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2019 Buick Regal TourX sells better than expected, has brand's wealthiest buyers

Being a wagon fan in America is tough, since it seems everyone prefers the higher ride heights and SUV looks of crossovers. But today we have some good news for wagon fans via Buick. Apparently the 2019 Buick Regal TourX is popular with well-heeled buyers, and it's been selling quite a bit better than Buick expected. A representative from Buick revealed that Regal TourX buyers have the highest average income of any of the brand's products. He even noted that TourX buyers' average income is higher than the Buick Enclave Avenir, the extra-plush variant of the three-row crossover and the most expensive vehicle in Buick's lineup. To put the price difference into perspective, the most expensive Regal TourX starts at $35,995, while the Enclave Avenir starts at $54,695. Besides selling to people of some means, the Regal TourX has proven to be more popular than Buick expected. Buick's representative said that initial estimates were that the wagon would make up about 25% of sales, but it's actually making up about 40% right now. Buick has sold 3,408 Regals in total this year, so that means about 1,400 of them were TourX wagons. That number doesn't quite translate over all of 2018 since the TourX was released a little later and the supply was still ramping up through the year. As such sales were closer to 3,000 out of a little over 14,000 for the whole year, or somewhere above 20%. But the increased percentage from the model's release is still impressive. Granted, sales still favor crossovers. Buick's least popular crossover, the Envision, sold about twice as many units as all Regals last quarter. Yet, we count this as good news on the wagon front. Better still, the TourX's top rival, the Subaru Outback, has moved 76,000 units so far this year. Times may be tough for the wagon fan, but there are still some small wins to celebrate. UPDATE: The estimate of Regal TourX numbers for 2018 was higher than actual sales as the TourX was launched later than all Regal models, and the supply wasn't up to full steam for the whole year. The corrected number is now in the text. Related Video:

Opel to be shuttered in China, but will restart Buick production in Germany

Opel, General Motors' troubled German brand continues its quest to reinvent itself and find solid profitability. In the course of that metamorphosis, the company has a bit of good news/bad news today. The good news is, it will once again begin screwing together Buick models for the American market. The bad news, though, is that it's being shut down in yet another country, China.
Let's start with the good news. The last vehicle Opel's Ruesselsheim factory built for the North American market was the early run of the then-new Regal, which is based heavily on the Opel Insignia. Production ran for just over two years, from 2009 to 2011, before moving production to Oshawa, Ontario.
Now, thanks to a 245-million-euro investment (just over $336 million), Opel will kick off production of a unspecified model for the US in the "second half of the decade," according to Automotive News. According to Opel, the new model will be announced before the end of 2014. You can begin your speculation about this new model down in Comments (we're wagering it'll be the Cascada convertible, sold here under the Buick umbrella).

Buick prepares Super Bowl ad blitz to introduce Cascada

Super Bowl 50 will kick off on February 7, and Buick will use the big game's massive audience to get the word out about the new Cascada convertible. The the broadcast spot will be paired with a humorous digital campaign to advertise the convertible online. Buick hasn't released the 30-second Super Bowl commercial yet, but a teaser image shows that it stars New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham, Jr. and actress Emily Ratajkowski, known for roles in the films Gone Girl and Entourage. The ad is part of the "Experience the New Buick" campaign, which aims to position the brand to appeal to a younger demographic. The brand also has Ellie Kemper, the star of Netflix's hilarious Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and Erin on The Office, to sell the Cascada, Regal, Encore, and Enclave in a new online campaign. She plays an exaggerated version of herself and flirts with a guy who thinks Kemper owns Buick's new convertible. The spot tries to capitalize on the quirky charm of the actor's Kimmy Schmidt character. Buick will cut the longer clip (below) into vignettes for ads on sites like YouTube. Buick spokesperson Crystal Wilson told Autoblog that viewers' reactions to Kemper's commercial have been "totally positive" so far. First-Ever Buick Super Bowl Ad Features Odell Beckham Jr. and Emily Ratajkowski Latest "Experience the New Buick" ad spotlights new Cascada convertible 2016-01-26 DETROIT – Buick's first-ever Super Bowl ad will bring the brand's award-winning "Experience the New Buick" campaign to the biggest night in TV advertising. The campaign launched in 2014 and challenges consumers' false perceptions of the brand. The 30-second spot, scheduled to air during Super Bowl 50, features Buick's all-new Cascada luxury convertible and stars New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and actress/model Emily Ratajkowski. The spot will be the first new Buick commercial to air in 2016, a year where the brand will launch three new products. The Cascada, Buick's first convertible in 25 years, arrives in dealerships in the coming weeks. It features an athletic and sculptural beauty that delivers a distinctive profile, whether the top is up or down. Along with the perception-shifting Cascada, Buick showrooms will soon feature a redesigned LaCrosse sedan and the new Envision, a compact crossover. Both go on sale this summer.