– Regal: Buick`s midsize offering has shed more than 8 inches in lengthand about 254 pounds in weight while sporting a new appearance.
Wheelbase is 107.5 inches, down from 108.1 inches in 1987. Length is192.2 inches, down from 200.6. And curb weight, one of the reasons for thediet, is down to 2,953 pounds from 3,208. By comparison, the Ford Taurus isbuilt on a 106-inch wheelbase, is 188.4 inches long and tips the scale at2,872 pounds.
In the Buick lineup, Regal stands between the Century on a 105-inchwheelbase and the LeSabre on a 110-inch wheelbase.
Another big change is Regal`s conversion to front-wheel from rear-wheeldrive, meaning the only rear-wheel-drive models left in the Buick lineup arethe full-size LeSabre and Electra Estate wagon.
The only engine offered in `88 is the 125-horsepower, 2.8-liter, multi-port, fuel-injected V-6 teamed with 4-speed overdrive automatic transmission. Eventually, GM`s Quad Four engine will be added as an option as will a 3.1-liter version of the 2.8 that, as previously reported, is underdevelopment.
Regal is available in Custom or Limited versions, but as a two-door coupe only. The four-door sedan is a year away.
Standard equipment includes power-assisted four-wheel disc brakes,halogen composite headlamps, power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering, sidewindow defoggers, flush door handles mounted in the center pillars (first doneon the Chevrolet Beretta), four-wheel independent suspension and all-seasonsteel-belted radial tires.
And make note of the built-in corrosion resistance that makesrustproofing not only unnecessary, but also foolhardy. Most of Regal`s sheetmetal panels are galvanized on both sides and zinc coated.
