The Regal is a model that Chinese consumers are very familiar with. The first generation of Regal began to be produced in 2002, the prototype car at that time was the Buick Regal, designed by the Pan Asia Technology Center, and the interior was responsible for the ARIA Group design company, that is, this generation of Regal established the stereotype of "American cars are oil tigers". In 2008, the second-generation Regal switched to the Opel Insignia as a prototype, based on GM's Epsilon II short-axle platform, with front-wheel drive, front MacPherson, rear multi-link, and a 2.0-liter or 2.4-liter engine. The second-generation Regal added 1.6T and 2.0T models in 2009, and in 2011 it launched the Regal GS with Opel Insua OPC design style, which has a sportier look and handling. In 2013, the Regal also had a mid-term facelift, with minor adjustments to the exterior and interior, and the introduction of IntelliLink intelligent vehicle interaction system.
The third-generation Regal is based on the new generation of Opel Insula, although the Buick standard has been changed, but the whole car is still very "European". It is still 4.9 meters long, but the platform has been changed from the Epsilon II to the E2XX, the wheelbase has been increased by 90 mm to 2829 mm, and the weight of the car is 160 kg lighter than the previous generation. The front and rear overhangs have been shortened, the height of the car has been reduced by more than 20 mm, and a fastback design has been adopted, giving the whole appearance to be younger and sportier than the previous generation. The best-selling model in Europe is the five-door hatchback, which is very good-looking, but there is only a sedan version in China, which is a little regrettable.
The third-generation Regal has three sets of power systems, namely the 1.5T 20T, the 2.0T 28T, and the 1.8L plus dual motors 30H. The 1.5T is the Ecotec SIDI engine, which produces 170 hp at 5,600 rpm and accelerates from zero to 100 in about 9.5 seconds, the 2.0T is the Ecotec LTG, which has won Ward's top 10 engines, with 261 hp at 5,400 rpm and a maximum torque of 350 Nm, and the GS model also has a power package that can boost to 278 hp and 400 Nm. Both the 1.5T and 2.0T models are mated to a Hydra-Matic 9-speed automatic transmission. The hybrid model is equipped with a 1.8-liter engine and dual electric motors, with a combined system power of 136 kW, mated to an E-CVT continuously variable transmission.
The power system of 2.0T 9AT performs very well, the power is good because the engine has 260 horsepower, and the weight of the car is only 1.5 tons, another point is that the engine and this 9AT are very well matched, whether it is low-speed following the car or high-speed driving, the smoothness of the gearbox is very good, when the power demand changes, the action of adding and decreasing gears is very agile, with a certain driving pleasure. But in terms of manual shifting, the gearbox response is a beat slower, especially when driving intensely, although the body of the whole car follows better, but it is more suitable to drive aggressively with an automatic transmission, rather than driving fiercely with a manual transmission.
60% of the chassis tuning of the third-generation Regal is completed by the GM team, and the other 40% is tuned according to domestic road conditions, which is very Chinese characteristics. When passing through the ditch, the suspension has a flexible performance, the performance of the speed bump is relatively crisp, and in terms of fine vibration, the performance is more sensitive, and in the case of more small vibrations, the body will have a slight shaking feeling, more redundant movements, and the feeling of ups and downs is also quite obvious.
Space and comfort are not the strong points of the third-generation Regal, the front seats are not bad, but the ergonomics are average, and the movement of the arms will be limited when driving. Whether it is the front row or the rear row, the backrest and seat cushion are hard, it is difficult to ensure the comfort of long-distance driving, especially in the rear, the space is not large, the design of the seat is limited, it is difficult to ensure a comfortable sitting position, although there is a certain space in the legs, but the feet can not reach under the front seat. Due to the shape of a slip-back design, the headroom in the rear row is even more cramped, giving people the illusion that they are tall. The opening of the trunk is not large, the ground is higher, and the left and right are eaten up by the suspension system, which has no advantage in the same class, but it is generally square, and the height difference between the rear row and the trunk is relatively large.
The NVH level of this generation of Regal has decreased, the engine noise is suppressed very well, and the engine sound can not be felt in the case of floor oil, but the handling of high-speed wind noise is not particularly good, and the Continental MC5 Although the grip is very good, the brake of 100 kilometers has also been 36.7 meters, but it is an obvious shortcoming in tire noise.
This generation of Regal follows the trend of the times in terms of active safety, providing lane departure warning, collision warning, active braking and other functions, and the safety test results are also very good, receiving 5-star evaluation in E-NCAP, especially in occupant protection 93 points, child safety 85 points.
Overall, the Regal is a model with an excellent chassis, rich equipment, and a comprehensive level of power performance, and this car is very attractive in terms of handling, power, and appearance. Those who are worried that American cars are "oil tigers" can also rest assured that in fact, all the power versions of this car are very fuel-efficient.
Buick Regal evaluation report