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Buick luxury sedan design sketch would make a great flagship

Over the Thanksgiving holiday General Motors posted a sketch of a futuristic Buick sedan to social media. In fact, the sleek wedge is just the latest in a series of illustrations that seem to point the way to a luxury EV coming in 2024 (for model year 2025). That's when Buick has promised its first fully-electric vehicle, with the promise that the entire lineup will be gasoline free.           View this post on Instagram                       A post shared by GM Design (@generalmotorsdesign) The sketch shows a low, long sedan that seems to be inspired (or perhaps served as the inspiration for) the Buick Wildcat concept revealed in June. However, there are significant differences as well. The sketch shows a profile that's more cab backward than the Wildcat's, with a gently sloping roofline that's more Audi A7 than the physical car's aggressive Nissan GT-R-like top.  The front end is less busy than the Wildcat's as well, with the chrome better integrated into the fascia and headlights. Similar brightwork appears on the rocker panels and on the fenders behind the wheel arches, cues the Wildcat concept lacks. Buick's updated logo sits at the end of a sporty BMW-esque trough on the hood. Of course, the exaggerated wheels have such little clearance they wouldn't really be able move or turn, much less survive a pothole, but we can forgive that artistic liberty. Other recent sketches shown on the GM Design account on Instagram show a more refined version of the same sedan, but without the Wildcat's Honda CR-V-esque taillights. Another super-luxurious coupe with hints of Syd Mead looks just as beautiful but is unbranded and may work better as a Cadillac. The Buick brand feels a bit redundant these days, but stunning designs like these could help differentiate the brand. The General has plenty of trucks and SUVs already. If it's going to foist crossover after crossover at us, maybe the Buick division could stand out as the sedan-and-coupe-only brand. Related video:

2018 Buick Regal GS is the best Regal since the GNX

The 2018 Buick Regal GS, the third and final variant of the all-new Buick Regal, was revealed this morning. At the event, we were given a brief chance to drive the Regal Sportback, the Regal TourX, and the Regal GS at GM's proving grounds in Milford, MI. Buick has been working hard to shed its image as the brand that comes with an AARP membership card in the glovebox, and this handsome trio is definitely on the right path. With a solid list of features at competitive prices, it's now going to be up to Buick's marketing division to get customers into showrooms. We should say right off the bat that while the old G-Body Grand National and GNX were hardcore giant slayers, the new Regal GS isn't intended to be so sharp edged. Those '80s machines were focused on 0-60 times, and looking as sinister as possible. The new Regal is far more civilized that its forebear. They may share a name, but the purpose has changed. The standard Regal Sportback starts at $25,915 - that's $2,470 less than the outgoing model. It might be the most attractive Buick in decades, at least on the outside. The interior is typical GM, meaning lots of colors and textures without a defining theme. It's powered solely by a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline four making 250 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. Power is sent to the front wheels through a nine-speed automatic. From behind the wheel, the Regal Sportback is quiet, comfortable, and generally relaxed. The 2.0-liter turbo makes a decent amount of power, but the steering and handling remind you that this isn't a sport sedan. That's not a fault, simply a conscious design choice. Despite what some enthusiasts would lead you to believe, not everything needs to be set up for the N urburgring. The Regal Sportback soaks up bumps fairly well, though the car felt light going over some larger bumps on GM's handling course. The steering is completely dead, but it doesn't feel loose or sloppy. There's simply no feedback from the tires. On the other hand, the brakes were surprisingly good. The pedal was firm and confidence-inspiring. Stopping quickly from 60 mph provided no drama. View 12 Photos The $29,995 Regal TourX is a high-riding wagon in the vein of the Subaru Outback, Audi A4 Allroad, and Volvo V60 Cross Country. Like those three, the Regal TourX comes standard with some beefy plastic cladding and all-wheel drive, giving some pretense of off-road capability.

Trump prods General Motors over its auto plants in China

WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump, who is engaged in a trade war with Beijing, said on Friday that the largest U.S. automaker, General Motors, should begin moving its operations back to the United States. "General Motors, which was once the Giant of Detroit, is now one of the smallest auto manufacturers there. They moved major plants to China, BEFORE I CAME INTO OFFICE. This was done despite the saving help given them by the USA. Now they should start moving back to America again?" Trump said in a post on Twitter. Trump appeared to be referring to a Bloomberg News story that reported GM's hourly workforce of 46,000 U.S. workers has fallen behind that of Fiat Chrysler as the smallest of the Detroit Three automakers. Over the past four decades, GM has dramatically cut the size of its overall U.S. workforce, which numbered nearly 620,000 in 1979. GM did not directly comment on Trump's tweet. "GMÂ’s China operations are not a threat to U.S. jobs," the company said in a fact sheet, noting that its joint ventures have sent $16 billion in equity income to GM since 2010 and that it has invested $23 billion in U.S. operations since 2009. GM's U.S. hourly workforce has fallen by about 4,000 jobs since the end of 2018 to about where it was a decade ago. Trump's ire with GM comes as contract talks with the United Auto Workers union with the Detroit Three automakers intensify ahead of a Sept. 14 deadline. Trump has previously attacked GM for building vehicles in Mexico and for ending production at plants in Michigan, Ohio and Maryland and threatened to cut GM subsidies in retaliation. GM's decision to close four plants in the United States is a central issue in the contract talks. Trump has made boosting auto jobs a key priority and has often attacked automakers on Twitter for not doing enough to boost U.S. employment. His 2020 re-election bid will hinge on holding key industrial battleground states like Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan that narrowly voted for him in 2016. China is the worldÂ’s largest auto market, and government policy favors automakers assembling vehicles there, and not importing them from overseas. In response to TrumpÂ’s latest tariffs, China said last week it will reinstitute 25% tariffs on U.S.-made vehicles. The U.S. is imposing 15% tariffs on more than $125 billion in Chinese goods starting Sunday. GM sold 3.6 million vehicles in China last year accounting for 43% of its worldwide sales.