Now some folks might be wondering, what is the big deal? Haven't we seen plenty of Sienna spy photos before? Yes, we certainly have seen Sienna shots in the past, but these new photos of a Sienna (with copious amounts of gaffer tape) are unique because they offer a good view of the Venza inspired grille and appears to be the rumored sport edition with its over-sized fog lamps and large rims (probably 20" like the V6 Venza). Other rumored features of the 2011 Sienna include dual sunroofs and a larger DVD screen.
What else can we expect? A six speed automatic transmission is certainly a lock, techie toys like wide-view side monitor found on the 2010 Lexus RX and other active safety features will probably make it into the new model as well. Toyota will almost certainly launch a hybrid model but less certain is whether an AWD edition will remain available.
Will the sport edition, with its special bodywork, be enough to motivate male buyers? Perhaps, especially if the edition also includes sharper handling and less syrupy steering. While Honda will also be launching a new 2011 Odyssey, the real dark horse is the 2011 Nissan Quest. Honda currently owns the coveted title (wink, wink) of being the "drivers' minivan" but Nissan might have shot at that title. While it is doubtful that the 2011 Sienna will inspire driving gloves, Toyota surprises every now and then, for example the current Toyota RAV4 is more responsive than you might expect.
The 2011 Buick Regal is being marketed as a lower cost, sportier version of the Buick LaCrosse. That doesn't mean that when the 2011 Buick Regal arrives in the second quarter of 2010, it will be cheaper that the lowest cost Buick LaCrosse. That is because only the higher level CXL model will be initially available and while it will be cheaper that a LaCrosse CXL, it won't be less than the LaCrosse CX. The 2011 Buick Regal will be priced to compete favorably against the Acura TSX which starts at $29,310 before freight charges.
GM's decision to market the Regal not just as a decontented LaCrosse, but also as a sportier entry is a good choice. The 2011 Regal's lines are taut, more athletic and its direct German heritage will appeal to buyers in this market. When I attended the press event prior to the official unveiling, I had a chance to ask Craig Bierley, Buick's product marketing director, about the Regal's future. Options like ventilated seats could become available after the car's launch, such as when the car is manufactured in North America as opposed to Germany. When switchover from Germany to (most likely) Canada occurs, the Regal could also gain a hybrid option, portholes and other changes. As for more adventurous variations, such as a manual transmission, hotted up 325HP monster motor and station wagon bodystyle, Bierley was much more coy "That would be great, wouldn't it?" he responded to each question. Certainly the fact that Buick is considering these possibilities is welcome news, would greatly enhance the appeal of the car to young buyers and differentiate the Regal from the more luxurious LaCrosse.
Also in attendance at the event were Buick's forthcoming "mini Enclave" Gamma-based crossover and the Delta-based small sedan. These two concepts have not been shown to the public yet and we were not allowed to take photos. The crossover is a tight package, looking for all the world like a smaller Enclave with perhaps a bit more detail in the bodywork. This crossover looks to be smaller that the Acura RDX, but undoubtedly the Acura would be a likely contender. The smaller sedan carries over many cues for the LaCrosse and Regal. Some journalists mistook the sedan for the Regal, an issue that I spoke with GM's design chief Ed Welburn about. "They are not Russian dolls," Welburn quipped about the LaCrosse, Regal, and small sedan trio. Certainly when positioned side by side the differences between the models would be evident, but viewed alone, the small sedan evokes much the same look as its elder sisters. That is not to say that this Chevrolet Cruze stablemate is unattractive, but to my eyes it did not have the pop of the small crossover. It will be very interesting to see these vehicles in their final form, something that cannot happen soon enough.
At each opportunity I can, I routinely ask (he might say harass) Jim Federico, vehicle line executive for GM's mid-sized architecture, about active headrest availability in the USA. The Opel Insignia has a mechanical active headrest, much like the Saab system that tilts forward in the event of an accident to help limit whiplash, but it will not be available in the 2011 Buick Regal due to differences in regulations. Federico says that GM is working on both active and non-active systems for the USA, but there is no timetable for implementation. While the LaCrosse certainly is no slouch in the safety department, just look at its fabulous "Top Safety Pick" finish in the recent IIHS testing, I believe that having active headrests is an important marketing tool, another box that can be ticked when comparing against the competition and would be a welcome addition to the Buick lineup.
