cars news 10: Report: Buick Regal Wagon and Hatch to Replace Sedan

If you need any more evidence that sedans are losing favor in the U.S., here’s this. According to Automotive News, Buick will replace its Regal sedan with a five-door hatchback, and of all things, a wagon.

The new Regal lineup for the U.S. will include rebadged versions of the Opel Insignia Grand Sport hatch and Sports Tourer wagon, both of which debuted at the Geneva Motor Show last week. The Buick Regal wagon would be the brand’s first foray into the segment since the mid-1990s, when Buick discontinued the Century and Roadmaster.

A new Regal sedan will arrive in China, but it’s not destined for the U.S., according to the report. The decision to axe the sedan comes as sales of midsize sedans in the U.S. have dropped for the past two years. Sales of the Regal were up 1.7 percent last year in the U.S. though.

The 2018 Buick Regal for the U.S. will debut April 4 at GM’s Warren Technical Center in suburban Detroit, according to the report. The following week, it will make an appearance at the New York auto show alongside the 2018 Buick Enclave. Of course, Buick remains mum on whether or not our Regal will be offered in hatch and wagon variants, but we wouldn’t be entirely surprised, given that we’ve seen the Insignia wagon testing in the U.S. before.

Buick will end production of the Regal in Ontario, Canada, this year, and Regal models for the U.S. will likely be made by Opel in Germany. After this next generation, however, Opel may no longer produce the Regal. GM sold its Opel and Vauxhall units to French automaker PSA Group for $2.3 billion last week.

Source: Automotive News (Subscription required)