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.
Buick is making fuel economy a priority for its 2013 Regal lineup. Newly standard on the automaker's midsize sedan is the eAssist mild hybrid system; it was previously optional.
EAssist combines the Regal's 182-horsepower, 2.4-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine with a small, 15-hp electric motor. It also uses regenerative braking, a battery pack and automatic start/stop functionality to get an EPA rating of 25/36 mpg city/highway. Unlike many hybrids, it cannot run on battery power alone, however.
This year, Buick made a similar move with its LaCrosse large sedan; the eAssist powertrain became standard on the LaCrosse for model-year 2012.
The base Regal's 2.4-liter will be discontinued for 2013, making the Regal's only other engines a 220-hp, turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder and a version of that engine tuned to make 270 hp in the high-performance Regal GS.
No word yet on the 2013 Regal eAssist pricing, but the 2012 model starts at $28,490 excluding an $885 destination charge.
The Chevrolet Cruze has generally gotten good reviews from us and from other car experts, but if you're looking for a little more comfort and power, Buick thinks it has you covered with its new 2012 Buick Verano. It's Buick's least-expensive model, but generally cabin materials are good, and it feels more refined than the Cruze, says Cars.com Industry Analyst Kelsey Mays.
Buick showed off a new tiny crossover at the 2012 Detroit auto show that'll go on sale nearly a year from now. While that may seem like a long time, the Encore doesn't currently have any competitors. Its small footprint puts it in a whole new market segment of small, premium crossovers. It'll soon be joined by the Audi Q3 and BMW X1. Despite the Encore's diminutive looks, there's plenty of room for the driver and passengers, says Cars.com Industry Analyst Kelsey Mays.
First Buick got a compact sedan, in the guise of the Verano, and now the brand is expected to a get this tiny crossover by next year.
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The 2013 Buick Encore will be powered by a similar 1.4-liter four-cylinder that's currently found in the Chevrolet Cruze and Sonic.
Buick designers did a deft job melding cute-ute with premium quality, and the Encore’s tidy proportions look good. There’s a lot of visual clutter, though. The faux vents under the headlights look bizarre and serve no functional purpose. Ditto for the hood vents, but that’s a longtime Buick trend. Buick officials said the fender and bumper panels can come in three paint colors, but the whole of it looks like a lot of cladding, especially in back. Take in the silver scuff plate, reflector lamps and offset cladding and the tail has more going on than a New York Jets off-season.
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The cabin redeems things.
Buick's baby crossover is here, and "baby" is no joke. It's so much smaller than the three-row Enclave — nearly 3 feet shorter from bumper to bumper and 9.1 inches narrower — that Buick officials told us another crossover could slot between the two. The Encore stretches the limits of entry-luxury crossovers, taking on models that haven't even arrived here yet: the BMW X1 and Audi Q3, which slot below existing entry-luxury crossovers like the X3 and Q5. When the Encore hits dealers early next year, you might also shop it against a Volkswagen Tiguan or Mazda CX-5.
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The Encore's overall shape looks like the erstwhile Saturn Vue, with Buick cues in the grille, faux hood portals and blue-ensconced headlights. Faux vents cut an odd chunk from the lights themselves — a strange cue we'll have to warm up to. The Encore's lower flanks have a darker finish, but Buick matches them to a pearl paint if you specify the color. Short overhangs characterize the profile, which sits on 18-inch aluminum wheels.
More details are emerging about Buick’s newest vehicle, the 2013 Encore SUV. We first saw an initial teaser shot in mid-December. Recently, the automaker revealed a third quadrant of the masked Encore image that’s posted on its Facebook page. The five-passenger crossover SUV will be the brand’s first compact SUV. It shares styling cues with the other SUV in Buick’s lineup, the midsize Enclave. The Encore will be unveiled on Jan. 10 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
This week's podcast covers three totally redesigned or new models, each of which is integral to its respective make. We start with the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu, which features a radical interior design and the return of a mild hybrid system to the model. Next up is the 2012 Buick Verano, the brand's first compact vehicle in more than a decade. Finally, we talk about the new-for-2012 Audi A6 and its tech-centric focus. Recapping all our thoughts and insights on these models are Executive Editor Joe Wiesenfelder, Industry Analyst Kelsey Mays and editor Mike Hanley.
Compact, entry-level luxury vehicles haven't exactly set the world on fire, at least not here in the U.S. Nonetheless, Buick is taking another swing at the segment, its first attempt since the Buick Skylark was canceled in 1998. The Verano is based on the Chevrolet Cruze, but Buick has done a good job distinguishing it. With a more powerful engine, rich interior and hushed cabin, the Verano feels like a legitimate luxury car, according to Cars.com Industry Analyst Kelsey Mays.
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