Regal Production to Move to Oshawa in 2011

[nsap]

Regal Production to Move to Oshawa in 2011
GM confirms the new Buick will move stateside eventually.
www.gminsidenews.com
November 25, 2009
By: Nick Saporito

Today General Motors announced that the all-new 2011 Buick Regal will eventually be produced at their Oshawa, Ontario assembly plant. The Regal was announced just two weeks ago and GM stated that the car will be imported from their Russleshiem, Germany plant initially. GMI reported at the time that production would be moving to Oshawa.

The Regal is starting out in Germany so that production can start faster; getting the car to dealerships much sooner than waiting for the tooling at Oshawa to be complete. GM has moved the former next-generation Saturn Aura tooling from the Fairfax, Kansas plant to Oshawa for the Regal. Expect production to start there in Q1 2011. It is also expected that the production move will bring more options and V6 trim lines (including the rumored GS model) to Buick dealerships in North America.

Oshawa currently builds the Chevrolet Camaro and Impala. This is yet another in a recent string of investments into Canadian manufacturing. It is expected that the fifth vehicle the press release refers to is going to be the upcoming Cadillac XTS, which is based on the "Premium Epsilon" platform.

Originally Posted by Press Release

Oshawa, ON — North American production of the all-new 2011 Buick Regal was today confirmed for the Oshawa Car Assembly plant beginning in Q1 2011. The new 2011 Regal is a midsize sport sedan based on the award-winning Opel Insignia – the 2009 “European Car of the Year” – and it brings all of Insignia’s award-winning design, technology and European-inspired performance capabilities to the North American market.

“The new Regal gives Buick a modern performance sedan and its production here in Oshawa is terrific news for our employees, the CAW, dealers and suppliers,” says Arturo Elias, president, General Motors of Canada. “Combining Buick’s top position in the industry in terms of brand quality with the Oshawa Car Plant’s long-standing reputation for top quality assembly means customers’ highest expectations will be met with this midsize sport sedan.”

Production of the new Buick Regal is the latest in a string of positive news for GM manufacturing in Canada including:

• Oshawa Car Plant running maximum overtime since June 2009 that will continue into the new year to keep up with demand for the Chevrolet Camaro
• Production of the Camaro Convertible in Oshawa beginning in Q1 2011
• The recent addition of a 3rd shift plus scheduled overtime at CAMI Automotive to keep up with strong demand for the all-new Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain
• The investment of million in CAMI Automotive which will add an additional 40,000 units of capacity to current production and result in full employment at CAMI
• The introduction of flexible transmission production at GM Canada’s St. Catharines facility beginning with assembly of the fuel-efficient 6-speed front-wheel-drive transmission

The new Buick Regal joins the Chevrolet Camaro and Equinox and the GMC Terrain as the fourth new vehicle in the production commitment that was part of the agreement with the Canadian and Ontario Governments. A fifth vehicle will be named at a later date.

[FenwickHockey65]

A fifth vehicle will be named at a later date.

Let the speculation begin!

[Elvisuperman]

Great news for my town/area... glad to hear it.

[Buick61]

Should have gone to Spring Hill.

[neshapop]

Originally Posted by FenwickHockey65

Let the speculation begin!

It will be a new Cadillac sedan, I read somewhere.

[Jay]

Great news for Oshawa and Ontario!

Another reason for me to buy a Regal....or Camaro...what to decide....?

[gm world]

Originally Posted by neshapop

It will be a new Cadillac sedan, I read somewhere.

XTS sedan

[96RIV]

Originally Posted by neshapop

It will be a new Cadillac sedan, I read somewhere.

it had begun, lol

It's good news, should have a very good economic turn out if they have to add staff. The Fort Wayne plant is getting 700 new employees, and all the counties around it are preparing for them.
Love to hear good news from GM.

[neshapop]

Originally Posted by Jay

Great news for Oshawa and Ontario!

Another reason for me to buy a Regal....or Camaro...what to decide....?

I think I will wait for Regal, my Oshawa built Allure '05 is still going strong and problem free (cross my fingers).

[Buick City]

Great to hear! Oshawa built my '94 Regal and we have yet to have a single problem or quality issue with it since it was new. That cannot be said about other GM vehicles we have owned (caugh '98 Bonneville cough cough). Several family members have had lacrosse's built in oshawa with the same great result. Although I can't wait to buy my new Regal, I will definitly hold off untill production gets all settled in at Oshawa. To bad I'll have to wait a year or so, at least I can maybe get the GS

[yyz_ltz]

Originally Posted by Buick61

Should have gone to Spring Hill.

Why? Oshawa is the most productive and number 1 in quality metrics for General Motors. The quality awards are too many to list. Truth being told, the new Lacrosse should have been built in Oshawa.(UAW politics prevented this) We have been building GM cars here is Oshawa for 60 years and McLaughlin-Buicks since 1918.

[Ambalanche]

I'm very happy with the build quality of my SS Camaro. For it being a first MY run and all, it looks and feels screwed together properly!

[yyz_ltz]

Originally Posted by Ambalanche

I'm very happy with the build quality of my SS Camaro. For it being a first MY run and all, it looks and feels screwed together properly!

Very nice. We do not take quality and build integrity lightly here. Glad you are enjoying your Camaro.

[Buick61]

Originally Posted by yyz_ltz

Why? Oshawa is the most productive and number 1 in quality metrics for General Motors. The quality awards are too many to list. Truth being told, the new Lacrosse should have been built in Oshawa.(UAW politics prevented this) We have been building GM cars here is Oshawa for 60 years and McLaughlin-Buicks since 1918.

Because Oshawa already has two hit products and is already getting the Cadillac Fail-Wheel-Drive XTS. This is a U.S. car company with capacity in the U.S. to build the cars. I strike my assertion that Spring Hill should get it (not enough volume to justify it), but Kansas should have gotten it. Especially since they were already supposed to build it when it was going to have the Saturn badge up front.

[1965Rivman]

This is good news indeed!