Buick has just confirmed that yet another sedan will be discontinued as the result of ever-increasing crossover sales. Farewell, Buick Regal, you will be missed, gone after the 2020 model year.
The latest Regal, which is the sixth-generation of the car to wear that badge, debuted in 2017 as a 2018 model. While Canadian buyers received only the Sportback version, the U.S. market also received a station wagon badged the TourX.
Buick offered the Regal with a 2.0L turbo four-cylinder as well as a 3.6L V6, and all-wheel drive was available. The GS performance model was powered solely by that V6 and all-wheel drive, and GM was confident enough in its performance to let a large group of journalists take the car on-track on at least one occasion. Thanks to that rear hatch, the Regal Sportback offered nearly as much (or more) cargo space as some of GM's crossovers like the Chevrolet Equinox.
In a statement, General Motors Canada confirmed the info to us, saying that "Buick continues to be ahead of the consumer shift toward SUVs. In fact, nearly 90 per cent of NA Buick sales to date this year have been crossovers, and sales have outpaced key competitors including Lincoln, Acura and Infiniti."
And yes, you read that 90 per cent figure correctly. As of the end of September, the last time it issued detailed sales figures, Buick had sold just 1,056 Regals in Canada this year. Though that marked a 147 percent increase from the same months of 2018, it paled in comparison to the 11,711 crossovers the brand sold in the first nine months of 2019.
While it's easy to blame sales figures, this Buick was an Opel underneath, and was built at an Opel factory in Germany. Since the car launched, GM sold Opel to Peugeot parent PSA, and having a competitor (even if not one that's sold here) build your vehicles is likely a tough pill to swallow. The car is, though, also built in China for that market, and the Regal will continue to sell there.
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