mmarshall

This just goes to show you what unusual automotive times we live in. Who would have thought we'd ever see this? ...a mainstream Detroit family-vehicle offered ONLY in hatchback/wagon form, and not in a classic 4-dr sedan? That's just what Buick is doing....offering the all-new mid-sized 2018 Regal in the American market with a choice of hatchback or wagon body styles.....but no sedan. Even in Europe, where hatchbacks and wagons are far more popular than they are here, sedans are offered.

(Yes, we had a previous thread in Car Chat on the rumors that this could happen, but some of us were not convinced it would actually be marketed that way.....and Buick, as usual, was too mum on it, for too long. At least they have now confirmed it on their web site).


Anyhow, the new Regal, like before, will be essentially a rebadged Opel Insignia....which should help it in the build-quality and reliability department.

http://www.buick.com/regal-mid-size-...ex.html#/index

http://www.buick.com/regal-tourx-mid...ex.html#/index

BrownPride

Well the "hatchback" version is basically a sedan, they just went the Audi A7 route with its styling.

Regardless, it'll flop just like every other non-SUV Buick. I read the new LaCrosse is already getting hammered.

Sulu

But the "wagon" has been butched up with plastic cladding to resemble a SUV. So, to image-conscious Americans, it is NOT a wagon.

OK, despite what I just said, if this is what it takes to get a wagon in North America, I will take a Toyota / Lexus All-Trac. I prefer a lower wagon to a car-on-stilts crossover utility vehicle.

LexBob2

Audi also puts plastic cladding on their Allroad wagon. But as you said if that's what it takes to get more wagons in the US.....The Allroad is a very low volume car, but at least they continued it with for now with the new gen.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

you mean like subaru has been flogging for years with the outback?

mmarshall

True, but the "Hatchback sedan", with a sleekly-raked roof-line like that has some deficiencies to its design. It significantly cuts down on the ability to carry tall objects in back, and also has a tendency to get rear seat, rear, passengers and cargo wet when opened in the rain. If you are going to go with a lift-back design, a conventional squared-off wagon makes far more sense.

The Lacrosse certainly won't get hit with MY hammer. It is currently #1 on my list for my next vehicle......probably sometime between now and the end of the year. Besides, if they aren't selling, I'll probably just get that much better a deal.

mmarshall

I disagree. It is very much a wagon, cladding or not. It would resemble something like an Outback / All-Road / XC-70, except that the ground-clearance is too low. In that regard, it is much like the recent Acura TSX Sportwagon....except perhaps slightly larger.



The Outback, though essentially a raised Legacy wagon with more cladding (the low-slung Legacy Wagon is no longer sold in the U.S.) is a little closer to an SUV in concept than this new Buick wagon. However, it still drives more like a sedan than any SUV I can think of, with the possible exception of its own brother Forester. I owned an Outback for six years, and found its overall road manners quite pleasant...except for being borderline-underpowered with the N/A 2.5L.



Toyota, however, won't import the Camry wagons or All-Trac models any more. We haven't seen them here since the 1990s. And they just recently dropped the Venza, which more or less served in that function..

Sulu

I know the Audi A4 allroad does not sell in large numbers but someone in my office building drives one so I see it -- and am reminded of it -- everyday.

Exactly!

Mike, you and I both know that this new Buick is a station wagon but there are many image-conscious Americans who likely would not buy a Regal Wagon but may buy a Regal TourX because it has been dressed up to look like a SUV. This is just like the Subaru Legacy wagon did not sell but the butched-up Outback does; and just like how Infiniti decided they could not sell a Q30 hatchback but can sell the same car dressed-up as the QX30 SUV.

Toyota no longer makes a Camry wagon, more than likely because they know it would not sell (but Toyota does offer the Avensis wagon). I understand that the Venza -- called by some as the "Camry Wagon" -- did not sell in the USA but it did sell quite well here in Canada. But I am hoping that if other manufacturers' butched-up wagons sell, that Toyota will offer its own dressed-up wagon. If the only way I can get a station wagon is as a dressed-up wagon (I don't really like Toyota's CUVs such as the RAV4 and Highlander), I will take it.

mmarshall

Well, we will see. Buick customers usually aren't trying to be Crocodile Dundee (Paul Hogan), like in those old Outback commercials.

From what I can tell, the Outback's huge sales ran the Subaru Legacy wagon out of business not because of image, but because its higher seat made for a more commanding driving position for some people, and its aded ground-clearance could handle much deeper snow (and speed-bumps), which made it a more effective winter vehicle. I had mine out the day after a two-foot blizzard.....it laughed at anything short of an avalanche LOL.

dseag2

Here's a great video covering both cars. They both look nice!

​​​​​​

Fizzboy7

Snappy styling, but it will most definitely fail. America does not like station wagons, and this one leans much more to the car side than the SUV side. GM cannot afford to take these types of risks. They are the exact same risks and mistakes they made in the 90's and 2000's, with niche cars that quickly failed and were discontinued. Gluttons for punishment it seems...

pbm317

Buick's biggest problem is that they try to project themselves as a luxury competitor. They're trying to name the Audi allroad and Volvo Cross Country, etc as competitors, but there is no one trying to cross shop those brands, other than perhaps mmarshall.

They try to price like a semi/entry luxury brand, but then they need to regularly run discounts of 16-20% off, and that's what is advertised! No luxury brand would tout that level of discounting off MSRP. Yes the luxury OEM's use incentives like lease subvention etc, but it's much more hidden.

mmarshall

Well, Number One, I don't always go along with the crowd.........I think for myself. Number Two, let's wait and see what actually happens one that are officially released and go on sale this fall.

I don't see how you can say that. A number of luxury-grade vehicles sell at a substantial discount.

BrownPride

It certainly seems like a decent enough car for what it is, but being a Buick it's just not gonna be on many peoples' shopping list. Full-size "premium" sedans aren't doing well across the board.

mmarshall

There's no question that the crowd is going after SUVs these days. I've always been one, however, to think for myself...I'm not easy swayed by what the crowd does. That goes all the way back to my teen-years.