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It looks like Buick is working on a new Regal GS

When Buick revealed its Regal-badged version of the Opel Insignia/Holden Commodore sedan and wagon, it left out one significant model, the GS. The high-performance Regal was missing in action, but these new spy photos seem to indicate one is coming soon. It looks like it will be pretty subtle on the outside. Upon close examination, we can see that each side of the front bumper features a much larger grille than the normal Regal Sportback and TourX. The thick upper borders on the grilles also look like good places for some LED accent or fog lights. These larger grilles appear to be the only significant difference to the front, though. On the sides, there are slightly deeper side skirts than those on a standard Sportback, and the rear bumper looks to be lifted from the TourX, but without the wagon's aluminum cladding. One other indication that this is a high-performance Regal is the car's front braking equipment. We can make out a Cadillac logo on the front brake calipers, which shows that this isn't running standard Regal stoppers. As for what's under the hood, it's tough to say, but we don't think it will use a turbocharged four-cylinder as the previous generation did. Instead, we think it may be using a V6. That's a hard maybe. The base Regal's turbo four makes as much power as the old GS, and although Buick could crank up the boost for more power, it could also make use of the V6 it will offer overseas. In the mechanically identical Commodore, a 308-horsepower V6 will be available along with a 9-speed automatic and the same type of all-wheel-drive system as the Ford Focus RS. This option would make the upcoming GS more powerful than the old one, and the new standard model, plus offer all-wheel drive. We would like to see even more power than 308, since the top-dog previous-generation Insignia OPC had a 325-horsepower V6. Related Video: Featured Gallery Buick Regal GS Spy Shots View 15 Photos Image Credit: Brian Williams Spy Photos Buick Hatchback Luxury Performance Sedan buick regal gs

J.D. Power study sees new car dependability problems increase for first time since 1998

For the first time since 1998, J.D. Power and Associates says its data shows that the average number of problems per 100 cars has increased. The finding is the result of the firm's much-touted annual Vehicle Dependability Study, which charts incidents of problems in new vehicle purchases over three years from 41,000 respondents.
Looking at first-owner cars from the 2011 model year, the study found an average of 133 problems per 100 cars (PP100, for short), up 6 percent from 126 PP100 in last year's study, which covered 2010 model-year vehicles. Disturbingly, the bulk of the increase is being attributed to engine and transmission problems, with a 6 PP100 boost.
Interestingly, JDP notes that "the decline in quality is particularly acute for vehicles with four-cylinder engines, where problem levels increase by nearly 10 PP100." Its findings also noticed that large diesel engines also tended to be more problematic than most five- and six-cylinder engines.

2018 Kia Stinger vs. other luxury hatchbacks compared by the numbers

Ten years ago, if you had told us that one of the many new luxury segments to develop would be sedan-style hatchbacks, we'd have said you'd lost your mind. And yet, here we are today with not one, but four cars competing in just such a niche upscale segment: The Kia Stinger, Buick Regal Sportback, BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo and Audi A5. That's just in one size and price bracket. Two of the manufacturers listed here make larger versions of each luxury hatchback. We aren't entirely sure how it happened, but we're not going to complain, because we love the idea of a car with almost no compromise: luxury features, sporty performance, and plenty of practicality. Try Autoblog' s Car Finder to search for your next new vehicle. One of the reasons we're taking a look at these cars right now is that Kia has recently released pricing for its entry in the segment, the Stinger and Stinger GT. Buick wasn't far behind with the Regal Sportback and Regal GS, nor was Audi with the A5 and S5. So it seemed like an appropriate moment to look at the numbers and see which come out ahead or behind, with victors in each category highlighted with bold and underlined text. What we found when comparing these cars' statistics is that each one has a clear area of expertise. For performance, it's hard to beat the four-cylinder Kia Stinger and the V6 Stinger GT. The four-banger has the most horsepower of the four cars, and is just behind on torque. The V6 has the most power and torque among the six-cylinder versions. The Stingers are also the second lightest of the group when equipped with rear-wheel drive, though they fall to third with all-wheel drive. Space is a split between the Buick Regals and BMW 3 Series Gran Turismos. The Buicks have the most cargo space with the rear seats up or folded by a significant margin. The BMW on the other hand generally offers more space for passengers. It's up to you what's most important. Compare these and other potential new vehicle purchases using our tool. When it comes to cost, nothing can beat the four-cylinder Regal's base price of under $26,000. But if a V6 is what you're after, the Stinger GT is the cheapest. Neither matches the Audi A5 and S5 for fuel economy, though. Both Audis have the highest numbers for city, highway, and combined EPA estimates. Related Video: