1987 Buick Grand National 3.8 Turbo on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Opel did a great job on the 2018 Buick Regal

Ladies and gentlemen, the 2018 Buick Regal. The car you see is actually the Opel Insignia Grand Sport, but General Motors will bring it to the United States as the next-generation Regal virtually unchanged. The Insignia, revealed Wednesday by Opel, gets a sleek new design punched up with LED lights and sweeping proportions meant to conjure a fastback silhouette. It will debut in March at the Geneva Motor Show and launch next year in Europe. Expect the Regal to go on sale in the middle of 2017 in the US. The Opel-Buick relationship has been tight in the last decade, with the outgoing Regal earning strong praise for its German-tuned chassis and premium appearance. While Buick has been the recipient of much of Opel's work, the Insignia is now borrowing one of Buick's great names: Grand Sport. View 12 Photos Opel points to the Monza concept as the source of inspiration for the Insignia, though Buick will undoubtedly say the Avenir concept was the Regal's creative stimulus. Some think it looks like a Mazda. Mark Adams, vice president of GM Design Europe also oversees the automaker's global styling operations. "Its design combines flowing lines and subtle surfaces with crisp, precise lines to even exaggerate its dramatic proportions: it looks longer, lower, and wider than it actually is, and it definitely looks upscale," he said in statement. Expect similar thoughts for the Regal. Opel is also working on an Insignia wagon, which we've captured in spy photos before. We've also heard whispers that it will come to the US market with a Regal badge. Opel's announcement previews many of the details we'll see in the new Regal. Based on a new chassis, the Insignia is 386 pounds lighter than the previous car. The wheelbase is 3.62 inches longer and the track is .43 inches wider. Opel tapered the front and rear overhangs, so there's only a slight gain in overall length. The interior has more room, Opel says, and features a touchscreen with GM's IntelliLink system. The car will also have several drive modes, which tailor the chassis, throttle response, and shifting dynamics. Other technologies includes a head-up display, 360-degree camera, lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, and cross-traffic alert. The Insignia will offer an eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive with torque-vectoring. We expect both to come to the US market. Meanwhile, another GM brand, Vauxhall, unveiled the Vauxhall Insignia for the British market.

Buick Envision arrives in US next year

In a detailed piece on what General Motors has planned for the Buick brand stateside, Automotive News reports that the Envision will finally come to the US a little more than a year from now, in the latter half of 2016. The size gap between the small Encore and the large Enclave is a perfect fit for the Chevrolet Equinox-sized Envision. Assuming this actually happens, it should excite both customers and Buick dealers. In China, the Envision uses a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with 256 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque, mated to a six-speed transmission. Before then, dealers sales forces will be preparing for the Cascada convertible, expected in Q1 next year. Later in 2016, around the same time as the Envision gets here, we can expect a redesigned Verano sedan. AN says it "should grow in length and interior roominess, similar to the Chevy Cruze," but the Verano already roughly matches or exceeds many Cruze dimensions. The Chinese-market Verano that premiered at the Shanghai Motor Show earlier this year probably holds some clues to what we'll see, but our version might not be an exact copy. A redesigned, lighter, and slightly larger LaCrosse will be right there with it. In 2017 the redesigned Regal appears. Following the trend, it also gets larger, but that's required because it needs to be more distinct from that larger Verano. AN suggests a new base engine will go in the Regal, perhaps something as small as the 1.5-liter turbo being lined up for the 2016 Chevy Malibu. At the other end, executives are said to be considering importing the diesel Opel Insignia wagon for the Regal lineup. If they bring the manual over, auto scribes will probably take the day off when the first one arrives, and make it an industry holiday.

Buick officially launches the redesigned 2021 Envision

The 2021 Buick Envision is officially official. Yes, that Envision — the one we showed you back in May 2020 — is now for sale, and we now have all of the finer details about the redesigned crossover, which is lower, wider and more technologically robust than its predecessor.  One could argue that we already knew the most important thing about Buick's updated CUV: It looks good. The same couldn't necessarily be said of its previous incarnation, which, like several of GM's outgoing small crossovers, could be charitably described as inoffensive, but often merely looked frumpy and incoherent.  2021 Buick Envision Avenir View 25 Photos Rather than the flow-for-flow's-sake design of the outgoing model, the 2021 boasts a more chiseled, angular look, especially in Avenir guise. It also boasts a redesigned cabin and a new suite of standard tech features, including standard forward collision warning, front pedestrian braking and rear park assist. Optional goodies include a HUD, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and a hands-free power liftgate. Avenir models bake in several of the standard Envision's optional upgrades, including heated and ventilated front seats, a massaging driver's seat and heated outboard rear seats. It also offers an optional adaptive suspension.  “The all-new 2021 Envision is a tremendous opportunity for the brand,” said Duncan Aldred, global vice president for Buick and GMC. “With strong, differentiated designs, and a combination of advanced technologies and premium appointments, it will stand apart in one of the industryÂ’s most competitive segments.” Buick has also nailed down the specs on the Envision's updated powertrain. The 2.0-liter turbo engine will make 228 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. Front-wheel drive is standard, with GM's twin-clutch all-wheel-drive system available as an upgrade. Both models get a nine-speed automatic gearbox.  As confirmed previously with the release of Buick's 2021 order guide, the Envision starts at $32,995 (including destination) and is available at dealers now. We expect to get our hands on one for a more thorough evaluation some time in the coming months. Stay tuned.