2011 Buick Regal hits up a younger crowd for some mad props
When most people envision a Buick Regal they don’t really see a sporty, luxury sedan. Well, GM is on a mission to change that. Gone are the days when the Buick regal was a car only your grandfather would be proud to own. With GM changing its target demographic to 35-40 year old instead of 60+, they hope to bring in a much larger customer base. The new Regal is based on the European Insigna. Well, actually, it is the Insignia, albeit it sports Buick emblems and a few tweaks to allow it to conform to U.S.-specific regulations. With the release of a German-produced Buick Regal, the company has managed to strike a nerve with a slightly younger crowd. The average Buick buyer is now 65-years-old, instead of 72. Still, the automaker would like to see that number fall even lower. “Buick kind of lost its way. We built big, floaty, quiet cars — what our customers wanted at the time,” Buick representative Dayna Hart “The Regal GS would be the next step, more performance-based.” With all the new features Buick will be offering on the 2011 Regal, used cars Naples drivers will have one more option when looking for a new luxury sedan. The new Regal is already on some showroom floors. The starting price is $26,995. General Motors says it comes standard with a 2.4L Ecotec direct injected engine rated at an estimated 182 horsepower. It also gets an estimated 30mpg on the highway. Naples GMC Yukon Hybrid dealers now have one more thing to offer their customers than just fuel efficient SUVs. With Buick completely reinventing itself, it’s almost like having an all new luxury brand within your local Naples GMC dealer. With this being Buick’s first new Regal in over six years, they are getting the word out on just how “cool” it is. They may not have Tiger Woods behind the Buick name anymore but with all the positive reviews since its debut, they won’t need him anymore.
Both the Buick and Regal names have often been looked at as brands appealing to an older crowd, but executives hope to dust off that image as they target the car to a younger generation, especially consumers in their 30′s and 40′s. “Maybe they’re single, perhaps they’re newly married, a young family even,” says Roger McCormack, Buick’s director of product marketing. “We think it’s a progressive, well-educated consumer.”
After Buick’s eye lift, a facial peel and a little under-the-hood rejuvenation. It’s no longer your grandfather’s car company, and the 2011 Buick Regal is proof of that.