Recall Alert: 38,197 Chevrolet, Buick Hybrids

GM is recalling 38,197 model-year 2012-13 Chevrolet and Buick eAssist light hybrid cars due to a problem with circuit boards in the trunk that could cause a fire, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Affected vehicles include Chevrolet Malibu Eco, Buick LaCrosse and Buick Regal sedans. Circuit boards in the trunk could overheat, causing the cars' 12-volt battery to drain and one of several indicator lights to turn on. If owners ignore the warning lights, the engine could stall and a fire could occur in the trunk, the newspaper reported. The issue is not related to the lithium-ion battery that is part of the eAssist hybrid system.

Owners will be notified "soon," according to the newspaper, though no specific time frame was given. Owners of Malibu Ecos, Buick LaCrosses and Buick Regals who notice any kind of warning light are encouraged to take their car to a dealer immediately. For more info, owners can call the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236 or go to www.safercar.gov.

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GM recalls more than 38,000 Chevy, Buick hybrids due to fire risk (Los Angeles Times)
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2014 Buick Regal Photo Gallery

Buick's attractive Regal gets a more athletic look, more horsepower and more features inside and out for 2014. While cosmetic changes aren't over the top, new headlights and taillights with LED accents are the most noticeable.

More 2013 New York Auto Show Coverage

Following in the steps of the LaCrosse, the Regal's cabin loses a lot of buttons and gains better interior trim. The gauge cluster features a new, customizable 8-inch display. There are also more new safety features available like forward collision alert, lane departure warning and blind spot monitoring.

The biggest changes come under the hood, as the optional turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder gets a big boost in power, now making 259 horsepower and 295 pounds-feet of torque in both the Regal GS and Turbo models.

Buyers seeking pure driving fun should consider the Regal GS, which has a sport-tuned suspension, six-speed manual transmission, Buick's Interactive Driver Control, big Brembo brakes and a refreshed, more aggressive appearance for 2014.

Pick your flavor; see our photos of Buick’s new Regal Turbo and Regal GS below. Cars.com photos by Evan Sears.

2014 Buick Regal: Up Close

Buick fixed the element of the Regal that was most in need of improvement by revamping the center control panel as part of the car's updates for 2014. In the process, it dramatically simplified the interfaces for the audio and climate systems, making them easier to use at a glance compared to the grid of buttons that dominated the prior Regal’s dashboard.

More 2013 New York Auto Show Coverage

It appears Buick designers couldn't contain themselves, though, as more buttons have appeared on the Regal's new steering wheel, which now has what appears to be 17 functions. Some of the features are oddly grouped: the button for the heated steering wheel, for instance, is on the same four-way rocker switch as the cruise control settings.

2014 Buick Regal, Regal GS at the 2013 New York Auto Show

• Competes with: Acura TSX, Volkswagen CC, Audi A4, Volvo S60
• Looks like: The current Regal, which isn't a bad thing
• Drivetrain: eAssist 2.4-liter four-cylinder mild hybrid or turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder, six-speed automatic or manual (GS FWD only) transmission
• Hits dealerships: Fall 2013

GM is unveiling a ton of new machinery at the 2013 New York International Auto Show, and Buick is getting some much-needed attention with its refreshed 2014 Regal and Regal GS. Sales of the sedans have suffered since the introduction of the less expensive yet equally nice Buick Verano, but with the updated-for-2014 Regal, Buick is putting some distance between it and its smaller sibling. The new Regal has sportier styling, more electronic equipment and a more powerful turbocharged engine.

More 2013 New York Auto Show Coverage

Styling changes to the 2014 Regal are minimal - new headlights and taillights are pretty much it on the outside; they incorporate the new Buick family "winged" LED running lamps and a full-width chrome trim strip across the LED taillamps.

GM Aims for 500,000 Vehicles With Electrification by 2017

Call it a power play in the electric-car market: GM projects that by 2017 it will have as many as half a million vehicles on the road with some form of electrification. Its next plug-in vehicle will be the Chevrolet Spark EV.

The focus will be on plug-in technology; GM's introduction of the extended-range Chevrolet Volt has energized the automaker to focus on the electric-vehicle market.

