Regal has been a part of the Buick family for 40 years as a great mid-size luxury vehicle, and it is still going strong.
In 1973, the original Century Regal was General Motor’s first “personal luxury” car, as an upmarket model in Buick’s Century line. In its first model year, the 1973 Regal coupe helped Buick go beyond its 1955 all-time sales record with the sale of 91,557 units.
Regal quickly carved its own niche as a powertrain innovator with its standard 350 cubic inch V-8 engine. In fact, the ’75 Buick Regal reacted quickly to the Arab oil embargo by being the only mid-size vehicle to switch over to the V-6 from the standard V-8.
By the time the ’78 Regal hit the scene, it was ahead of its time by turbo charging for better fuel economy. It continued as with its innovative leadership into the 1980s.
Now in its fifth generation, the Buick Regal continues in its four-decade tradition of a wonderful driving experience along with power train leadership. The current Regal sports a 2.0 liter turbocharged four-cylinder producing 259 horsepower and 295 pound-foot of torque, its most-powerful standard engine. It’s available with an advanced all-wheel-drive system, incorporating a HiPer Strut front suspension and electronic limited-slip differential. Also available is a 2.4 liter engine with eAssist light electrification technology which delivers EPA-estimated ratings of 36 mpg highway and 25 mpg city.
Generation 1: 1973-1977
Beauty and luxury were key in the start of the personal luxury era and the Regal fit right in. The 1975 model was alone in coming standard with its efficient V-6 engine that maintained performance comparable to a V-8.
Generation 2: 1978-1987
Smaller than the former generation, the ’78 made Buick the first mainstream brand to have a turbocharged engine. The Regal had a 3.8 turbocharged V-6.
Generation 3: 1988-1996
Further downsized, this generation of Regals was smaller and innovative with its front wheel drive, sporting the award-winning 3800 V-6 engine.
Generation 4: 1997-2004
Nostalgia was key as the 1997 Regal became the upmarket version of the Buick Century. The brand’s first supercharged V-6, rated at 240 horsepower and 280 pound-foot torque debuted in the ’97 Buick Regal GS.
Generation 5: 2009-2014
The Regal took a short hiatus, but returned first to the Chinese market in 2009 and rejoined the American market a year later. Again with its firsts, the 2014 Regal model will be the first to offer all-wheel-drive. With its sport sedan handling, technically advanced engines and power-density, the Regal is quickly attracting new and younger customers to Buick.
