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Opel did a great job on the 2018 Buick Regal

Ladies and gentlemen, the 2018 Buick Regal. The car you see is actually the Opel Insignia Grand Sport, but General Motors will bring it to the United States as the next-generation Regal virtually unchanged. The Insignia, revealed Wednesday by Opel, gets a sleek new design punched up with LED lights and sweeping proportions meant to conjure a fastback silhouette. It will debut in March at the Geneva Motor Show and launch next year in Europe. Expect the Regal to go on sale in the middle of 2017 in the US. The Opel-Buick relationship has been tight in the last decade, with the outgoing Regal earning strong praise for its German-tuned chassis and premium appearance. While Buick has been the recipient of much of Opel's work, the Insignia is now borrowing one of Buick's great names: Grand Sport. View 12 Photos Opel points to the Monza concept as the source of inspiration for the Insignia, though Buick will undoubtedly say the Avenir concept was the Regal's creative stimulus. Some think it looks like a Mazda. Mark Adams, vice president of GM Design Europe also oversees the automaker's global styling operations. "Its design combines flowing lines and subtle surfaces with crisp, precise lines to even exaggerate its dramatic proportions: it looks longer, lower, and wider than it actually is, and it definitely looks upscale," he said in statement. Expect similar thoughts for the Regal. Opel is also working on an Insignia wagon, which we've captured in spy photos before. We've also heard whispers that it will come to the US market with a Regal badge. Opel's announcement previews many of the details we'll see in the new Regal. Based on a new chassis, the Insignia is 386 pounds lighter than the previous car. The wheelbase is 3.62 inches longer and the track is .43 inches wider. Opel tapered the front and rear overhangs, so there's only a slight gain in overall length. The interior has more room, Opel says, and features a touchscreen with GM's IntelliLink system. The car will also have several drive modes, which tailor the chassis, throttle response, and shifting dynamics. Other technologies includes a head-up display, 360-degree camera, lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, and cross-traffic alert. The Insignia will offer an eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive with torque-vectoring. We expect both to come to the US market. Meanwhile, another GM brand, Vauxhall, unveiled the Vauxhall Insignia for the British market.

Buick reveals new Verano in Shanghai

The lion's share of the new vehicles being showcased at the Shanghai Motor Show this week may never make their way to US showrooms. But Americans will surely want to note the unveiling of the all-new Buick Verano. The current compact sedan in the Buick lineup arrived in 2011, and is now preparing to enter its second generation with the model you see here. Details are the only element more scarce than photos (GM has released one thus far), but we can see that the new Verano adopts more dynamic styling than the model it replaces. The design borrows elements from the Riviera and Avenir concepts, with a more steeply raked windshield and rear glass said to give the new Verano a more elongated look (and lower drag coefficient) than its compact footprint would dictate. Up front you'll see Buick's signature waterfall grille, flanked by HID xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights and taillamps. Motivation comes courtesy of a 1.5-liter turbocharged Ecotec four, driving 166 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque through a new seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. The 17-inch wheels are shod with Continental rubber. Just how many of these specifications will remain relevant when the new Verano reaches Buick dealers on this side of the Pacific remains to be seen, but for now you can delve into the full press release below. Related Video: Buick Verano Debuts at Shanghai GM Gala Night New-generation sports sedan offers stylish exterior, class-leading fuel efficiency and precise handling SHANGHAI – Buick's new-generation sports sedan, the Verano, made its debut this evening at Shanghai GM Gala Night. It will be appearing on Shanghai GM's stand at Auto Shanghai 2015, which starts tomorrow. The brand's latest entry in the mid-range passenger car segment has a stylish exterior, class-leading fuel efficiency and precise handling. The Verano is targeted at individuals who value a personal and dynamic driving experience. Design inspired by Buick Riviera and Avenir concept cars The Verano was inspired by the new Buick Riviera concept car, which premiered in 2013, and captures the design essence of the Buick Avenir concept car, which debuted at this year's North American International Auto Show in Detroit. It represents an innovative interpretation of Buick's classic styling while exemplifying the elegance and dynamism of Buick's new-generation products.

NHTSA may greatly expand GM airbag recall

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is pondering whether to dramatically upscale a pair of airbag recalls on General Motors vehicles. The two existing campaigns, one launched in the fall of 2012 and the other in January of this year covered just 6,845 vehicles, but the government agency is considering whether to boost the recall to around 400,000 units.
The existing recalls involve the the closely related 2012 Buick Verano (shown) and Chevrolet Cruze sedans, along with Sonic and Camaro models. The root of the problem is a shorting bar in the inflator module of the steering-wheel-mounted airbag that may contact the primary state airbag terminal, a condition that could prevent deployment in an accident. Dealer technicians have been replacing the steering wheel airbag coils to fix the issue.
According to a post on NHTSA's website, the root cause, said to be a production issue, may not have been completely isolated - particularly for the second recall, which was for the Camaro. According to Automotive News, GM says it is cooperating with the government investigation, but won't say whether or not it knows the true origin of the problem.