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Don't buy that crossover! Buy a cladded wagon instead!

If you're looking to buy a car soon, and you're like most Americans, there's a strong chance you're considering buying a crossover SUV. That's what people want nowadays. People like the tough, tall exterior that suggests adventure and preparedness, they like the high seating position, they like the all wheel drive many have and they like the practicality. Because of this, crossovers have rapidly supplanted typical cars such as sedans, wagons, and more as the most popular vehicles in the country. But they're compromised, too. They're often heavy, thirsty, and expensive compared with more conventional cars. The good news is, there's an alternative, a happy medium between the straight crossover and the traditional car. They're lifted wagons, and they're the best crossover SUVs around. And for those who may not know what we're talking about, we're talking about cars and wagons that have been given a suspension lift for more ground clearance and a higher ride height, and often have all wheel drive standard or optional. They also usually have chunky plastic body cladding to make them look tough and durable. Examples include the Subaru Crosstrek, Audi A4 Allroad, Buick Regal TourX, and Volkswagen Golf Alltrack, among others. Because of the suspension and body modifications, these vehicles fit the trendy crossover mold quite well. And in the case of long-running nameplates such as the Subaru Outback and Volvo Cross Country models, they even have some heritage as outdoorsy machines. They also provide the higher driving position that crossover buyers love. And in some cases, such as with the Golf Alltrack, we've learned they offer better ride quality than their road-oriented siblings. View 9 Photos So these tall wagons offer the key things crossover buyers want, but what makes them better than traditional crossovers is that they have the advantages of the cars they're based on. For instance, the aforementioned Golf Alltrack still drives mostly like a Golf, which is to say, it's nimble, feels peppy, and is easy to maneuver because of its relatively small size. We can't really say the same for the Tiguan, which feels generally more sluggish and uninteresting than the Alltrack. And we mention Volkswagen's compact crossover because it starts at nearly the same price as the Alltrack. Some of the difference in giddy-up can be explained by weight. Normal crossovers can be fairly portly, while these lifted wagons are notably lighter.

GM mulling Chevy Cruze hatchback for US, Buick 'Panamera' among other new models

We've spoken at length previously about the fallacy of poor hatchback sales in the US, and with the runaway success of its Chevrolet Cruze sedan, it's somewhat unsurprising to hear that General Motors is rethinking its decision not to sell an overseas five-door variant in North America as it looks to plug a number of holes in its lineup. GM North American President Mark Reuss admitted during a media luncheon this week that not offering the model "... was a pre-bankruptcy planning mistake," says Forbes. With the next-generation model already well-along in development, it's likely that the current Cruze hatch (shown above) won't see US dealers.
Reuss admits not offering the model "was a pre-bankruptcy planning mistake"
In what must have been a far-reaching conversation, Reuss hinted at a number of new products for many GM brands, including "a much more beautiful Panamera" range-topper for Buick (which sounds a bit like the line of reasoning the TriShield brand has been pursuing with its Riviera concepts) and a "Ford Transit Connect-fighter" to supplant the recently announced badge-engineered Chevy City Express from Nissan.

It looks like Buick is working on a new Regal GS

When Buick revealed its Regal-badged version of the Opel Insignia/Holden Commodore sedan and wagon, it left out one significant model, the GS. The high-performance Regal was missing in action, but these new spy photos seem to indicate one is coming soon. It looks like it will be pretty subtle on the outside. Upon close examination, we can see that each side of the front bumper features a much larger grille than the normal Regal Sportback and TourX. The thick upper borders on the grilles also look like good places for some LED accent or fog lights. These larger grilles appear to be the only significant difference to the front, though. On the sides, there are slightly deeper side skirts than those on a standard Sportback, and the rear bumper looks to be lifted from the TourX, but without the wagon's aluminum cladding. One other indication that this is a high-performance Regal is the car's front braking equipment. We can make out a Cadillac logo on the front brake calipers, which shows that this isn't running standard Regal stoppers. As for what's under the hood, it's tough to say, but we don't think it will use a turbocharged four-cylinder as the previous generation did. Instead, we think it may be using a V6. That's a hard maybe. The base Regal's turbo four makes as much power as the old GS, and although Buick could crank up the boost for more power, it could also make use of the V6 it will offer overseas. In the mechanically identical Commodore, a 308-horsepower V6 will be available along with a 9-speed automatic and the same type of all-wheel-drive system as the Ford Focus RS. This option would make the upcoming GS more powerful than the old one, and the new standard model, plus offer all-wheel drive. We would like to see even more power than 308, since the top-dog previous-generation Insignia OPC had a 325-horsepower V6. Related Video: Featured Gallery Buick Regal GS Spy Shots View 15 Photos Image Credit: Brian Williams Spy Photos Buick Hatchback Luxury Performance Sedan buick regal gs