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2018 Buick Regal TourX vs. wagon competitors: How it compares on paper

To the great joy of auto enthusiasts nationwide, wagons are back! Well, at least there's a few more of them. The latest is the 2018 Buick Regal TourX, which we just had our first drive of and found to actually be quite good with pleasant handling, solid power and plenty of space. But, how does the TourX compare to other cladded wagons? Well, let's dive into the specs and fire up the ol' spreadsheet maker for Buick Regal TourX vs Subaru Outback vs Audi A4 Allroad vs VW Alltrack vs Volvo V60 Cross Country. True, some are from mainstream brands and others are from luxury marques, but Buick straddles both realms, so it's appropriate to look at them all. Of course, there's more to these cars than just the numbers, but they're still important, and in the case of this class of crossover-aping wagons, can vary more than you'd expect. So check out the specs in the chart below, which are followed by more analysis and photos of each. Discover and compare other wagons and crossovers with our Car Finder and Compare tools. Engines and Transmissions When comparing powertrains, the Buick is far-and-away the winner as far as torque is concerned, and is in a nearly three-way tie for horsepower. Its 295 pound-feet of torque is 22 lb-ft more twist than the next-most-grunty Audi A4 Allroad. And in regards to power, the Buick's 250-horsepower engine is only down 6 hp to the most-powerful Subaru and its optional naturally aspirated flat-six, and just 2 hp less than the Audi. At the bottom of the pack is the Subaru Outback with the standard naturally aspirated flat-four, which only makes 174 hp and 174 lb-ft of torque. That may not seem too bad compared with the VW Golf Alltrack, which only makes 170 hp and 199 lb-ft of torque, but the VW is much lighter by between 200 and 300 pounds. Transmission-wise, there's quite a bit of variation in the group. The Regal TourX and the Volvo V60 Cross Country rely on eight-speed automatics, all Outbacks use CVTs, and the Alltrack and Allroad have dual-clutch automated manual transmissions with six and seven gears, respectively. But for people that want to shift for themselves, the only option is the Volkswagen, which offers a traditional six-speed manual transmission on the Golf Alltrack. Cargo and Interior Space One of the main reasons to buy a wagon is for the body style's large cargo capacity. And for the most space for things and stuff, you'll want to check out the Subaru and the Buick.

Volvo Trucks makes some pretty strong brakes

Often dashcam footage from Russia shows some of the worst driving imaginable, but this is an exception. The Volvo truck driver in this video definitely earned himself a drink or two at the end of the day after making it through this potentially horrific crash. As do the folks at Volvo that engineered those brakes.
The truck driver shows some fantastic reaction time as the silver hatchback suddenly pulls out of an intersection. It looks like he only has a few yards to bring the behemoth to a stop before demolishing the little car. While it's an impressive feat, the best part of the video has to be the driver's bow when he gets out of the truck. He looks like a maestro who just finished conducting a symphony asking for a round of applause.
Scroll down to check out this truck driver's skills and see if he earns his bow afterward.

New electric Volvo crossover on the way, to be built in the U.S.

Automotive News reports that Volvo has a new electric crossover coming, the intel relayed by "two sources familiar with the plans." Said to be codenamed V546 at the moment, the new product is said to slot in between the XC60 and XC90. If size is a factor in its tweener placement, the XC60 is 185 inches long, the XC90 195 inches long, so the V546 could be about the length of the 189-inch Ford Edge. The sources claim it will ride on a new electric platform, which could be SPA2 bones that will support the coming electric XC90 and that the Concept Recharge electric crossover study (pictured) sits on. The Swedish automaker debuted the Concept Recharge in June last year as a template of future styling cues, sustainable materials, and advanced infotainment and autonomous technology. The AN piece says we'll see that some design and tech transfer into the V546. Out of a global production of about 100,000 units, 40% will be allotted to Volvo's plant in Ridgeville, South Carolina, to serve the North American market, starting in early 2025. That leaves an available capacity of 110,000 units out of the plant's 150,000-unit annual cap. The four-year-old plant builds just the S60 sedan at the moment — turning out roughly 23,000 units last year — but is transitioning to an all-EV assembly operation. Before the V546 arrives in three years, the Ridgeville facility will add the battery-electric version of the next-generation XC90, thought to be called the Embla, and the battery-electric Polestar 3, both hitting the market in 2023. Volvo Cars CEO Hakan Samuelsson has said Ridgeville will "be the only plant in the [Volvo Cars Group] which only makes full-electric cars."  And although it's fallen off the radar, we're still anticipating the new flagship XC100 to debut in 2023 as well. AN's Future Product Pipeline says the top model will come in six- and seven-seat layouts akin to what BMW and Range Rover do, with the six-seater bolting up captain's chairs in the second row. Ridgeville also gets the nod for this one, production said to begin in early 2023.  Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. 2022 C40 Recharge crossover