Filed under: Spy Photos, Sedans/Saloons, China, Buick, Misc. Auto Shows
Chinese Buick Regal caught dressed in red
Click above for more images of the 2010 Buick Regal
Two weeks ago we showed you spy shots of a 2010 Buick Regal caught testing in China that appeared to be nothing more than a rebadged Opel Insignia. (As you may recall, we'll be getting the 2010 Buick LaCrosse in the States.) All three of those cars are based on GM's Epsilon II platform, which we will also likely see under future vehicles from Saab, Saturn and Chevrolet. The Buick brand, and the popular Regal, are doing very well in China. As such, it's no surprise to see these latest spy shots of the barely disguised four-door Regal dipped in red, and it looks great despite being a badge job. The production version is expected to debut at the Guangzhou Auto Show in November. Thanks for the tip, Jason!
Gallery: 2010 Buick Regal - Spy Shots in Red
[Source: China Car Times]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
TriShield 3:43PM (9/30/2008)
Funny how the names US automakers are traditionally know and famous four live on overseas but here at home they thought it would be smart to can them. It's just another way GM has completely gutted the brand.
LaCrosse? Lucerne? What are they? Who cares? There's no relevance, no recognition, no heritage or history with those names. They are rental cars.
Where's our Riviera, Regal, Park Avenue and other great names Buick is known for. In China, where the brand isn't quite dead yet.
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Brian 3:51PM (9/30/2008)
I think GM is doing the right thing in changing their names after abusing them so badly in recent memory. Think outside of the automotive world for a minute and in the minds of the everyday people. I bet most would associate the names Park Avenue, LeSabre, and Regal with Grandpa's car of yesterday.
I am happy to see Buick finally getting some nicely designed cars out there. Lets hope they can build on the success of the Enclave and stay alive!
spookiness 3:51PM (9/30/2008)
In a few years, I think it would be obvious to revive the name "Electra" for a luxury hybrid.
KeatMP 4:01PM (9/30/2008)
"... isn't quite dead yet."
GM sells more Buicks in China than anywhere else in the world. Buick is to China what BMW, Merc, Caddy, Lexus is over here. Buick is not going anywhere anytime soon.
spookiness 3:49PM (9/30/2008)
It's pretty, even if it is a badge job.
Lose those side vents. I dare say it, but even the goofy round Buick portal vents would look better than that.
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Icon149 4:06PM (9/30/2008)
yeah but it's a badge job accross 3 continenents that will never see the other versions on the road... this is the only exceptable form of badge engineering. so long as GM doesn't sell a saturn aura (insignia) and a buick regal state side with the only difference being the badge and a bend or two in the body work and i see no reason to fault GM.
GM nock off the badge engineering that goes on in the same market though... Aveo G3 would be a good place to start. kill the G3 before it has a chance to soil the lots of pontiac dealers all accross the US
Mondrell 4:33PM (9/30/2008)
At least GM is badge engineering across markets (with an attractive foundation no less) and not brands. Only international car buffs such as yourself and I know this is a domesticated Insignia, but it's a moot point if you can't buy one in your market.
I agree with your criticism of the vents. They look like an afterthought, largely because Buick's traditional fender cue is the port hole. I'd try three styled similarly to the Enclave's along with filling the side intakes in more with a larger fog/auxilary lamp design. As is, they're too vacant for me. . .
taknd0g 3:51PM (9/30/2008)
Kind of looks like a CLS, what's the Buick equivalent of AMG? :)
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KeatMP 4:04PM (9/30/2008)
Actually the faster version of the Buicks are called "Super" Like the Buick LaCrosse Super.
Brian 3:52PM (9/30/2008)
I think GM is doing the right thing in changing their names after
abusing them so badly in recent memory. Think outside of the
automotive world for a minute and in the minds of the everyday
people. I bet most would associate the names Park Avenue, LeSabre,
and Regal with Grandpa's car of yesterday.
I am happy to see Buick finally getting some nicely designed cars out
there. Lets hope they can build on the success of the Enclave and
stay alive!
