2018 Buick Regal Sportback, TourX Review: First Impressions and Photo Gallery
CARS.COM — Buick’s new dynamic duo — 2018 Regal Sportback and TourX — are some of the best designs to come out of General Motors in years, with a long, low design that emphasizes their length. The luxury automaker introduced the sleek new hatchback and wagon ahead of next week’s New York International Auto Show.
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The Sportback is a hatchback design, unusual for the U.S. market but not uncommon in Europe. It maintains somewhat of a sedan profile but has considerably more trunk room than a typical sedan. The roofline is similar to that of an Audi A7 or A5 Sportback (“sportback” apparently being the European euphemism for “hatchback” once you’ve spent above a certain amount of money).
But the real looker is the TourX wagon, a slightly lifted, beefed-up luxury wagon in the vein of a Subaru Outback, Audi A4 Allroad or Volvo V90 Cross Country. It’s longer than the Sportback and features a chrome styling strip across the top of the side glass that stretches into the cargo area. It looks dynamite, even with the silly black plastic wheel arches and inch-higher stance. Buick and General Motors offer nothing like it in their lineup currently, and it should provide upwardly mobile Subaru owners more options if they decide to head into a luxury brand.
Inside, that luxury promise is fulfilled. Material quality is top notch, with modern, attractive designs shared by both the hatchback and wagon. It feels like you’re sitting low in the Regal, but you aren’t — the beltline, center console and dash are all rather high, giving the impression that you’re surrounded by luxurious panels and trim. It’s comfortable, visibility is good, and there’s plenty of headroom and width for front-row occupants.
Backseat passengers will find varying accommodations depending on the model. The Sportback, with its swoopy roofline, has less headroom than the bigger TourX wagon. There are cutouts in the headliner for backseat passengers’ heads in the Sportback, but you’ll be bumping your noggin if you’re taller than 6 feet. The TourX has no such issues, and the addition of a panoramic moonroof makes the interior feel even more airy and open. Legroom is not an issue in either model, with the new length to the Regal’s wheelbase apparent in the plentiful space for backseat occupants’ feet. This is in marked contrast to the current model, which feels like it’s on the smaller side of the mid-size segment.
Cars may be suffering a bit in the U.S. market as consumers flock to trucks and SUVs, but Buick has decided to make a play for those who still insist on sitting low to the ground, preferring their cars to be cars and not crossovers. The new Regal Sportback and especially the new TourX finally give Buick some firepower in the war for younger, more affluent buyers looking for premium vehicles with distinctiveness and style.