"What started out as a technology proof point … has turned into a real-world starting point to push EV technology further and faster than we thought possible five years ago," Mary Barra, GM's senior vice president of Global Product Development, said in a statement. "The unique propulsion technology pioneered in the Volt … will be a core piece of our electrification strategy going forward."

Not all of that experience has been positive, though. A report released by Reuters in September alleged that GM loses tens of thousands of dollars on every Volt due to development costs. Although the automaker disputed that figure, it acknowledged that Volt profits would not be immediate, but insisted that startup costs would be spread over future models.

Why Isn't the Buick Regal Selling Well?

Over the past few years, we've seen a global convergence and streamlining of major vehicle lineups, which means more of the Eurocentric vehicles that automotive enthusiasts covet are coming here. But many of them aren't selling well.

For proof, just look at the relatively poor-selling BMW 1 Series, Smart ForTwo, Suzuki Kizashi or Scion iQ. (The latter two were designed with Europe in mind.) At the top of the list is the Buick Regal, which historically was one of Buick's best-selling models. In 2004 it was redesigned and renamed LaCrosse — now Buick's flagship sedan in the U.S. After a six-year hiatus in the U.S., the Regal returned to our shores, but as a different beast.

GM Files 'Riviera' Trademark

The Buick brand has been gaining momentum in recent years with popular entries like the Enclave and the LaCrosse. As the premium marque continues to fill out its lineup with compact entries like the Encore and the Verano, there's some evidence the brand may get it's coveted “Riviera” nameplate back, according to GM Inside News, a General Motors' enthusiast web forum.

From the 1963-99 model years, the Riviera was a halo coupe car for Buick. Trademarking the Riviera name doesn't necessarily mean GM plans on making a production vehicle or even a concept vehicle for that matter. However, there are some indications that it wants to further expand the Buick lineup — especially to capitalize on growing sales in China, where Buick is one of the largest brands.

Two years ago, Buick told us it was considering adding a coupe, convertible and wagon to its lineup.

If those models are still in the cards, it's possible that the coupe/convertible could get the Riviera nod, but we'll just have to wait and see.

GM Trademarks Riviera Name For Vehicle Use (GM Inside News)

2012 Buick Regal Earns Five-Star NHTSA Safety Rating

Buick's midsize sedan is the latest vehicle to be awarded the top rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The 2012 Buick Regal earned an overall five out of five stars in NHTSA's crash tests.

The Regal's composite score was composed of mostly five stars across the different areas of crash testing, but it did earn four stars in the frontal crash test and in the rollover test. The sedan earned fives in overall driver safety, side barrier and side pole crashes. Both the Regal and the mild hybrid Regal eAssist versions received a combined five-star rating.

NHTSA recently adopted more stringent guidelines and rigorous testing practices, so it's harder for vehicles to get five stars. The list is getting longer, though. The Regal is the 14th vehicle to be awarded NHTSA's highest combined star rating for the 2012 model year. The other five-star vehicles are the Cadillac CTS, Cadillac SRX, Chevrolet Camaro, Chevrolet Sonic, Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, Kia Sportage, Saab 9-4X, Toyota Camry, Volkswagen Passat and Volvo S60.

Recall Alert: 2012 Buick Regal

GM is recalling 3,633 model-year 2012 Buick Regal sedans because their parking lights may not illuminate, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

In the affected vehicles, which were manufactured from Feb. 22, 2011, through Feb. 22, 2012 and have high-intensity-discharge headlights, a software glitch could prevent the parking lights from illuminating when they or the headlights are turned on. This decreases the visibility of the car on the road and could lead to a crash.

Buick started notifying owners Monday, and dealers will reprogram the body control module free of charge. Owners can call GM at 800-521-7300 or NHTSA's vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236 for more info.

Cars.com Reviews the 2012 Buick Regal eAssist, GS

Buick added two variants to the Buick Regal for the 2012 model year, including the eAssist and GS trims. The eAssist powertrain, which is GM’s second-generation mild-hybrid system, offers similar power but up to 36 mpg highway compared with the Regal's current standard four-cylinder. The top-of-the-line GS trim offers better power than other Regals, but it’s still not quite a performance machine, Cars.com Industry Analyst Kelsey Mays says.

2012 Buick Regal Review