2018 Buick Regal Arrives With Sportback And TourX Body Styles

7 years, 7 months ago - 6 April 2017, motor1

Look familiar? Opel's attractive new Insignia makes its journey across the pond as the 2018 Buick Regal.

But while the outgoing Regal was only available as a sedan here in the U.S., the new one ditches that body style altogether – sort of. Rather than a four-door sedan shape, the new Regal Sportback will have a liftback design, much like an Audi A7. And for people who need even more versatility (or just want something super unique), there's the new Regal TourX – a high-riding competitor to the Audi Allroad and Volvo V60 Cross Country.

Both versions of the new Regal use a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. In the front-wheel-drive Sportback, it produces 250 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque, mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission. The Sportback is also available with all-wheel drive, which increases the torque output to 295 lb-ft, though it's only available with an eight-speed automatic. The TourX, meanwhile, only comes with the AWD/8AT combo and 250/295 power ratings.

Buick says the Regal Sportback will have more overall cargo space than the new Audi A5 Sportback and BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe. The TourX wagon is expected to offer more cargo space than a Volvo V60 Cross Country, Audi A4 Allroad, BMW 3 Series Sport Wagon, and Subaru Outback.

Inside, both versions of the Regal offer all of General Motors' latest tech and driver-assistance equipment. A seven-inch infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is standard, though an eight-inch setup with factory navigation is optional

The Sportback and TourX also get a safety feature that's new to the Buick brand: an active hood. This means the hood "senses the imminent impact of a pedestrian between 16-30 miles per hour and uses a pyrotechnic actuator to lift the back of the hood up about four inches to lessen the impact and potentially reduce injury," according to Buick's release.

Pricing, fuel economy, and other information will be available closer to the Regal's on-sale date in late 2017. For more information, full press blasts about both vehicles are available below. Click the links above to launch high-res image galleries.