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Buick Century attracts 15,000 bees searching for new hive

By most accounts, the fifth-generation Buick Century isn't considered a desirable place to live. For a swarm of 15,000 bees, however, the lure of the front-drive A-body proved irresistible, much to the chagrin of the car's Las Cruces, N.M. owner. The unidentified man had gone shopping in an Albertson's grocery store, returned to his car, placed his purchases in the car, and began driving away. Then he noticed that something was, according to the New York Times, "amiss." The Buick owner called 911, which dispatched the Las Cruces Fire Department to the scene. Luckily, one firefighter and paramedic in the brigade, Jesse Johnson, is a hobbyist beekeeper. Though he was off duty at the time, Johnson sprung into action and arrived at the Buick with equipment to transfer the bees safely, including an empty hive box, a beekeeper's outfit and lemongrass oil, which mimics the scent of the queen. Johnson told the Times that bee colonies will often split in springtime, with a swarm following a queen to search for a new home. Apparently, the partially open window of a 1982-96 Buick Century looked like an inviting, perhaps temporary, location as the bees relocated. Johnson removed 3.5 pounds' worth of bees in a span of less than a half hour. He is rehabitating the bees at his home, where he maintains other hives. “IÂ’ll do anything to keep people from killing the bees,” Johnson told the Times. He also explained that when bees swarm like this, they are typically pretty docile. Amazingly, the Buick owner was only in the store for 10 minutes, the paper reports. Johnson believes the bees came from a nearby neighborhood. Fortunately, no one was injured during the incident. One Albertson's security guard was stung, according to the Las Cruces Fire Department, and another firefighter was stung on the lip. For the record, the Las Cruces Fire Department says they don't routinely handle bees. It was just fortunate that Johnson was around. It's not clear if the bees would have flocked to a similar era Chevy Celebrity or Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera. Related Video:

Little-bit-bigger 2020 Buick Encore GX gets two three-cylinder engines

Ford broke the ice on selling three-cylinder engines in the U.S. with the 2014 Fiesta, then followed up with the EcoSport. Buick is about to widen that supermini-sized crack in the ice with the 2020 Encore GX. The semi-subcompact crossover will come in three trim levels that mix-and-match two turbocharged three-cylinder engines, two transmissions, and two drivetrains. The smaller engine is a 1.2-liter three-pot with 137 horsepower and 166 pound-feet of torque. This comes in one horse and 18 lb-ft of twist beyond the 1.4-liter four-cylinder in the smaller Encore. This engine will only be paired with a CVT and front-wheel drive in the Preferred, Select, and Essence trims. The meatier motor is a 1.3-liter three-cylinder with 155 hp and 174 lb-ft. That's down on the 163 hp and 177 lb-ft that the same engine produces in the Chinese-market version of the Encore GX. However, it gets buyers close to the 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that used to be optional on the smaller Encore, producing 153 hp and 177 lb-ft. This engine can be optioned on the front-wheel drive Select and Essence trims, where it would be mated to the CVT. The 1.3-liter three-cylinder is standard on all trims optioned with all-wheel drive, where it gets paired with GM's nine-speed automatic. GM does say the horsepower figures are estimates at the moment, so don't be surprised at any slight changes before deliveries begin next year. The Encore GX will serve buyers who would love it if the Encore had a bit more room but don't want to step up to the Envision. For a price GM hasn't announced yet, the Encore GX will reward those buyers with five more feet of cargo space, and some extra power for all those who decide to level up further. The junior Encore weighs just over 3,200 pounds, it's likely the Encore GX will shade that some. The Encore GX does ride on GM's new VSS-F platform, though, so the advanced architecture could provide an overall superior experience even with the lesser three-cylinder. GM has also said that the Encore GX will come standard with safety kit like forward collision alert and lane keep assist with a lane departure warning, features that are cost extras on the Encore. The Encore GX will also include automatic emergency braking, which can't be had on the Encore at any price.

The 2018 Buick Regal is now a hatchback and a wagon

Buick has long been General Motors' most traditional brand. With the launch of the 2018 Regal, it's now arguably GM's most risk-taking brand. Buick is turning its midsize staple into a hatchback, called the Regal Sportback, and a wagon, the Regal TourX. Revealed Tuesday afternoon at GM's historic Design Dome in Warren, Mich., the cars will go on sale in the fall after next week's public debut at the New York Auto Show. "At Buick we can try things other people haven't tried," GM product chief Mark Reuss said. The wagon – though Reuss was reluctant to call it one – is a longer (3.4 inches), higher-riding (0.6 inches) version of the Regal Sportback. It's the first Buick wagon since the 1990s Roadmaster, and it's aimed at the seemingly never-satiated crossover market in the United States. View 12 Photos The TourX will compete against the Volvo XC60 Cross Country, Audi A4 Allroad, Subaru Outback, and BMW 3 Series wagon. The Buick offers up 73.5 cubic feet of storage space behind the front seats and is all-wheel drive only. Power comes from a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder making 250 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque that teams with an eight-speed automatic transmission. "It's something that is very different and very beautiful, and it's a good alternative for Buick to try," Reuss said. The Sportback, meanwhile, offers the same four-cylinder and eight-speed trans as the TourX in AWD trim. The Sportback also offers a front-wheel-drive model that uses a four-cylinder paired with a nine-speed automatic, and the engine is rated at 250 hp and 260 lb-ft in that setup. With swoopy creased styling, the Regal Sportback offers a slightly different riff on the crowded sedan segment, which GM says still has three million annual retail sales. On a side note, Saab fans might feel some old wounds at the sight of the hatchback Buick, as the 5-door 9-3 was axed by GM in an attempt to make the model more mainstream before the brand's demise. Both models will offer front pedestrian braking, lane keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, OnStar and seven-inch or eight-inch touchscreens with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. As expected, the Regals are based on the Opel Insignia, and they will be built in Ruesselsheim, Germany. Reuss said GM plans to build the Regals there after the company sells Opel to PSA. He also said GM isn't concerned about potential border/import taxes that could be levied by the Trump Administration. "I don't know what the border tax is," he said.