1965 Buick Skylark 2-dr Hardtop Coupe on 2040-cars

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Wagons make a bit of a comeback, with new models, sales on the rise

Consider this an official invitation to hop on the wagon bandwagon. There's still tons of room because, well, it's a wagon (and market share is still extremely small). But according to new data, the segment is growing. According to a report from Bloomberg, using data from Edmunds.com, roughly 211,600 Americans purchased wagons in 2018. That is technically down from the 237,600 sold in 2017, but wagon sales in the U.S. are up 29 percent from where they were five years ago. It's also the third year in a row that wagon sales broke the 200,000 mark. The sales trends have been somewhat representative of the availability of wagons. New models have debuted during the past 5 years and therefore offer more opportunity at more brands to buy wagons. In addition to more modest cars such as the Volkswagen Golf Sportwagen, several luxury and performance brands are offering wagons today, such as Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Porsche, Jaguar, Volvo and Buick. (Bloomberg's headlines make the point that "crossovers are for the Kardashians," and wagons are just, well, classier.) This uptick in brand-name availability, as well as extremely well-executed design on most of the wagons currently available, has helped increase the segment's desirability. That, and its ability to better accomplish the same tasks at hand while standing out from the crossover and SUV crowd. Still, the posted numbers represent a small fraction of the total vehicles sold. According to the data, wagons only held a 1.4 percent market share in 2017, the segment's best recent year. Wagons hold a steadfast place in America's past, and they're writing an interesting new story. With the downturn in traditional cars, they may continue to create an unexpected narrative. Related Video: News Source: Bloomberg, Edmunds Audi BMW Buick Volkswagen Volvo Wagon station wagon

Opel Insignia OPC Sports Tourer shows its fresh face ahead of Frankfurt debut

Drive down the Autobahn and there's any number of vehicles likely to pass you, and most of them are produced locally. But if you're wondering how that Opel left you in its dust, look closely (and quickly) enough and you might make out the letters OPC on the back.
They stand for Opel Performance Center (the German counterpart to Vauxhall's VXR line) and they adorn performance versions of the Corsa, Astra and Insignia. The latter is undergoing a bit of a refresh and is expected to debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in a couple of weeks, but you don't have to wait that long as our intrepid spy photographers have caught it in the flesh outside an Opel facility in Germany.
Spied here completely undisguised in Sports Tourer (read: wagon) form, the Insignia has had a few nips and tucks performed, but we'll be more intrigued to see what it's got under the hood. The current model packs a 2.8-liter twin-turbo V6 driving 325 horsepower to all four wheels, but rumors suggest that the OPC (yeah you know me!) could have as much as 400 hp up its sleeve. That would make this one heck of a sleeper - especially in wagon form - and only make us pine for a more potent version of its twin Buick Regal to roam our highways, too.

2021 Buick Envision order guide shows $32,995 base price

Based on an early dealer guide Cars Direct got its hands on, the 2021 Buick Envision will bring more to the market than handsome new design inside and out. The 2020 Envision in 1SV and Preferred trims starts at $33,500 plus a $1,195 destination charge, totaling $34,695. The dealer guide shows the 2021 Envision Preferred starting at $32,995 after destination, a $1,700 cut compared to this year's model. The 1SV was also listed in the guide but didn't get a price. A Buick spokesperson confirmed to Cars Direct that the Preferred trim will be the new entry-level, so it appears the 1SV could go away. The two trims are equipped the same as standard, the difference being that Preferred opens up the options menu to features like the Active Package and a powered panoramic moonroof. That pricing puts the 2021 Envision thousands of dollars under of its luxury competitors like the Acura RDX, Audi Q5, Lexus NX, and Lincoln Corsair. The price of the middle Essence trim doesn't change, at $36,995 after destination.   The current Premium trim will be replaced by the Avenir trim. At present, the Premium trim only comes in all-wheel drive, which Buick has changed for the 2021 model year. A 2021 Envision Avenir with front-wheel drive will start at $41,395, which is $500 less than a 2020 Envision Premium with all-wheel drive. Adding power to the rear axle adds $1,800 to the price, the Envision Avenir AWD the most expensive model at $43,195. That's a $1,600 cut compared to the 2020 Envision Premium AWD. The only engine on offer will be a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with 230 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, the same engine in the 2021 Envision's E2 platform-mate, the Cadillac XT4. That output falls between the two engines that can be had on the 2020 Envision, either the base 2.5-liter four with 197 hp and 192 lb-ft, or an optional 2.0-liter turbo four with 252 hp and 295 lb-ft.  Related Video: