New Opel and Buick Wagons

I hate that GM made the Opel Wagon look like a Subaru in order to make it a Buick. The Opel version looks SO MUCH better than the "lifted" Buick version, with it's cheap-looking grey plastic wheel flares and ground effects. They really need to off a "non-crossover" WAGON version..

Opel Insignia


Buick Regal TourX


Same car...

-Mike

Maybe it will be like the Avalanche, and those will disappear after few years. I hope the wagon lasts long enough to see that.

Front drive 4 cylinder is just too much to take.

The cross over style is what sells here. the more truck like or cross over like, the perception of more room.
the market for sporty wagons is small.

Honestly I wish Honda would make a Civic and Accord wagon. even better would be a 2 door wagon...
I would be making payments again....

Market gets what the market wants.

I think both versions look pretty good, but they won't sell. You can't out-Subaru Subaru.

I don't like it. It looks like a modernized Subaru Outback.

Uhh... modernized? The Outback is still a current model.

That car comes in second in styling to the 2008-2010 Volvo V70, sadly no longer available.  

The new V90 may be what we are driving to Wagonfest in 2030.  I just picked up a 2008 V70.  Volvo followed GM's lead by hitting a high point, and then discontinuing the model after 3 years.

Taking delivery in Sweden is pricey, but comes with a "free" vacation and Volvo throws in plane tickets to Stockholm and transport of a V90 to the US.  It's the only way to get the V90 vs the jacked up Subaru-esque XC90.

I'm pretty sure we have the non-cross-country V90 in Canada.  They are turning up on autotrader. I think we got more V60 polestars than the USA.

I find the regal pretty nice.  The 2.0 litre turbo is a decent engine, and AWD would be nice here.  Our 08 sky redline is fun to drive even behind a 5 speed.  Another few gears wouldn't hurt it.  I do agree the grey trim on it is a bit gaudy.  I didn't gather that it would be only offered that way from the latest Car & Driver.  Too bad.

Americans now (not us of course) have bad taste. For some reason they'd take a crossover with less space over a truck based SUV or car based wagon like this regal. I hope people buy these! They look pretty good in my opinion. I'd like to snag a used one one day. A lot of people comment on YouTube like they know everything saying this car will fail like the Magnum and CTS wagon. They may be right in a sense, but a little advertising, and a good marketing campaign like they had in the late 80s, it could go a long way and possibly bring wagons and such back in style. Eventually people are gonna get tired of vans and crossovers etc. just saying I'd love to have a V90, a V60, or a new Regal wagon!

Wagons are popular in Europe, there might also be a market for them in China. Buick doesn't design cars for the US market anymore, everything except the Enclave are slightly modified versions of European Opels or Chinese Buicks.

I'm sure GM figures, probably correctly, people won't buy a straight wagon but if they SUV it up a little and make it look like the Outback (which actually sells in decent numbers) they might have some success with it.

Personally, I count any additional wagons on the market of any style to be a win, especially if it ends up being popular at all.

jasonlachapelle wrote:

I'm pretty sure we have the non-cross-country V90 in Canada.  They are turning up on autotrader.  I think we got more V60 polestars than the USA.

I find the regal pretty nice.  The 2.0 litre turbo is a decent engine, and AWD would be nice here.  Our 08 sky redline is fun to drive even behind a 5 speed.  Another few gears wouldn't hurt it.  I do agree the grey trim on it is a bit gaudy.  I didn't gather that it would be only offered that way from the latest Car & Driver.  Too bad.

I drive a FWD 6 speed manual Regal GS sedan as a daily.  It is a 2012 and was not available in AWD.  As of 14 or 15 you can now get it in AWD, the only other option I wish I had.  I so wish the wagon version was available in the US.  Such a great "little" car.