(February 1, 2011) DETROIT — When 24-year-old Caley Webber of Florida first saw the all-new Buick Regal CXL Turbo she couldn’t believe it was a Buick. The recent college graduate and insurance adjuster said she’d never considered buying a Buick, but the sleek sporty sedan Webber test drove changed her perception.

“I knew I had to have one,” Webber said of the Regal Turbo. “It’s cool and young and looks way more expensive than it actually is. Now, all of my friends love my car.”

Such positive word of mouth about the Regal, not to mention the LaCrosse and Enclave, helped to boost Buick’s total annual sales 40 percent last year, making it the fastest-growing major automotive brand in the United States.

“One key to Buick’s recent success is the execution on the products,” said David Cole, chairman emeritus of the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Mich. “They are terrific and the word is getting around.”

Caley Webber stands next
to her 2011 Buick Regal Turbo

Buick is attracting more young customers than at any time in recent history. Of the nearly 78,000 fans on Buick’s Facebook page, more than 75 percent are under the age of 45. More than 60 percent of Regal Turbo customers alone are younger than 55, according to Power Information Network data.

Since its launch last spring, 41 percent of Regal’s buyers have come from non-GM brands. Upcoming Buick models such as the Regal GS performance sedan and Verano compact sedan also are expected to attract a wider variety of customers to the brand.

Regal, which U.S. News & World Report recently named the “Best Upscale Sedan for the Money,” has been the key to Buick’s bid for cross-generational appeal.  As Esquire magazine noted in its 2010 review, the Regal “does something few American cars have done: take down the competition while reinventing a brand.”

Armed with turbocharged horsepower, a driver-selectable suspension system and a firm, European-tuned chassis, the Regal is designed to deliver a driving experience that rivals the best import sport sedans in the segment. Regal Turbo, which starts at $28,745, takes performance to the next level this month with the arrival of a 6-speed manual that gets an EPA-rated 32 mpg on the highway.

Regal’s body design blends the sweeping silhouette and proportions of a coupe in a package that suggests motion from all angles. Great attention to detail complements aggressive styling, with tailored applications of Buick’s signature design cues, such as the waterfall grille, select use of chrome trim and superior fit and finish of the exterior panels.

“Having young professionals like Caley coming to us for the new Regal really speaks to the car’s cross-generational appeal,” said Omar Rodriguez, general manager, Carl Black Buick GMC, in Orlando. “This car is really making a difference for Buick.”