2023 Buick Regal test drive Can price cuts really boost sales of fuel-efficient cars?

'Can price cuts boost sales of fuel-efficient cars? - 2023 Buick Regal test drive'

【Phoneauto Test Drive】Recently, the news of Buick’s significant price reduction has attracted a lot of attention online. Buick officially announced that many of its models will offer substantial discounts, including a 50,000 yuan reduction for the Verano Pro, with a starting price now only at 78,900 yuan, down from the original price of 128,900 yuan. The starting price of the new Regal has also been reduced from the previous 159,800 yuan to 129,800 yuan. The LaCrosse, which used to compete with the Passat and Camry in the B+ segment, has also seen a direct reduction of 20,000 yuan, starting from 159,800 yuan. Such a price range used to only be available for A-level cars two or three years ago.

Considering that the new Regal has already reduced the price by 40,000 to 50,000 yuan compared to the previous model, such a significant price reduction has made us very curious about the new Regal, which just completed a full upgrade on May 15. Recently, we had the opportunity to participate in a test drive event for the new Regal, which allowed us to have a more specific and intuitive experience of the exterior, interior, and driving experience of the new Regal.

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The new Buick Regal adopts the latest family-style design, inheriting the PURE Design concept, and is equipped with a flying eaves and wing-shaped front grille. The front headlights use LED light sources and provide matrix adaptive functions according to different configurations. The front bumper also features L-shaped daytime running lights, enhancing the recognition of the front face.

The side lines are smooth and slender, creating a sleek look. In terms of body size, the new car has a length, width, and height of 4996mm/1866mm/1472mm, and a wheelbase of 2905mm. The size of the wheels will vary from 17 inches to 19 inches depending on the configuration. The model we test drove is the Avia edition, with a distinctive Imperial Blue body color.

The rear of the car also continues the design elements of the front face, with integrated taillights that complement the headlights. The dual-exhaust layout below the rear bumper adds a sporty touch. The new Buick Regal’s exterior design is both elegant and dynamic, meeting the positioning of a mid-size car and the aesthetic needs of consumers.

Entering the interior, we are first attracted by the 30-inch curved 6K screen. This screen consists of a 12.3-inch full LCD instrument cluster and an 18.5-inch central control screen, with a resolution of 6008×934. It is equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8155 chip, providing 5G communication technology and supporting 30-module FOTA parallel upgrades. Below the screen, there is also a row of physical buttons and knobs for convenient operation of functions such as air conditioning and volume control.

The center console adopts a symmetrical layout, with an electronic shift lever with the Buick logo in the middle, and electronic parking brake, driving mode switch, and automatic parking buttons on both sides. Below the center console, there is a wireless charging slot and two USB ports. The Avia version we test drove also has an exclusive Blue Tian Shengyu dual-color interior, which complements the exterior color scheme.

As for the seats, the new car is equipped with 3D floating comfort seats, which are covered in Moli high-grade leather. The length of the front and rear seat cushions reaches a leading level in the same class, with 505mm and 482mm, respectively. The Avia version of the front and rear seats has 3-level adjustable heating, 3-level suction-style ventilation, and massage functions. It also provides a passenger control function for the co-pilot and rear-seat passengers, enhancing comfort.

In terms of space, the new car has a wheelbase of 2905mm, providing ample space for passengers. Taking a height of 180cm as an example, the front headroom is about two fists, the rear headroom is about one and a half fists, and there is plenty of legroom in both the front and rear rows. The trunk capacity is 506L, which can meet daily storage needs.

The new Buick Regal is equipped with a new generation of intelligent driving system composed of the eighth-generation Ecotec 2.0T variable-cylinder turbocharged engine, 48V mild hybrid system, and 9-speed HYDRA-MATIC intelligent transmission. It can achieve a maximum power of 174kW and a peak torque of 350Nm. The official claimed fuel consumption is as low as 6.59L per 100 kilometers. In addition, the newly launched 25T off-road version is equipped with a 1.5T+CVT efficient power combination, which can output a maximum power of 132kW and a peak torque of 250N·m. The WLTC comprehensive fuel consumption of the whole vehicle is only 6.28L per 100 kilometers.

When starting the vehicle, the engine noise is not obvious, and the sound insulation effect inside the car is very good. Put it in Drive (D), lightly step on the accelerator, and the vehicle can start smoothly. The throttle response is sensitive, and the power output is smooth. The shifting logic of the transmission is also reasonable, without any jerking or sluggishness. When driving on city roads, it feels relaxed and comfortable.

Of course, if you want more power performance, you can switch to sport mode. At this time, the throttle will become more sensitive, and the transmission will lower the shift points to keep the engine in a higher speed range. At the same time, the instrument panel and the central control screen will turn red, creating a sporty atmosphere. We conducted a 0-100km/h acceleration test, and the actual result was 7.1 seconds, which is 0.3 seconds faster than the official data.

When driving on highways or urban expressways, the vehicle’s stability and comfort are also excellent. The steering system provides appropriate assistance and feedback, and the suspension system can effectively filter out road bumps and noise. In terms of suspension and chassis tuning, the new generation of Regal also follows Buick’s consistent style, balancing the needs of comfort and handling, and giving users a smooth and comfortable feeling.

At the same time, the vehicle is equipped with a variety of advanced driving assistance functions, supporting 14 L2 level intelligent driving assistance features. Among them, the FSR ACC full-speed adaptive cruise control can automatically control the throttle and brake to travel at the set speed; or based on the speed of the preceding vehicle, maintain a safe distance and support automatic following and automatic start-stop following. When adaptive cruise control is activated on roads with clear lane markings, the system will automatically activate the HOLCA intelligent lane centering assistance, and the vehicle will actively maintain lane centering within the range of 0-80 km/h. In addition, the Avia model we test drove this time is also equipped with the APA automatic parking assist system, which makes parking in certain scenarios much easier.

Overall, looking at the craziness of the domestic car market in the past two years, many joint venture models that were not originally cheap have had to significantly reduce prices to meet market competition demands. The Buick Regal is one of them. Now, a base price of less than 160,000 yuan can buy a joint venture B+ segment sedan, and even the top-of-the-line Avia version is discounted to less than 250,000 yuan. Even now, it still has good competitiveness. Although it is still unknown how much impact this price reduction will have on Buick’s fuel vehicles, after choosing to join the price war across the board, Buick and its parent company General Motors are slowly adapting to the Chinese market and reacting accordingly.

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