2014 Buick Regal Sport Wagon Spy Shots!

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Originally Posted by goatgary

Apparently they haven't figured out how how to sell the sedan yet. What makes this any different?

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L.
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Haha. True words. They've got another member of the Epsi generation with some room in the backseat - Lacrosse. But they want to charge only slightly less for this. I wonder if they might be better of trying to make the Lacrosse a 'super' or 'Century' with a turbo V6 instead of mucking around with this. I do like the proportions of this better than the Lacrosse, but I wouldn't dream of buying either one myself.

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Originally Posted by 04bonnie

And why do you think that is? Because there has been only one version of it, only in leather seats. The GS will start getting around more, and if they offer this sport wagon (and please offer cloth seats, not just leather!) it will get more customers in there. Basically, the Regal and LaCrosse are quite similar, so if a wagon comes into play....that distinction will help Regal sales. Plus, if they get a lower trim level on the sedan (cloth seats) that might help too.

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It's because it's not priced effectivly. It's right in there with LaCross and Buick doesn't have the image to sell it in the "sport" area. I'm NOT saying it's a bad car, just that it's too expensive and doesn't seperate itself from it's competetion or other models of the same brand, to the general public anyway. Adding a wagon won't boost sales. It would be the dumbest thing GM could do. Add a variant that desn't sell well to a car that isn't? C'mon.

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Originally Posted by goatgary

Apparently they haven't figured out how how to sell the sedan yet. What makes this any different?

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I think they have a weird situation going on where the Regal is close to the price of the LaCrosse which is a bigger car (at least in Canada).

If the Subaru Outback can sell 10,000 units in one month, I think it's a question of marketing. Maybe they could avoid getting 250 units a month. Problem is, I remember those Crocodile Dundee TV ads for the Subaru Outback. And I doubt GM would put that much money for that long trying to sell Americans on a wagon.

And with that odd Regal/LaCrosse dilemma going on, maybe it would be more realistic to make a Malibu or Impala wagon instead. If the LaCrosse was more upstream, they might push it into Cadillac territory.

In any case, I find the timing of the spy photos a little curious. This at a time where the U.S. government hasn't sold all of its shares yet and they may not be likely to take risks like this. And, they may likely argue that wagons will raise the average CAFE mileage too high.

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Originally Posted by sdotjoe

No cloth seats!!! You want cloth on a regal? Get a Malibu! Buick has to offer the content of a premium brand to be a premium brand. Nothing looks cheaper (and harder to clean) than an interior with cloth seats. They're almost as bad as putting a black plastic patch where the foglights belong. If you have to do cloth, and this is the only acceptable work around in a "Premium" vehicle, do leather seats with cloth (aka suede) centers.

Also, the lack of sales has nothing to do with the lack of cloth seats on the Regal. It has to do with it being outclassed by its competition, which includes the likes of the A4, Maxima, TL, TSX, and CC.

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I can't disagree more. Buick is a 'mid' level brand between Chevy and Cadillac. So they only way I can get cloth seats is by buying a Chevy. Not going to happen, and it is a mistake for Buick to offer only leather in the Regal.

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Originally Posted by calgaryhhr

We are shopping for a used wagon (late model V70, Audi A6 Avant, Subaru Legacy or a Ford Flex.) I wish I could wait for a potential Regal wagon in North America but I've already been waiting and asking for well over a year. I just can not wait any longer.

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Check out the saab 9-3. From 2007 on the reliability ratings jump WAY up and the wagon is gorgeous. You can't beat the price/feature ratio anywhere.

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Originally Posted by megeebee

....because the "average guy" doesn't buy wagons. He doesn't buy many Coupes either, but he does buy more of them than wagons. If he did, there'd be be many more of them.

Why can't the "average guy" get a Camry wagon? Or an Altima wagon? Accord? How many wagons does Ford offer? The fact is the vehicle "he likes" is a sedan.

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It helps that there's more profit in the Venza (tall Camry wagon), Edge (tall Fusion wagon), Crosstour...er, maybe not that one.

