Editor’s note: an earlier version of this article mis-labels this refresh as a 2020 Buick Regal, whereas it’s actually a 2021 model.
Images of the mid-cycle update for the Chinese-market 2021 Buick Regal Sedan also surfaced online today, in addition to the Chinese-spec 2021 Buick Envision facelift.
Like the Envision, the 2021 Buick Regal Sedan has received a restyled front fascia for the new model year with different headlights, a new grille with a thinner chrome accent strip, reworked front-side intake vents with horizontally-mounted LED daytime running lights and rectangular exhaust outlets.
It’s worth noting that this updated version of the Regal is for the sedan and not the Sportback. As we covered in a previous article, the North American market does not receive the Buick Regal Sedan, with General Motors instead choosing to sell the Regal Sportback and Regal TourX models here only. The main difference between these two is that the Regal Sportback has a liftgate, whereas the Sedan incorporates a longer decklid with a traditional trunk. The Regal Sedan is made in China and is only available there, whereas the Regal Sportback and the high-riding TourX wagon are assembled at the Peugeot-operated Opel Russelsheim plant in Germany. The Opel-Vauxhall Insignia equivalents of the Sportback are also assembled at the German plant, along with the ZB Holden Commodore version.
Chinese media reports indicate this facelift will also introduce a new turbocharged 1.3-liter engine to the range, which will replace the turbocharged 1.5-liter LFV four-cylinder that previously served in the four-door. That engine was rated at 168 horsepower and 185 pound-feet of torque, though it’s not clear what kind of power GM-SAIC’s new 1.3-liter engine will make. The 2.0-liter turbocharged LTG four-cylinder engine, which serves as the uplevel optional engine in the sedan in China, will carry over for 2021. The LTG engine is rated at 250 horsepower and 260 pound-feet in the Chinese-market Regal Sedan. The nine-speed automatic transmission should also carry over.
Because North America does not receive the Buick Regal Sedan (again, we only get the Sportback and TourX), it’s unclear if GM plans on applying similar changes to the North American-spec Regal for the 2020 model year, or whether the model will be discontinued outright.
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Comments
China’s 2020 Buick Regal has aggressive styling lines as one wonders what the 2020 Rebal TourX will continue to look like the 2019 model or will it adopt the Chnese design.
Why do the pictures from the manufacturer often show a “dowdy” / “plain Jane” model? With or without the planned restyled front fascia, the Buick Regal can look so much nicer than this!
You are aware that this is how all trim levels save the GS look with the only variance being the wheels going from base 1SA to Essence. This looks to be a mid trim level with the moonroof and you need to go to the most expensive GS trim to get more visual pop. This of course being the NA version of these cars. Nothing wrong with showing the most popular model that you will actually see on the roads.
It’s something about Mary and her hair gel !!!
Anybody who can be blindfolded with dental floss will like this car.
We’ll be lucky if the Regal makes it more than half way through the 2020 model year in the US
Apparently the Opel/Vauxhall Insignia does get a facelift, so the Buick Regal and Holden ZB Commodore will get that facelift too.
See e.g. https://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/neuheiten/opel-insignia-sports-tourer-facelift-daten-infos-marktstart-preis/ Article dated July 2019. There also images of
(German language…)
Google for Opel Insignia Facelift or Vauxhall Insignia Facelift for images
Edit:
Here is an article from a July 2019 issue of the British paper “Autoexpress”, obviously in english this one
Oops, I forgot to add the link to the “Autoexpress” article. Here it is:
https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/vauxhall/insignia/107303/new-2020-vauxhall-insignia-facelift-spotted-testing
With the Opel plant getting close to being shut down, I don’t expect any of these styling changing for the NA or Euro markets. 2020 will probably be the last Regal unless GM ever thinks about getting the China version here.
I also don’t think they ever had the TourX in China.
@Joe B: Me for my part do think that “these styling changes” and new engine(s) will make it for Europe, North America und Australia as well as for China.
As to the “Opel plant [Rüsselsheim] getting close to being shut down”: they changed to single shift in the factory recently, because the Zafira production ended. There is a new “Zafira Life” on the roads, which is actually a passenger version of the new, 3rd generation Opel/Vauxhall Vivaro, which is an OEM version of Peugeot Expert, Citroën Jumpy and Toyota Proace on the PSA-platform EMP2, and that is produced not in Rüsselsheim, but in Luton (England) or in the north of France (Hordain/Lieu-St-Amand, near Valenciennes).
Rüsselsheim is waiting for the new Astra and more demand for the Insignia…
The whole automobile industry is suffering from the idiocy at VW’s engine development department which created the Diesel scandal.
It seems to me as if it is Rüsselsheim ITEZ (International Technical Development Center), once the 2nd largest within GM, still has the central responsibility for the Insignia/Regal/ZB Commodore development, until after this 2020 facelift has outlived itself and the model is completely replaced separately by GM and by PSA. That’s why they have only one set of engines and sheet metal body parts, the latter with variations at the behind according to body style: sportsback, sedan, station wagon and rugged station wagen (TourX).
I’ll be happy just to see this car at all past 2020 for NA. It is a good car and deserves so much more than GM is giving it.
My first reaction to this article was “Oh, now the Chinese Buick Regal and the Opel Insignia will begin to diverge, since car is assembled at two different places, one in China and the other in Germany. Then I found the articles on a facelift of the Opel/Vauxhall Insignia.
It then made sense to me — when back in September 2012 I had the chance to visit the Rüsselsheim factory in the framework of a 150 year celebration of the Opel company (which in the first decades produced sewing machines), I saw the sheet metal presses for the Opel Insignia, or for “Style No. Epsilon 3700”, and those were stamped “Betz Industries, 2121 Bristol Avenue NW, Grand Rapids, MI”.
So when the tools for the 1s generation Insignia were manufactured in the USA, they would be identical for all markets, and it would be sensible to make two identical copies of the same tool for both assembly factories for the facelift of the 2nd generation, too. In Grand Rapids.
I have a 2019 Regal sport back GS it’s a great car, to bad that g m does not know how to market car’s anymore they would not have to just want to build trucks and suv’s EVERY ONE NOES NOT WANT BIG ASS TRUCKS! DA.
all GM talks about is Buick in china (why would any good AMERICAN want to buy a BUICK from china ) with that said kill Buick in the USA and move the whole division to china. This is the demise of GM ,it started with the discontinued divisions of Pontiac -Oldsmobile (outstanding divisions (to retaining dud Buick) Saturn . Why are we concerned what they look like over there if they are not made here . if MARY and her cronies keep on their track GM will be down to 2 divisions ,and wonder why sales keep declining . GM use to be the innovator now they can barely follow , ok is no longer acceptable . as for advertising the first time GM has a great advertisement it will be the first .