Like the 2011 LaCrosse, the 2011 Regal is built using GM's Epsilon II architecture. However, the Regal sedan rolls on a 4.0-in.-shorter wheelbase and is shorter overall, with a much less roomy rear seat. While the LaCrosse will be powered by 3.0L and 3.6L V-6 engines, the Regal comes only with four-cylinder engines.

Base engine is a naturally aspirated 144-hp, 2.0L, while upscale Regals get a 167-hp 2.4L Ecotec. One of GM's Shanghai show debuts was the Regal 2.0T, which is powered by a 217-hp, 2.0L direct-injection turbo four. The Insignia versions of the car in Europe are available with 1.8L gas and 2.0L turbodiesel fours, a 2.8L V-6 turbo, and all-wheel drive.

The Regal could therefore be positioned just below the LaCrosse as a slightly smaller, sportier model. Reports in the Canadian media have suggested the Regal could be built at GM's Oshawa, Ontario, plant. However, there's no reason why a post-bankruptcy GM, freed from pesky UAW constraints on what it can and cannot bring into America from its overseas factories, couldn't simply import the Regal from China to keep the price low.

It's a terrific-looking car: modern, characterful, sporty, with great stance and artfully sculpted sheetmetal. Though designed in Russelsheim, Germany, under the direction of Brit Mark Adams as an Opel, it works beautifully as a Buick - if anything, the toothy Buick waterfall grille, mounted in a new front fascia that includes reshaped lower intakes, gives it a stronger, more upscale presence than the Opel and Vauxhall warpaint it wears in Europe.

In profile, the Regal is almost a fastback, and rear seat headroom has suffered a little as a result. Rear-seat legroom is not class-leading, either, but if you want your new Buick a little more baggy fit, you'll buy the LaCrosse. There's a ton of room up front, as the Regal is fitted with long runners that allow the front seats to slide waaaaay back.

The interior design is dynamic, attractive, and upscale. The Regal floats along the freeway like a scaled down Roadmaster. The wheels pit-patter over the bumps, and rapid changes in direction result in hesitant transitions and plenty of body roll. Once it takes a set, however, the Regal's demeanor remains relatively consistent, revealing some basic goodness in the chassis. The 256-hp turbocharged 2.8L V-6 available in Europe, which slashes the 0-to-60 time to 6.7 sec, might seem the obvious powertrain choice for the American market Regal.

With the right engineering tweaks - the turbo powertrain and European suspension tuning - the Regal would definitely work in America. It's physically smaller than the new Lacrosse and could be priced and positioned below it, giving GM a car to compete in a segment where the Asian automakers do solid business with smart, well-equipped cars like the Acura TSX, four-cylinder Mazda6, and Nissan Altima.