Though FWIW an actual Accord wagon (and Insignia competitor) is sold here:

http://photo.netcarshow.com/Acura-TS...1_photo_02.jpg

But probably not for long. It's sold okay since they moved 3,210 units in 2011 and 2,736 through August 2012. (Actually moved more of them last month than Insights and nearly as many as CR-Zs.)

Now I don't see the Insignia Sport Tourer coming here, because we knew that much before. But if GM did decide to bring it for some reason, I can see it having a better chance than the TSX Sport Wagon has especially with the 2.0T option, since the TSX limits you to the 2.4L/5AT.

And of course there is an equivalent Fusion wagon, but Ford is no more likely to bring it here:

http://photo.netcarshow.com/Ford-Mon...3_photo_03.jpg

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Originally Posted by CBM

As much as I'd like this to happen, I think its vaporware in the US until its in the showroom. Buick could use something like this and the Verano convertible to differentiate itself from the rest of the GM lineup. Maybe even a Verano 5-door or Zafira Tourer if it actually gets the rumored hybrid system in their to compete against the Prius V and Ford C-Max.

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I think the Zafira would be an appropriate vehicle. Of course I've thought that for a while. I don't know how buyers would accept it, but the three rows of seats would give it an advantage. And I imagine it would surely be more refined and better appointed than the Mazda 5 and Kia Rondo.

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Originally Posted by ksr

I like leather, but I agree.

What if you just don't like leather and prefer cloth? You can't have it because the brand must be "premium?" That's ridiculous. Who defines "premium" anyway? Give the consumer the choice.

They used to offer cloth interiors in Cadillacs. There's nothing wrong with that.

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Agreed, leather doesn't automatically mean premium. Brands like Acura and Lexus typically had leather to differentiate from the more mainstream, standard Honda and Toyota lineups, which at the time had trims with unpainted bumpers and optional A/C. Now you can get a Civic with leather. Even until recently, Lexus typically had cloth standard on some models, with leather on the first option package. It's rare to see a cloth Lexus, but was at least as an option to order. If paying more for the Buick, at least have the choice.

A quality cloth or cloth/leather combo (like the Verano) would be nice. That said, I do think a leather/suede combination would work well (as in, to name a few, the outgoing Malibu, or the TSX Special Edition, or the Camry SE) as it should be cooler while being more upscale and unique than regular cloth.

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Originally Posted by usa1

Not everyone likes leather. I know I don't. It's hot and sticky in the summer, cold in the winter, allows you to slide around in the corner, and looks like crap after a few years or wear as it cracks. Adding seat cooling/heating adds weight and cost.

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This clearly is a personal choice.

That said, I have never, ever had cloth (31 new cars to-date). NEVER had a cracking problem. I don't "slide around" (of course I don't take corners like I'm on a grand prix open wheel track). Super easy to keep clean (Almost always buy a neutral color), use remote start to heat in the winter. Can get toasty in Texas Summers but remote start cools well enough before I get in....OR I have had cooled /ventilated seats in some of my cars.

Getting serious soil out of cloth seats can be problematic. Typically cannot get cloth on uplevel trims anyway and as I ALWAYS buy uplevel trims, it isn't a choice issue for me as to leather or cloth. I don't buy an "appliance". I buy for creature features, powertrain and value in the segment I am looking at. Heated seats are becoming standard in all but the most base levels of most cars anyway and the weight penalty is negligable.

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Originally Posted by jcgable

Check out the saab 9-3. From 2007 on the reliability ratings jump WAY up and the wagon is gorgeous. You can't beat the price/feature ratio anywhere.

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Those are ridiculously hard to find in my region. I actually looked at a 2006 9-3 combi about two weeks ago but it just did not have the same level of appeal as the Volvo's and Audi's. I'm also looking specifically for an AWD version which limits my selection even more. I haven't seen any Saab wagons newer than 2006 listed during my search.

Here we go again. Calling a Compact, Mid Sized. Look, when the front seat has to be adjusted beyond the pillar, to fit an average sized driver, the car isn't Mid Sized.

