Buick is planning two big changes for the Regal lineup for 2013. The first is making the eAssist hybrid powertrain the standard setup; it mates a 182-hp, 2.4-liter four-cylinder that makes 172 lb-ft of torque with a 15-hp motor/generator and a trunk-mounted lithium-ion battery pack. (Previously, an unassisted 2.4-liter four-cylinder was the standard powertrain.) In the Regal, the system boosts fuel economy to 25 mpg in the city and 36 on the highway—a boost of 6 and 5 mpg, respectively, compared with the non-eAssist four-cylinder version. The second change is the addition of a no-cost six-speed automatic option for the up-to-now manual-only turbocharged Regal GS. Neither move is surprising—we already knew an automatic was headed for the GS’s option sheet, and Buick already made eAssist standard on the four-cylinder version of its larger LaCrosse sedan for 2012.
Buick hasn’t revealed any details regarding changes to the Regal’s equipment levels and pricing as a result of making eAssist standard, but we’re told the 2012 LaCrosse is a fairly accurate model. When Buick dropped the LaCrosse’s base four-cylinder in favor of the eAssisted iteration, it upped that car’s price by nearly $3000 but also added more standard equipment. The company also made the LaCrosse’s more powerful V-6 engine a no-cost option. As such, we expect the 2013 Regal to gain more standard features and see its base price to go up by between $2000 and $3000. That means the car’s current $27,940 entry fee will increase to around $29,000, or close to the non-GS Regal Turbo and the least-expensive 2012 Regal with eAssist. Right now, it is unclear whether the Regal Turbo’s 220-hp, turbocharged 2.0-liter four also will be a no-cost option, but a Buick representative told us it will be priced similarly to the eAssist.
As for the automatic-equipped Regal GS, Buick says it will match the stick-shifted car’s 0-to-60 time and 19/27 mpg city/highway fuel-economy numbers. Naturally, the automatic will probably motivate more buyers into the sportiest Regal. Buick hasn’t announced a specific on-sale date for the 2013 Regal line.
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