Apparently the Chinese influence in the Regal’s design was greater than we realized.  It’s unfortunate that of all the brands Buick chose to mimic, it’d be the one that’s in worse shape.

And, like the Milan, the Regal is extremely dull.

Hot from Autoblog’s child labor press: we now have the prices for Buick’s Regal.  The mid-level CXL will be the only Regal at launch, starting at $27,000.  That starting model will include GM’s 2.4 L inline-four that’ll squeak out 182 hp.  The optional turbo 2.0 will up the price to $29,500 and bump up horsepower to a modest 220.  Both CXL powertrains will come with a 6-spd. auto tranny.

On the outside, the GS gets some unique body work and 20″ wheels.  It’s also lowered 0.4 inches thanks to a sport suspension with an adaptive shock system.  The concept also has AWD with a 6-speed manual transmission.  Under the hood, you’ll find a 2.0L 4-cylinder turbocharged powerplant.  Specs on the turbo 4 are 255 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque.

Source: Car and Driver

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Just after dogging on Autoblog, I’ll take the crew’s word for this piece of news.  It looks like the Regal GS will be stuck with GM’s Ecotec engine.

The ol’ Eco, a 2.0 L I-4, isn’t a bad engine by any means–it has been used to power the compact Chevy SS line will positive results.  But there was hope GM would venture beyond the little ripper for the upscale Buick compact.  The turbo’d four will put out 250+ hp and 290+ ft.-lbs. of torque, according to the ‘Blog.  The engine will be equipped with a 6-spd. manual-shift, with a manu-matic set to arrive soon after.

The torque number is astonishing, but the horsepower figure is a lot less than the rumor mill was putting out late in the fall.  We gotta say: we’re not dropping jaws here at the office (i.e. the Jack in the Box men’s room off Sunset).  The Regal GS will probably be a fine car, but it’s hardly Lexus material.

We’ll stay settled with our stolen IS-F for now.

Can’t GM keep an exec?  The General has lost how many people in the past three weeks?  CEO Fritz Henderson bailed right out of nowhere.  Then came word Chevy head Brent Dewar flew the coop.  Right after the Dewar break came the shock that the Buick-GMC chief, Michael Richards, jumped ship after nine days on the job.

We contend Buick-GMC is a doomed asset, but Richards’s departure is shocking even for us cynics.  GM isn’t finding any love in Europe either, with Swede authorities demanding GM sell off Saab before the new year.  German treasury and trade officials–as well as the labor force–are equally hostile to the General maintaining ownership of Opel.  No rest at home, no rest abroad.

Shame no one wants to live in Detroit.

The 2010 LaCrosse can be seen as the second step in GM’s effort to save the Buick name.  The Enclave, the first, was able to impress reviewers with its quality cabin, smooth ride, and conservatively handsome looks.  In a way, the General is restoring Buick to its heralded past.  The LaCrosse is meant to bring those same qualities into sedan form, and take back territory lost to foreign competitors.

Just as the Enclave targeted the RX350, the 2010 LaCrosse aims to knock out another Lexus: the ES350.  The comparison is one promoted both from Buick and the press.  When one takes a first glance, the LaCrosse comes off as anything but lavish.  The appearance is muscular, yet the overall profile is linear.  The look isn’t outstanding, but it somehow manages to appear fresh compared to the stale forms we’re used to seeing from Buick.

The LaCrosse is really an evolution of GM’s new-school thinking in sedan design.  Think of the Pontiac G6 as the disappointing start, the Saturn Aura as the flashy improvement, and the Malibu as the restrained and refined product.  The LaCrosse would be intended as the classier sibling, the sophisticate of the bunch.  It’s certainly the largest: the LaCrosse measures at 16 ft. and 5 in. in length, of which 9 ft. 4 in. make up the wheelbase.  The total width is just over six feet.

That priority is really part of the bigger one: driver convenience.  The LaCrosse interior is meant for a higher degree of passenger space and comfort.  The introductory CX trim contains a basic radio/CD player, soft-touch buttons, and cloth seating.  The upscale CXL, however, emphasizes the LaCrosse’s classier state over the modest Malibu.  A nav screen, MP3 outlet, realistic faux-wood accents, and leather seating (with faux-stitching) accompany blue ambient lighting to create a calm atmosphere isolated from the frantic activity outside.  Regardless of trim, the cabin serves as a fortress of solitude where only a thread of outer sound intrudes.

The LaCrosse is met with three trim levels: CX, CXL, and CXS.  The CX and CXL are armed with a 3.0 L 255 hp V-6 engine, while the top-trim CXS has a 3.6 that puts out 280.  All levels are equipped with 6-spd. manumatic transmission.  Both V-6 engines produce adequate power and the 6-spd. A/T shifts quickly and predictably.  CXL buyers can opt for all-wheel-drive, which does add weight and reduce peak power, but compensates with firm traction on the road.

So: is the 2010 LaCrosse a hit?  Depends on who you ask.

The LaCrosse is generally regarded as a step in the right direction by reviewers; the dispute comes from just how far a step the LaCrosse really is.  The interior is nice from a distance, but careful observation finds the fake appointments (stitching), and sporadic cheap spots of hard plastics and rubber as opposed to leather.  The feel of the car is relaxed and the power feels adequate; but the raw speed figures vary wildly, with some testers having as much as a two second gap in sprint times.  An agreed-upon complaint is over weight: the LaCrosse is a big boy with a range from 3,950 lbs. in the CX to 4,200 for the all-wheel-drive CXL.  You can imagine the complaints that’ll surface when the 2.4 L “Ecotec” inline-four comes out, offering a mere 182 hp.

Hearing all that may turn you off to accepting the LaCrosse as a fine sedan.  Let me add that not one review (from anyone of significance) labeled the new Buick as anything less than “fair.”  Jared Gall of Car and Driver seemed taken with the LaCrosse, proclaiming it as the symbol of a Buick renaissance.  “The LaCrosse just may be proof that Buick’s best days are yet to come. A bit derivative on the outside but simply stunning on the inside, this is the first Buick in some time that is gratifying to drive. You might even call it alluring.”

Ben Wojdyla of Jalopnik was less enthusiastic in his assessment: “The most nagging problems with the LaCrosse are the nagging problems with Buick in general. What is the point of the car and the brand? It sits betwixt the working-class, but honest, Chevy product lineup, where the slightly smaller Malibu offers an arguably better value proposition and the upper crust Cadillac brand, which is sportier, more aggressive and filled with slick technology. The Buick feels like the ignored middle grandchild between the two brands. It can’t be too affordable or it’s peeing in Chevy’s pool and it can’t be too luxurious or Caddys become overpriced.”

So there you have it.  The LaCrosse is a better Buick–but that may not be enough to keep this dusty make around much longer.

GM will announce later today that it’s emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy after just forty days.  That’s a big feat and important step in a full recovery.  There will still be further cuts from company: four thousand employees will be dropped and sixteen plants will be idled or closed.  GM will run on just four brands here in North America: Chevrolet, GMC, Buick, and Cadillac.  The company will also have to contend with poor car sales across the board and rising unemployment throughout the country.

In other news, Vice-Chair Bob Lutz will hold off on retirement and remain with the company for an unclear amount of time.  This coincides with a report that GM may change its logo to something greener.

I’m not sure how valid that logo story is, but it’s good to hear Lutz is staying on board for little longer.