General Motors' team in attendance: Docherty, Welburn, Lutz to name a few, are a promising bunch. While it is uncertain how much longer Lutz will stay un-retired, he is always at the center of the media's attention. Docherty and Welburn are both very bright and personable people to interview. Ms. Docherty and I spoke about the Regal event, and she stressed how important it was for the event to be about GM's customers. Post bankruptcy GM has made a big effort to connect with buyers, whether at experiential marketing events, "Tweet Ups," blogger-only affairs and parties like the one held in Hollywood. The company's future plans are no longer the privileged information of media elites and financial analysts, but with the people who are actually going to buy the cars being shown.
In summary, how does the 2011 Buick Regal measure up? Since we have not been allowed to get behind the wheel, there is only so much we can surmise. However, the Regal's nearly twin sister the Opel Insignia has scooped up a nice chunk of automotive awards in Europe, so that is a good sign. As I had stated in the first part of this series, the Regal doesn't quite have the visual pizazz of the LaCrosse, but I happen to think the LaCrosse is the best looking sedan in its category, bar none. The turbo motor and adaptive suspension are promising and an even higher performance model is quite mouth watering. All of these new Buick's will cause buyers to at least consider the brand and as evidenced by the LaCrosse, conquest rates will rise as a result. Rome wasn't built in a day and Buick won't transform overnight but it now possesses a fighting chance and will no longer have to compete with Saturn for all the choice hardware. I could sense some of the ice thawing when I spoke to a BMW owner at the event. While the young buyer was not willing to give up his BMW 3 Series, he said he could see the Regal catching on with younger buyers. With China providing the greater chunk of sales, Buick will be allowed greater freedoms than US sales volume alone could ever support. That is nothing but good news for Americans who have a fond place in their hearts for the tri-shield brand. Now how about that Chinese Park Avenue?
Below this post is a video walkaround I took of the 2011 Buick Regal.
General Motors covered my expenses to attend this event.
On my way to the 2011 Buick Regal event , hosted yesterday (November 12) at the Hollywood Palladium, I had some time to kill at LAX while I waited for my ride. As I stood outside baggage claim, I tried to count how many Buicks drove past. It turns out it was a very easy job, besides an older Century and previous generation LaCrosse, nary a Buick sped by. That dearth of market penetration explained part of the reason why I was in LA to cover a Buick, two things you probably wouldn’t put together. Buick is changing and it would dearly love Californians to give it another chance.
Buick has been on a bit of a roll. The Buick Enclave crossover has received a lot of notice and re-launched the brand. The recently arrived 2010 Buick LaCrosse kept that momentum going as one of the best looking Buick sedans in decades. Now Buick is turning to the 2011 Buick Regal to keep the ball rolling.
Both the LaCrosse and Regal share a common platform, Epsilon II, with the Regal coming in just a bit shorter than the LaCrosse (four inches less on the wheelbase and 6.7 inches shorter overall) . From an exterior perspective, the Regal is the plainer looking of the two cars. The Opel Insignia was going to be next Saturn Aura, but that plan was changed when the ringed brand was phased out. This shift in GM’s game plan allowed the Chinese Regal to arrive stateside. The Regal's front end has the traditional Buick waterfall grille, but its execution is less elegant that the LaCrosse. The side profile is clean, but you really miss drama of the LaCrosse’s sweep-spear. The trunk of the LaCrosse is a bit discordant to me, with its integrated ducktail spoiler, it doesn’t match up Buick’s design language.
You might notice in the slideshow below that there are no portholes on the Regal's hood. Initially Regals shipped from Germany will not be wearing the Buick signature styling queue. I asked GM design chief Ed Welburn about missing portholes and he said that "All Buicks should have portholes" but would not officially comment on when the Regal might get them. I speculate that this will remedied when Regal production moves to North America.
The Regal on display at the Palladium had its doors locked, so I was unable to capture any interior shots. However, we do have official imagery from GM, and simply peering into the Regal’s windows reveals what you might expect: A pleasing design that looks modern and well executed. While there might be a few more buttons on the center stack than you would like to see, there is little to argue about. General Motors has clearly grasped an understanding of how a car’s interior should look and feel and has moved to the head of the class.
Below this article is a video I shot from the reveal event. Susan Docherty, GM sales chief, and Bob Lutz, GM marketing chief, co-introduce the 2011 Buick Regal.
Will there be a manual transmission? How about an OPC version? What future models, not yet revealed to the general public, did Buick show us? What was Colbie Caillat like? All these questions and much more material area headed your way in part two of this series, stay tuned!
