Germany supplies 40% of the parts in a Buick Regal, and the cars are assembled in Opel's Russelsheim, Germany plant. This Regal was originally intended to be a Saturn Aura, but then Saturn was put out to pasture during the bankruptcy and even GM's control of Opel was uncertain last fall. Thankfully, GM found a way to hang onto Opel after bankruptcy and the complicated restructuring process.
Opel's engineers did a great job with the Regal. The car has a compliant ride that isn't too harsh to scare off Lexus defectors, and the 2.4-liter I-4 provides as much power as anyone really needs and is complemented by the six-speed automatic transmission. Hyundai may be getting the bulk of press about I-4-only mid-size sedans these days, but Buick is utilizing a similar strategy by adding a turbo four-cylinder for top-spec cars to replace the typical V-6 upgrade.
I look forward to sampling the turbo car once it becomes available. It's exciting to see GM offer a sporty mid-size sedan instead of sticking with the typically bland sedans that I associate with the Buick brand.
Phil Floraday, Senior Web Producer
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