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Originally Posted by cdp326

Though FWIW an actual Accord wagon (and Insignia competitor) is sold here:

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I understand your point if it's similar but the Acura TSX wagon is shorter than the Honda Accord. (BTW, I don't understand why Ford or GM didn't want to copy the Honda Accord model because the Ford Taurus doesn't sell 34,000 units a month, nor will the Chevrolet Impala with a higher price.)

I just checked and read that the Acura TSX wagon is not even sold in Canada. That almost made me laugh because I thought hatchbacks and wagons were more popular in Canada.

So, we have "weird" cars like the Honda Crosstour and BMW GT5 masking as "quasi-wagons", no Mercedes-Benz C-class wagon in Canada, no Mazda 6 wagaon, no Honda Accord wagon, no Ford Mondeo (Fusion in North America) wagon...

If I was rich, really I think I'd move to Europe and go for 3 cars: VW California (camper van to travel), VW Scirocco or Opel Astra OPC and Ford Mondeo wagon (or Opel Insignia wagon, whichever is available in AWD). I'd always be tempted to add something like a Chevrolet SS (RWD V8) but a mid-sized or full-sized wagon is where it's at if I wanted one car.

Simple, GM. Sell a Regal or Malibu wagon here and I will buy one.

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Originally Posted by Hitman1970

Simple, GM. Sell a Regal or Malibu wagon here and I will buy one.

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Make that 2 of us.

Actually I think that the smooth lines of the Regal wagon would contrast nicely..or be the total opposite of the angular CTS wagon.

The thing about leather isn't so much that it's hot in the summer, but that it generally doesn't breathe well (though summer heat doesn't help when you're already warm then). Perforated leather can help some, and not all cloth breathes well either; but in the end that's why there's the argument for seat ventilation/cooling.

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Originally Posted by fakeout

I understand your point if it's similar but the Acura TSX wagon is shorter than the Honda Accord. (BTW, I don't understand why Ford or GM didn't want to copy the Honda Accord model because the Ford Taurus doesn't sell 34,000 units a month, nor will the Chevrolet Impala with a higher price.)

I just checked and read that the Acura TSX wagon is not even sold in Canada. That almost made me laugh because I thought hatchbacks and wagons were more popular in Canada.

So, we have "weird" cars like the Honda Crosstour and BMW GT5 masking as "quasi-wagons", no Mercedes-Benz C-class wagon in Canada, no Mazda 6 wagaon, no Honda Accord wagon, no Ford Mondeo (Fusion in North America) wagon...

If I was rich, really I think I'd move to Europe and go for 3 cars: VW California (camper van to travel), VW Scirocco or Opel Astra OPC and Ford Mondeo wagon (or Opel Insignia wagon, whichever is available in AWD). I'd always be tempted to add something like a Chevrolet SS (RWD V8) but a mid-sized or full-sized wagon is where it's at if I wanted one car.

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Well, I said it because (as you probably know) the TSX is the European/Japanese Accord, badged as otherwise for the U.S. market - same as the Insignia becomes our Regal.

http://photo.netcarshow.com/Honda-Ac...9_photo_20.jpg

The new Accord, while still larger than the TSX, is smaller than the outgoing model, and about the same size as the new Fusion and Malibu. There's been speculation that the new Accord could be sold as a global Accord again (rather than say, the Euro Accord as our TSX and our Accord being sold in Japan as the Inspire as it has for the past couple generations), and it'd be nice if an Accord wagon came from that. Maybe even then they could make a trim patterned after the Outback and VW's Jetta and Passat Alltrack, and use it to follow/replace the current Crosstour here (they could even keep the Crosstour name if they want, the name isn't a problem).

I have been dreaming of a Nomad for so long...

I want a sportier car to replace my Nox.. but with Cargo room for 2 dogs and AWD

I'll take the cloth seats from the late '90s GM truck lineup over leather.
This current crop of cloth seats in the 'bu/cruze/impala is pathetic.