General Motors covered my expenses to attend this event.
Here is the Chinese version of the Buick Regal (source: gm)
General Motors released official imagery of the 2011 Buick Regal in advance of its official reveal in Los Angeles. I will be in Los Angeles , Thursday, November 12, to cover the launch.
The 2011 Buick Regal will arrive in the second quarter of 2010 and slot in beneath the Buick LaCrosse as a slightly lower priced, differently styled model. A 2.4 liter four cylinder pumping out 182 estimated horsepower will be mated to GM's Hydra-Matic 6T45 six speed automatic transmission. Later on in 2010 a 2.0L Ecotec turbocharged and direct injected engine rated at an estimated 220 horsepower will be on offer as well.
The turbo model will have optional Interactive Drive Control System (IDCS) which offers driver-selectable suspension settings and automatic driver suspension setting adaptability. While this falls short of the OPC version I had hoped for, the availability of IDCS shows that the turbocharged 2011 Buick Regal will have some sporting intentions. I will have much more information on the 2011 Buick Regal after the launch party. For now, enjoy this YouTube classic of a Chinese buyer who simply will not leave the dealership without her own Buick Regal.
That is exactly what Virgil Coffman did when he popped for a retina searing yellow, Transformers Edition Camaro at a Decatur, Illinois dealership.
I have to admit, when I first heard about this guy I immediately thought of Sally O'Malley, "I'm fifty...Fifty years old." By Virgil's standards, Sally is just a kid. Great pick, Virgil, I hope you enjoy your ride, I certainly enjoyed my time in one! Hear what Virgil has to say about the Camaro in the video embedded below.
Ford Ranger in Thailand is living like a rock star!
Meanwhile the US Ford Ranger gets a white background
My brother-in-law will be crushed, Ford CEO Alan Mulally has told the industry trade publication Automotive News that the United States will not be getting the Australian developed "global" T6 Ranger when the current Ranger sold here in the States finally heads to the glue factory.
Currently, the ancient (but lovable) Ranger sold in the United States is not related to the Ranger you can buy elsewhere in the world. Many websites, including the highly regarded PickupTrucks.com have speculated that the forthcoming Australian design T6 Ranger would be a strong possibility for the USA. Given the "One Ford" strategy, it would only make sense that one version of the Ranger be designed for sale around the world instead of unique versions sold in certain markets.
Mulally's did not say what Ford's US Ranger plans are for the future, but it seems hard to believe that the Blue Oval will give up the Ranger legacy. Ranger owners are loyal and their pickups take on family member status. You cannot buy that kind of car/owner relationship and to simply walk away from it would be foolish. So far Mulally and his team have not given us any reason to believe that they are foolish, so what gives?
Back when the Ford F-100 project was in full swing, there was speculation that the sub-F-150 model would supplant the Ranger, but when the F-100 got the axe so did this Ranger replacement theory.
It is unclear, since Automotive News does not provide a direct quote, exactly what Mulally meant when he said the US will not get the global Ranger. Does he simply mean that we will get an exact copy but in fact a semi-unique variant or does he truly mean no T6 whatsoever. Seeing as how I do not have Alan on my speed dial, I cannot give him a call to clarify.
The US Ranger rang up 3,910 sales in October 2009, a 0.5 percent increase from 3,891 in October 2008.
Ford Ka shares frame with Olga Kurylenko (source: Ford)
The diminutive Ford Ka will not be heading to the United States according to a recent Automotive News interview with Ford CEO Alan Mulally. In the interview, Mulally stated to the trade publication,
Our view is that the Fiesta is about the smallest vehicle that we think will be a real success in the United States.
Apparently, Ford doesn't think that enough of a market exists and it might be right. The Fiat 500 will sell, at least initially, because it is as cute as a bug, but the modern looking Ford Ka might have tougher go of things. My own experience with the previous generations of the Ford Fiesta and Ford Ka led me to the conclusion that the Fiesta would be as small as I would likely go. Of course, the latest Ka is a more substantial vehicle, but in terms of pricing and content, I think the sweet spot in the USA will be the Fiesta.
Europhiles should not complain about Ford denying Americans its Old World finery, however, because the company is bringing a slew of European models such as the Fiesta, Focus (current Euro generation shown, we get the next version), Grand C-Max and Kuga (Kuga not officially announced for USA) over the course of the next few years.
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