New Buick Regal GS: GM Rebadges Opel Insignia OPC But Replaces 325HP V6 Biturbo with 255HP 2.0-liter Four-Pot

Leave it to GM to take out all the fun even when it comes to re-badging its own vehicles… See, while the General took the decision to reveal a North American version of the Opel Insignia OPC in the form of the Buick Regal GS showcar in Detroit, unfortunately, the European model’s 325HP 2.8-liter twin-scroll turbo V6 has been replaced with a lighter but more puny 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder producing an estimated 255HP.

Officially, the Detroit automaker says that the Regal GS was designed “to explore the appeal of a high-performance variant of the Regal”, but chances are that it will make it into production in the very near future.

“We designed the Regal GS to explore the appeal of a high-performance variant of the Regal,” said Craig Bierley, product marketing director for Buick. “Like the Regal, the Regal GS is based on the award-winning Opel Insignia, and we believe it will reinvigorate Buick’s storied Gran Sport legacy.”

The Regal GS showcar uses a modified version of the 220HP 2.0-liter turbocharged four-pot that will be offered on Regal CXL models later this summer tuned to deliver greater boost pressure. The engine’s output is estimated at 255 horsepower (190 kW) and 295 lb.-ft. of torque (400 Nm).

Furthermore, whereas the Regal CXL comes with a six-speed automatic transmission, the Regal GS’s engine is linked to a six-speed manual gearbox that directs torque to an adaptive all-wheel-drive system.

As with its German counterpart, the GS is equipped with an electronic, limited-slip rear differential to reduce wheelspin.

General Motors says that the 255HP Buick Regal GS is expected to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in less than 6 seconds, which sounds a bit optimistic considering the fact that the 325HP Opel Insignia OPC reaches 60mph in 5.8 seconds.

The Regal GS also benefits from a tuned four-wheel-independent suspension, a revised steering wheel system and a high-performance Brembo brake system with 14 x 1.2-inch (355 x 32 mm) cross-drilled rotors; four-piston, high-strength aluminum calipers, and high-performance pads.

There’s also Opel’s Interactive Drive Control System (IDCS) chassis technology that allows the driver to chose from three different operating modes (normal, sport and GS) for the suspension settings, throttle response and steering sensitivity.

Other than that, the Buick Regal GS gets the same tasty bodykit, sexy 20-inch alloy wheels and interior upgrades including a pair of Recaro front seats and flat-bottom steering wheel as its European counterpart.

New Opel Meriva: First Official Photos and Details on GM's Mini MPV with Suicide Rear Doors

While GM’s U.S. division was unveiling the new Cadillac CTS-V Coupe, on the other side of the pond, the automaker’s UK arm Vauxhall, and consequently Opel, pulled the covers off or shall we say, opened up the doors, to the all-new Meriva. Critically, the new mini-MPV is the first Opel to feature GM’s FlexDoor technology, showcased on the 2008 Meriva concept model.

And by FlexDoors we mean the rear-hinged back doors that swing open towards the back of the car at an angle of nearly 90 degree. Even though the Meriva still uses a central B-pillar, the company said that the Flexdoors “vastly improve the ease with which occupants enter and leave the cabin”.

Opel also highlighted the fact that, unlike other suicide-door applications such as on the Mazda RX-8 and Rolls Royce Phantom and Ghost, the Meriva’s front and rear doors can open independently.

The Meriva’s exterior styling has remained relatively close to the concept model keeping many features like the unique glasshouse design that incorporates a downward kink at the back doors just behind the B-pillar, unchanged, while it also shares many styling cues with both the Insignia and Astra.

While Opel did not release any pictures of the interior, the company said that the cabin will be heavily influenced by the Insignia and Astra both in terms of styling and perceived quality of the materials.

The mini-MPV’s interior versatility will be boosted by the improved FlexSpace system that allows easier fold-down of the three individual rear seats that can also be mounted back independently to create more boot, leg or shoulder room.

A new feature for the 2010 Meriva is the FlexRail system that incorporates a dual-rail base on the lower center console allowing owners to attach a variety of modular storage bins.

The second-generation model of Opel’s mini-MPV rides on a new platform with a longer wheelbase and wider front and rear tracks, thus promising to improve the car’s ride and handling qualities.

Power will come from a lineup of six turbocharged diesel and gasoline units with outputs ranging from 75 to 140PS. Opel said that average fuel consumption and CO2 emissions will be down 15 per cent across the range while a high mpg/low CO2 ecoFLEX model will also be offered.

The new Meriva, which will compete against other mini-MPVs like the Citroen C3 Picasso, the Kia Venga as well as the Honda Jazz (Fit in the States), will be formally introduced at the Geneva Motor Show next March.