Meet the 2014 Buick Regal

The tri-shield brand will step up its performance game for the new model year, delivering both additional horsepower and a Haldex all-wheel-drive system for the 2014 Buick Regal Turbo and 2014 Buick Regal GS. In addition, the entire 2014 Buick Regal portfolio will sport some subtle new style enhancements, and offer the next iteration of Buick’s IntelliLink connectivity technology.

A key here is that Buick engineers have delivered not only natural speech-recognition capabilities, but also a simpler, more intuitive interface, along with easy-to-use traditional-style switchgear. The setup still provides a full suite of cutting-edge connectivity and media services, of course, and it’s now further enhanced by an available new Bose sound system, with nine speakers specifically placed for optimum acoustic enjoyment. Also from the technology department comes GM’s award-winning portfolio of radar- and camera-based safety features, including Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Lane Change Alert, Side Blind Zone Alert, Lane Departure Warning, Forward Collision Alert and Collision Mitigation Braking.

And although changes to the appearance of the 2014 Buick Regal have been kept to a minimum, they do include a new signature styling element from the brand, in the form of the Regal’s redesigned LED light treatments.

“The new 2014 Regal is more expressive, more connected and more technologically advanced,” said Tony DiSalle, U.S. vice president of Buick Marketing. “The new Regal gives those discerning buyers more of the technologically advanced features they want in a modern luxury sedan, all with the style and refinement they expect from Buick.”

2014 Buick Regal Looks for More Performance Cred

The 2014 Buick Regal will enjoy a sportier positioning in the marketplace, and it will be backed by sportier performance, too. In the first place, the car’s 36-mpg eAssist powertrain is no longer standard; instead, the new starting point for the Regal roster will be an uprated 4-cylinder turbo that makes 259 hp and 295 lb.-ft. of torque from its 2.0 liters of displacement. The similarly sized turbo from last year was rated at 220 horses and 260 lb.-ft. of torque. (Just to be clear, though, the eAssist unit still will be offered in the 2014 Buick Regal, but it will be the optional choice.)

Buick also has answered enthusiasts’ call for all-wheel drive: Both the 2014 Buick Regal Turbo (the new entry model) and the 2014 Buick Regal GS will offer an AWD system from the experts at Haldex, complemented by an electronic limited-slip differential. On the other hand, while all that’s for the good, there are a few caveats. For example, in 2013, the Regal Turbo and GS models were distinguished by, among other things, the latter offering additional horsepower. In fact, the GS offered an extra 50 hp as compared to the Turbo, for a total of 270; those two models share the same engine specs for 2014, so even though Turbo drivers benefit from an 18 percent jump in horsepower for the new model year, the new GS loses 11 off of its previous total—although engineers have widened its torque band so that peak twisting power is available at 2,500 rpm, versus the Turbo’s 3,000 revs.

The other bummer? The 2014 Buick Regal GS (and Turbo) continue to offer a six-speed manual transmission, the DIY gearbox is not available with the AWD Regals.

Pricing for the 2014 Buick Regal family will be released closer to its on-sale date in August.