After General Motors sold its Opel and Vauxhall divisions to PSA Groupe, questions immediately surrounded the 2018 Buick Regal family, which includes the 2018 Regal Sportback and 2018 Regal TourX. According to Opel boss Michael Loscheller, the car may only live for another three years.
Autocar spoke with the Opel chief in an interview published Monday where he said Opel and GM still have a “contractual relationship.” In other words, PSA Groupe’s Opel builds cars for GM per a contract, specifically, the Buick Regal. Opel still takes in cars from GM Korea as well.
“This will continue for maybe two or three years,” Lohscheller said.
As Opel transitions its cars away from GM technology and intellectual property, the U.S. automaker will need to build its own Buick Regal. GM hasn’t given any indication on its plans for the nameplate. The automaker could retool an assembly line to produce the sedan and wagon models or we may see a new Regal debut much earlier than normal. Opel took the lead on Insignia/Regal development and production shifted from Canada to Germany with the latest-generation car.
By 2024, Opel will likely shed itself of GM entirely.
“We’ve announced that all Opel and Vauxhall cars will have electrified versions by 2024. That should be a strong clue,” Loscheller added.
Comments
To be honest do they need the Regal and Lacrosse in the first place. It is a challenge to sell just one of these cars but two so close together in size make it even more difficult.
I would rather see them discontinue this car and keep the Lacrosse then do something more interesting with a car below the Lacrosse.
I think we all knew this was coming with PSA.
I don’t think they should necessarily need to kill off one or another as there’s still markets for it. Unless GM pulls a Ford move to say kill off the Regal and keep the TourX. Because if you put it that way, then might as well just say kill off the Malibu and keep the Impala.
I had a Buick Regal, and it is still a great car model. GM should bring the Opel design to the Malibu assembly plant, and build then on the same line. Since there is the Buick TourX wagon, maybe that will convince GM to build a Malibu Wagon (the Nomad?).
I think that Buick could merge the Regal and Lacrosse when the current generations reach the end of their life cycles and then offer an electric sedan. Buick would be a great outlet for this type of vehicle. Thanks to the benefits of electric powetrain packaging, it could be sized similar to the current Regal on the outside, but offer interior space just as good as the Lacrosse. Keep the lift back for aero and practicality. It could be a great alternative to the Tesla Model S, with similar range and a surely more attainable price.
Bingo merge both models into one platform and one model. They are nearly the same size and close to the same price. It never made sense to make two cars so close. I had expected the Lacrosse to die but now with the sale of Opel it may have give the Lacrosse new life.
As of now if sales do not improve the Regal will die and not be moved.
The Lacrosse is struggling but the Regal is doing even worse.
If Buick does a Ford it will be because the market dropped the car not GM. Last spring I found brand new Lacrosse sitting on lots unsold as 2016 models as the 2018 models were the latest. Yes the 2016 were new and untitled.
Not good.
I saw where the market was at the auto show last winter. I had to wait in line to sit in the Buick SUV and CUV models but the Regal I could have brought my lunch and ate it with no interruptions. It is a shame for a good car but no one cares.
I think the two should merge, but by all means keep the TourX wagon version of whatever it becomes.
POTUS Trump is threatening to force a hefty increase of the Regal’s price on GM by imposing a 25% import duty from Europe not only on commercial vehicles, but also on passenger cars.
The so called “Chicken tax” 25% import duty on commercial vehicles relieved GM and other US auto manufacturers from renewing their LCV offerings. Import duties are levied in order to protect the inefficient industries in the importing countries.
As your report says, PSA only has a 3-year contract to manufacture the Regal, but that doesn’t mean that GM is ending production. It owns all of the intellectual property and production processes of the product line and it could easily invest into opening a production line to pick up when the contract end. Furthermore, the Opel design team could have also joined GM to design the next generations of the Regal, especially since the marque has a long, established legacy within GM. If the Avenir sub-brand continues to drive sales, especially for the Regal, the decision will be an easy one for the C-suite. Frankly, although the Avenir upgrade isn’t perfect, it’s very substantial and has changed my mind about buying a GM CUV,
Merge the Impala and Malibu together…that’s funny. I’d say merge the LaCrosse and Regal together. With the TourX, Chevrolet could bring back the Celebrity.