With the 2011 Buick Regal CXL, Buick takes a giant step toward relevance, desirability and-can it be? - excitement.
The Regal's tidy dimensions, athletic shape and excellent handling inject some badly needed panache into the brand General Motors chose to save over Pontiac, Saturn, Saab and Hummer.
The Regal aims to compete with sporty front-wheel drive midsize sedans such as the Acura TSX, Mazda 6 and Volkswagen Passat.
Prices for the 2011 Regal start at $26,245 for the CXL. It comes with a 182-horsepower 2.4-liter four-cylinder direct injection engine and six-speed automatic transmission. The CXL is the only model currently on sale. Buick plans to add a 220-horsepower model with a turbocharged 2.0-liter later this year. Prices for the Regal CXL Turbo will start at $28,745.