2018 Buick Regal GS: Gorgeous Sport

The previous Buick Regal was something of a poor man’s Audi A4, but the new-for-2018 Regal Sportback, with its hatchback body style, aims a bit higher—at the stylish and practical Audi A5 Sportback, perhaps? That makes this more performance-oriented Regal GS, then, Buick’s S5 equivalent, bringing more power, a sharper chassis, and enhanced looks to the table.

Like the S5, the Regal GS supplants its lesser sibling’s boosted four-cylinder with a V-6. In the Buick’s case, it’s General Motors’ familiar 3.6-liter V-6, producing 310 horsepower and 282 lb-ft of torque—a 60-hp increase over the Regal Sportback’s 2.0-liter turbo four and 51 more than the previous-generation Regal GS’s 2.0T. A nine-speed automatic transmission is standard, and shift paddles are not available. The lack of a manual gearbox is perhaps disappointing, but it’s also unsurprising, given that Buick dropped the manual from the previous-gen Regal GS a few years ago. A sport-tuned exhaust is intended to make the Regal sound distinct from the larger Buick LaCrosse, which uses the same V-6.

All-wheel drive is standard on the Regal GS; it’s the same GKN twin-clutch system with torque vectoring that’s optional on the Regal Sportback. Chassis upgrades specific to the GS include Brembo brakes and adaptive dampers that adjust based on drive mode—there are Normal, Sport, and GS settings. Nineteen-inch wheels with 245-series tires also are more aggressive than the top 18-inch wheel choices on the Sportback, although the GS tires are all-seasons; there’s no summer rubber offered.

Those wheels and a tasteful body kit make the Regal GS look appropriately aggressive without being overwrought. The front end has been reworked with new vents and a different grille, while a subtle decklid spoiler and dual exhaust tips round out the changes in the rear.

Unfortunately for longroof fans, the GS treatment won’t extend to the Regal TourX wagon, which comes only with the 2.0-liter turbo four. At least the GS hatch should retain the standard Regal Sportback’s 31 cubic feet of cargo space, better than what you’ll find in sedan competitors such as the Acura TLX. GS interior tweaks include sport seats with standard heating, cooling, and massage plus a flat-bottomed steering wheel and metal-trimmed pedals.

While the standard Sportback undercuts its predecessor’s base price, the new 2018 Regal GS is $2030 more than before, just squeaking in under $40K with its $39,990 starting sticker. That seems fair when the Buick is stacked up against the $45,750 Acura TLX SH-AWD A-Spec, which seems like the Regal GS’s most natural competitor. We’re about to get a chance to drive the GS briefly, so stay tuned for some initial impressions of this enticing sports sedan—er, hatchback.