it re-engineers its image.
A few years ago, if you asked anybody, “Who is the target market for the Buick brand?” the answer would probably be “between sixty and dead.” Ask that question today and it’s probably not a whole lot better, maybe between fifty and dead. Buick is making progress with new products like the LaCrosse (completely revised for 2010), which has seen a big increase in sales over the LaCrosse/Allure that came before it and the new Regal, which is based on the European Opel Insignia, while saying goodbye to large cars like the Lucerne that reinforced the image of Buick as a white hair brand. Later this year, Buick will begin selling the Chevrolet Cruze-based Verano, completing its product transformation. Now, if only Buick could transform consumer attitudes as quickly.
To underscore that Buick is not the same old Buick you might think it is, Buick has released a high performance Regal variant – the 2012 Buick Regal GS – that will be sure to please a much younger, technically savvy customer.
The Regal GS is a mid-size luxury performance sedan that gives equal weight to both luxury and performance. Powered by a very sophisticated 2.0-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder engine that delivers 270 horsepower, the Regal GS has enough ponies to keep up with the Lexus IS 250 and 350, the Infiniti G25 and G37, the Audi A4 and the Acura TSX V6. For those who are keeping score, the GS at 295 lb.-ft. of torque, has more torque than any of these. The little engine has the highest specific output of any production engine GM has ever offered, and at 135 horsepower per litre, is the most power-dense engine ever certified by the Society of Automotive Engineers. Estimated zero to 60 mph (96.6 km/h) time is 6.7 seconds.
A three-inch-diameter exhaust system provides reduced back pressure, resulting in higher engine power. As well, direct injection technology helps the engine deliver more power through increased efficiency, while maintaining fuel economy and lowering emissions.
The ferocious four banger is connected to a very un-Buick-like, or perhaps considering the new Buick image, a very Buick-esque six-speed manual transmission. Yes, that is correct – a six-speed manual. And it is a heck of a nice manual with easy, short throws and a light, precise clutch to match. If you’ve never driven a manual, this would be a good one to learn with.
The car is easy to launch; you would need lead balls for feet to stall the engine – and revs so quickly that second gear is mere seconds away from first. But you could drive all day in third just for the fun of it and never use its overdriven 4th and 5th gears, which are there only to save you some Premium fuel over the long haul. But with peak torque available from 2,300 rpm to 4,900 rpm, it doesn’t matter what gear you are in or how fast you are going, the Regal GS responds to your right foot, right when you need it. For those who prefer to let the right foot do all the work, an automatic should be available later in the 2012 model year.
The Regal GS has a unique front suspension set-up that features what Buick calls a HiPer Strut (High Performance Strut). The HiPer Strut is based on the MacPherson strut front suspension design and features dual-path top mountings that separate the transfer of spring and damper loads to the body structure. This set-up reduces torque-steer (where the front end pulls to the right or left, or both, under hard acceleration), increases grip both for traction and cornering and provides better steering feel and feedback.
Compared to the Regal CXL turbo, the GS has springs that are 20 per cent stiffer, a slightly lower ride height and a larger rear sway bar, all of which add to the Regal GS’ handling ability.
Both front and rear dampers incorporate active Computer Damping Control (CDC), continuously changing damper characteristics to maintain optimal vehicle ride control over varying road surfaces. More aggressive, performance-oriented damping characteristics can also be selected by the driver through the Interactive Driver Control System.
This system allows the driver to select one of three operating modes – normal, sport and GS. Select sport and the suspension firms up, select GS and a tighter steering feel and throttle sensitivity come into play. When started up with the push-button start, the system defaults to normal. If I had my way, I’d leave it in GS all the time, as there is no sacrifice in ride comfort, but a big increase in driving fun.
Unfortunately, no track time was scheduled for our first drive of the Buick Regal GS, but being the innovative automotive journalists that we are, we simply ignored the frequent yellow caution signs and maintained normal speed limits around every curve in our drive around northern Michigan. The Regal GS was unperturbed by our lack of prudence, cornering flat, never losing traction and even encouraging us to step it up a bit (naturally, we declined).
One of the beauties about a powerful four-cylinder like this is how light and well-balanced the car feels when negotiating tight and frequent turns. Transitions are easy, the car feels neutral and never loses its composure. But should you ever find yourself on the brink, the Regal GS has the braking power, thanks to large diameter four-wheel disc brakes with Brembo front calipers.
If there is anything negative, it would be the lack of a real performance sound. Despite having a three inch exhaust (three inches is BIG), the Buick Regal GS sounds like you would expect a Buick to sound (sorry Buick) – quiet, incredibly quiet. After all, this is a Buick sports sedan, not a Camaro.
While enjoying the driving, we were coddled by comfy leather seating, which provided plenty of support for the kind of driving we were doing. Leather, of course, is standard on the Buick Regal GS, which starts near the top of the Regal range at $42,345. Other standard features include passive keyless entry, push-button start, XM satellite radio, Harman/Kardon premium 336-watt, 5.1 Matrix Surround Sound system with nine speakers, Bluetooth connectivity, leather wrapped, flat bottom steering wheel with audio controls, metal sport pedals, heated and 12-way power operated driver and front passenger seats, ultrasonic parking assist and Bi-Xenon HID headlamps. A sunroof, navigation system and 20-inch polished aluminum alloy wheels are optional extras.
Exterior features, unique to the GS, include body colour front and rear fascias, with the front fascia incorporating prominent, vertical air intake slots accented in a satin-metallic finish, while the rear features satin-metallic trapezoidal exhaust outlets. There are also rocker panel extensions and a rear spoiler. Inside, the GS is prominently displayed with GS logo floor mats and an instrument panel that switches from blue to white whenever the GS mode of the Interactive Drive Control System is selected – which for most owners will be all the time.
The Buick Regal GS is manufactured by Canadian auto workers at General Motor’s Oshawa, Ontario assembly plant, which is one good reason why you should at least give this Buick a look.
But the reality is that despite that despite its capability, I doubt Buick will sell a lot of these hot sedans. It’s an attitude thing – I wouldn’t be caught dead in an old man’s car – you’ve heard it before, I know. But if you consider yourself to be an early adopter, take the Buick Regal GS for a test drive.