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Torrent 4:15PM (9/30/2008)
Ok. I'm moving to China.....
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Mobius_1 5:23PM (9/30/2008)
It's almost funny how American automakers are struggling so much in America with most of their most attractive cars being sold everywhere but America...
But hey, China's nice, you get cheap Rolexes as well
Eric L. 4:30PM (9/30/2008)
It looks like a rebadge of the Opel Insignia.
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ChopperDave 4:37PM (9/30/2008)
RTFA
tanooki2003 4:49PM (9/30/2008)
This is definitely better and sharper looking than any Buick that has been built and sold in America.
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TriShield 5:12PM (9/30/2008)
Giving Buick a bunch of no-name cars to sell was certainly not the right thing to do, I'm not sure how anyone reasonably informed could think otherwise.
GM succeeded in totally gutting this brand by removing all the names it was known for. It was the very epitome of the wrong thing to do and shows how totally inept the automaker's management is (as if gutting Cadillac, Pontiac, relying solely on trucks for profits, making Saturns too expensive for the brands base and going bankrupt wasn't).
People still associate Buick with grandpa's cars of yesterday, the new names have done zero to change that. That is the brand's image and GM's lackluster no-name efforts have done zero to change it. To compound the problem now when grandpa comes to the lot he doesn't even recognize what he's looking at or find what he's looking for anymore.
Instead of drawing on the rich history of Buick's traditional names and the style those cars had at their zenith GM has chose to flush it all away and replace them with rental quality cars. That's branding 101 and GM has failed miserably at it. Is it no wonder nobody buys Buicks anymore?
What planet is the Enclave a success on? Sales started with a little pop by early adopters then completely fizzled out, just like everything else GM makes. Enclaves fill Buicks lots here and have been that way since months after release. Nobody under 50 is buying them and they are predominantly driven by retirees.
Not good.
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Brian 7:22PM (9/30/2008)
I will still beg to disagree with you. I know Buick's had their hayday and those models commanded respect but the last 10-20 years they lost all ties to any respect they had. Whats so wrong with moving away from an incredibly tarnished name is the eyes of most consumers, not suto-philes like us.
I wonder if anyone outside of those of us who read automotive publications really care or connect to a car that was in its prime some 20 yrs ago.
I am not saying that you are wrong, I think these monikers do have a place in the Buick line-up at some point but I believe it's not the worst thing at this time to use other names to try to capture people's interest instead of conjuring up some horrible memories of being in one of their more recent versions.
As for the Enclave, I will maintain that while it may not be a huge sales success, atleast it's selling! I see them more often than any other late model Buick and usually a middle-aged person is driving it. It's one of the most handsome designed large crossovers out there and is atleast creating some interest in what was once a drab and nearly dead name. Would you rather they still produce that oh so beautiful Rendezvous or the hack job Terazza?????
Or perhaps they should rename the Enclave as a Park Avenue since it is their largest vehicle.... Times change and companies do too. Until they are ready to do old names justice, why bother trying to bring them back to a market that has largely been plagued with oversized, overweight, squishy Buicks of the past 2 decades?
infinitime 5:54PM (9/30/2008)
On the topic of name recognition, the Buick "Park Avenue" is translated into its Chinese name as the Buick "Lincoln Boulevard" .... The posh "Park Avenue" address in New York is not well known to the Chinese consumers, and the reference to a former president seems to hold more weight than the "Park Avenue" name.... In view of the automakers' financial pains, maybe Ford can come out with the Lincoln "Wall Street" in China...:)
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UH2L 6:04PM (9/30/2008)
It is the Opel Insignia with Buick dressing. That's why it looks so good. It's only for China so it won't affect a Saturn version of it here.
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TGear 6:11PM (9/30/2008)
It is such a shame that GM cannot sell products such as the Buick Regal that China is getting. My first car I owned was a 81 Buick Regal and I had it for 10 years. I now drive an 2007 Mazda6 and I have not considered Buick due to the designs. But if they offered cars such as this Regal, I would consider Buick again!
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