During the July meeting, Buick’s Marketing Manager Brad Wolf showcased the sporty Regal GS and adventurous Regal TourX to MAMA members. According to Wolf, “Where spirited driving meets attainable luxury and sleek, sporty design meets modern usefulness, you’ll find the 2018 Regal GS. Where rugged utility meets upscale amenities, purpose-built for an active lifestyle, you’ll find the 2018 Regal TourX.”

Wolf took MAMA members through the specifications of each vehicle, but there was a common theme: Buick aims to fill a void in the market by finding the “white space.”

For example, the Regal GS may be a smart choice for buyers who are looking for a step above the mainstream but don’t want to break the bank for a BMW. The luxurious TourX wagon finds the sweet spot between a Subaru Outback and an Audi A4.

Regal GS

The Buick Regal GS combines sportiness with luxury into a spacious, all-wheel drive hatchback sedan. Notable vehicle features include massive cargo space; standard heated/cooled and massaging performance seats; intelligent AWD system with an active twin clutch; standard Brembo brakes; a standard 8-inch touchscreen and 8-inch reconfigurable instrument cluster; and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.

In terms of safety, a head-up display is available with an optional package that also includes several safety features including front pedestrian braking, lane keep assist with lane departure warning, forward collision alert and adaptive cruise control with forward automatic braking.

Under the hood you’ll find a 3.6-liter that puts out 310 hp and 282 lb.-ft. of torque. It has some pep, reaching 0 to 60 in six seconds.

Every Regal GS also features Buick’s Interactive Drive Control which allows the driver to tailor the car’s dynamics based on different drive experiences through a standard setting or Sport and GS modes.

The Regal GS starts at $39,990, a more attainable price point than its competitors in the segment, according to Wolf.

Regal TourX

The Regal TourX is the rugged, more adventurous brother of the GS and is built for those with an active lifestyle. The five-passenger luxury wagon features best-in-class cargo space with 73.5 cubic ft. behind the first row as well as a lower roof and load height than most SUVs. Three trim levels are offered including the base, Preferred and Essence. Each trim level comes with a standard turbocharged 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine, putting out 250 hp and 295 lb.-ft. of torque.

Notable features on the base model include LED lights, heated mirrors, a rearview camera, OnStar communications package with 4G connection and in-vehicle Wi-Fi, as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration.

The next level up, Preferred, includes additional safety features such as rear parking sensors and blind-spot and rear cross-traffic warning systems. The highest trim level, Essence, adds more luxurious features such as driver-seat memory functions and a wireless smartphone charging pad. Enhanced safety features include adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking and lane departure warning.

Another example of how Buick tries to fill the white space in this segment, the TourX is more likely to fit inside a garage with the roof racks on and gear (surf board, kayaks, etc.) loaded on top, compared to a traditional crossover. Wolf noted this is an extremely important feature to owners for convenience sake.

The TourX starts at $29,070, roughly $10K lower than the Regal GS.  

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