It was only a few hours ago when Opel and Vauxhall unveiled the Insignia facelift in Europe and now we have some information about the car’s North American equivalent. Spoiler alert – it’s not good. Our friends at Motor Authority have learned from Stuart Fowle, Buick and GMC communications manager, the 2020 model year will be the last one for the Regal as the midsize model won’t be returning for the 2021MY.
Why? The never-ending crossover boom is to blame for the Buick Regal’s demise in the United States as well as Canada. Only one in ten vehicles sold by Buick this year is not a crossover, therefore it doesn’t make much sense from a business point of view to retain any of the four Regal versions – Sportback, GS, Avenir, and even the SUV-inspired TourX.
Combined sales of all four members stand at approximately 6,000 units in 2019 with only a few weeks to go until the year ends, so it’s safe to say the Regal won’t be missed. As Motor Authority points out, Buick alluded the model’s days were numbered last month at the Los Angeles Auto Show where the Regal was nowhere to be found, and now the news is official.
It’s worth pointing out the Buick Regal is not going away entirely as the model will soldier on in China where it recently received a mid-cycle update mirroring the changes made to its European cousin.
Pour One Out For Passenger Cars:
The death of the Regal in United States follows the recent demise of the LaCrosse and Cascada, thus effectively turning Buick into a crossover-exclusive brand in the United States.
It will be interesting to see what will happen to the Insignia in the long run taking into account Opel and Vauxhall are now under PSA’s umbrella. If the model will live to see another generation, it would make sense to share its underpinnings with the Peugeot 508 to cut costs and speed up development.
Source: Motor Authority