The current generation Buick Regal, essentially a rebadged Opel Insignia, is assembled at GM’s Ontario plant in Canada, along with the Chevy Camaro, Cadillac XTS and the Chevrolet Impala. But that may change when the redesigned Regal arrives in mid-2017, as the plant’s future is uncertain.
A new report from AutoNews says that the upcoming sedan may be imported from Germany, as GM has made no promises about future investments in the Canadian plant. The automaker has already said that production of the next-generation Camaro, scheduled for the second half of 2015, will move to Lansing, Michigan.
The Chevrolet Impala is already being built at GM’s Detroit-Hamtramck plant, where the entire production could be moved as well. As for the Cadillac XTS, a relatively low volume model, production could be moved elsewhere if it’s still around in 2016 when Cadillac plans the introduction of a RWD model to challenge the S-Class.
This scenario would leave the Ontario plant with just the Buick Regal, which would not be feasible. The all-new Regal is expected by mid-2017, closely following the Insignia’s redesign. Add to that Opel’s announcement from March this year that the Russelsheim plant will build “a future model which will be sold in the U.S. under the Buick brand name” and the picture becomes clearer.
Producing the Buick Regal in Europe would make sense for GM, as Opel needs to fill its unused capacity and Canada currently is one of the most expensive countries in the world to build cars.
By Dan Mihalascu
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