Part of High Gear Media

News

Webber Becomes Sixth F1 Winner With Monaco Victory Motorsports
May 27, 2012

Rosberg, Webber, Adrian Newey and Alonso on the Monaco podium - courtesy Red Bull Racing

Franchitti Earns Third Indy 500 Win Motorsports
May 27, 2012

Franchitti celebrates his third Indy 500 win - Photo courtesy IZOD IndyCar Series/LAT USA

Hong Kong Witnesses First Aston Martin One-77... Supercars
May 27, 2012

Wreckage of Aston Martin One-77 that crashed in Hong Kong - Image courtesy Weibo

SEE ALL NEWS

Topics

Reviews

Videos

2013 Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG: First Drive

SEE MORE VIDEOS

Spy Shots

2014 Audi S3 Hatchback Spy Shots

2013 Porsche 911 GT3 Spy Shots

2013 Aston Martin DBS Replacement Spy Shots

Car Tech

Volvo Explains Its Pedestrian Airbag System

The founders of Google and one of their autonomous Toyota Prius hybrids

California On Track To Be Next State For Autonomous Car Trials

Audi Offering 4-Year SiriusXM Traffic Subscription On Select 2013 Models

Home

News

Luxury

Buick Announces Drivetrain Changes For 2012 Regal GS, 2013 Regal

Buick Announces Drivetrain Changes For 2012 Regal GS, 2013 Regal

Kurt Ernst

Contributor BIO

Kurt has been fascinated by anything with wheels and a motor for a long time. Growing up, he spent his spare time turning wrenches and pumping gas in... More

LATEST ARTICLE
Is A BMW 1-Series Sedan In The Works?
The BMW 3-Series sedan, like many of us, has picked up a few additional pounds and inches over the... Read More

#2LEADERBOARD RANK
1588ARTICLES CONTRIBUTED
81COMMENTS POSTED

1,396 views Feb 7, 2012

2012 Buick Regal GS

HI-RES GALLERY: 2012 Buick Regal GS

Buick’s Regal GS sedan has won praise from consumers and automotive media alike. It’s an entertaining-but-comfortable sporty sedan that handles far better than anything in Buick’s recent lineup, and even the asking price is a bargain compared to competitive products from Japan or Europe.

The Achilles heel of the Regal GS, until now, at least, was that it only came with a six-speed manual transmission. That made it fun for weekend driving, but tedious for the Monday through Friday commute in rush hour traffic.

Buick knows this, so it’s just announced a six-speed automatic transmission as a no charge option for Regal GS buyers. Built by Aisin, the transmission is calibrated specifically for the Regal GS and matches the 0 - 60 mph acceleration time of 6.7 seconds achieved by the manual-equipped car.

Automatic-equipped Regal GS models will get Driver Shift Control, allowing owners to manually row through the gears. As on manual-transmission cars, selecting “GS” mode will tighten the suspension and improve throttle response, but will also quicken shifting on automatic transmission models.

Also new for the 2013 Buick Regal lineup is a change of engines in non-turbocharged models. The entry-level 2.4-liter four will be dropped from the lineup, replaced by the 2.4-liter eAssist mild-hybrid drivetrain. The eAssist engine was introduced on the larger Buick LaCrosse for the 2012 model year.

The eAssist system combines a conventional gasoline engine with a compact lithium-ion battery pack and small electric motor. At low speeds, the electric motor provides supplemental power, aiding acceleration and improving fuel economy. The system’s lithium-ion battery pack is recharged via regenerative braking.

Equipped with the eAssist drivetrain, the Buick Regal will achieve an EPA estimated 36 mpg highway, which is a significant improvement over the current model’s 31 mpg highway rating. The eAssist drivetrain will be used on Base and Premium Regal models, with Regal Turbo and Regal GS drivetrains remaining unchanged.