2014 Buick Regal Turbo on 2040-cars

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We hear Buick is testing a Regal wagon with focus groups

Rumors about a possible Buick Regal wagon have come and gone for the past few years, and today we have another one. A friend of Autoblog recently let slip that Buick is talking with customers and running focus groups of a new car against the Acura TSX wagon and an unnamed Volvo wagon. Of course the Buick model being used in the focus groups wasn't mentioned, but the Regal is the only Buick in the lineup of comparable size and with a wagon version overseas. Plus, we've heard that Buick told dealers a wagon is in the works at a meeting a few months ago. We reached out to Buick for comment, however no details were given. A Buick spokesperson told us, "By the end of 2017, we'll be revealing three more new models for a total of seven new Buicks in just 24 months." Of the seven new models, four have been launched: the Cascada, Encore, Envision and LaCrosse. Looking at Buick's current line-up, that leaves three models that haven't been updated yet: the Enclave, Regal and Verano. This is where a Buick Regal wagon could come in. We know the Enclave is definitely getting a replacement. The large crossover market is huge and GM has a platform for it. We're also expecting a new Regal sedan to come out next year. The Verano, however, is unlikely to see another generation. If the Verano goes away, that leaves an opening for a new Buick model. Rather than another sedan, Buick probably wants more crossovers, as the company said it expects its current line-up to bring in 70 percent of its sales. It could very easily add another CUV to the line-up by giving the Regal wagon the Volvo Cross Country treatment. Raise the ride height, gird it with plastic fenders and bumpers, and give the wagon a trendy name like "Tourx" or "Regal Tourx," which the company has already trademarked, and Buick's newest crossover is ready to go. In fact, GM has effectively already done this to the Regal's German sibling, the Insignia, in the form of the Insignia Country Tourer, pictured above. In summary, a CUV-like wagon could give Buick a trendy car in a hot class for a minimal investment. It would even provide Buick with a model that has no equivalents elsewhere in the GM stable, giving the company a bit more distinction. If the company does bring us a wagon version of the Regal, we would expect to see something next year, possibly with the reveal of the normal Regal variants.

Buick Encore, Chevy Trax reportedly dead after 2022

The Buick Encore will not get an encore, and the Chevrolet Trax is dead in its tracks. Separate unverified reports say the two crossovers, which are essentially identical underneath the sheetmetal, will retire at the end of the 2022 model year without being directly replaced. Citing anonymous sources, enthusiast website GM Authority wrote that production of the Encore and the Trax is scheduled to end in the third quarter of 2022. Both models are manufactured in Bupyeong-gu, South Korea, and General Motors will reportedly use the extra production capacity to build more examples of the Trailblazer, which outsold the Encore and the Trax combined by a significant margin in 2021. General Motors hasn't commented on the report, but we wouldn't be surprised if the end is indeed near for the Encore and the Trax. Buick released the Encore for the 2013 model year, and Chevrolet launched the Trax for 2015, but the model made its debut as the Opel Mokka in 2012. It's at the end of its life cycle, and sales figures reflect this: 20,072 units of the Encore were sold in America in 2021, a drop of 52% compared to 2020, while 42,590 examples of the Trax found a home, a 60% decline. It's further proof that Americans don't like small cars. Viewed in that light, the decision not to replace either crossover makes perfect sense. If the report is accurate, the Encore GX (which is not related to the Encore in any way) will enter the 2023 model year as Buick's entry-level model. The situation is a little more complicated at Chevrolet: The pocket-sized Spark is on its way out in 2022 as well, meaning that the Trailblazer will become the entry point into the range. It's a different story in Europe: Opel, which is now part of the Stellantis group, released the second-generation Mokka in June 2020.

1969 Chevrolet Chevelle vs 1987 Buick GNX in Generation Gap showdown

Generation Gap generally tries to adhere to a theme for each episode, and for the final video from the Lingenfelter collection, the series might have its best idea yet - limited-production muscle cars from General Motors.
On one side you get a 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle COPO, and it's an absolute sleeper. Other than the SS wheels, this classic coupe looks practically bone stock, at least until the engine fires up. Under the hood is a 427-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) V8 making a claimed 425 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque. This was the sole year for the COPO package on the Chevelle, and Chevy only made about 323 of them.
The Chevelle's challenger is almost as rare and arguably just as cool. The 1987 Buick Grand National GNX looks just as mean today as when new. It eschews a traditional muscular V8 in favor of a 3.8-liter turbo V6 making a claimed 276 hp and 360 lb-ft, although that number is supposedly a bit underrated. Also, just 547 examples of the GNX version were ever built making it quite a collector's item too.