“© [e's also si

AN all-new Buick Regai was introduced

this past May, the first |

major update of this mid-sized, front-whee!- drive sedan since 1988.

The new Regal shares a common platform with the Buick Century, Pontiac Grand Prix and Oldsmobile Intrigue, and its exterior styling is almost identical to the new Century. .

’ To differentiate the Regal from the Century, the Regal is equipped with a bigger standard V6-cngine or optional | supercharged V6- engine. five-passenger seating instead of six, a different inte- rior with more features such as wood interior trim and _ dual zone climate control, a console-mounted shift lever instead of a column shifter, a ~. firmer suspension for better " handling, and more perfor-

* gnance features such as four-

* wheel disc brakes and option- al traction control. © ; The’ t Regal, which Buick cails a “premium sports ' sedan,” starts at $27,795 ~ while ‘the Century starts at

| $24,545.

Compared to the previous

“ ° Regal, the new sedan is big-

cr, TOOMier, More powe er-equipped, and better-” * : proportioned, It’s longer by 63 mm (2.5 in.) with a wheelbase that has been stretched 39 mm (1.5 in.). ignificantly (54 . mun/’2. Lin. isa ine) he 72. . kilograms (1 eavicr, “The two-door model has been a discontiaued.

the new /Regal’s . ; body is Pin aa thesame width, the front track is wider .:

. by 64 mm (2.5 in.) and the. . rear track is wider by 83 mm (3.3 in.). This signiticantly,

wider track, combined with a

, fully independent suspension, firmer shocks, and a stiffer ©

-"S. body structure has improved

“the Regal’ s ride, handling, - straight-line tracking, and sta- bility tremendously. The

’ uplevel Regal GS model,

.. .. which has farger 16- inch tires

“and a firmer suspension, has even sportier handling. '. The base Regal LS has a

; Playground | for Saturns |

“IN the spirit that has come to typify othe . Saturn = Car ~ Company, Saturn owners are invited to participate in a

Saturn Car Fundraising Rally

this Sunday in Burnaby.

The = newest’ — Saturn Playground project is the donation of computer equip- ment and books to. the Vancouver Oral Centre, and -Morrey Saturn Saab Isuzu is inviting all Saturn owners to bring the kids along for a fan- filled afternoon of family activ: ities. To take part in the noon to 3 p.m. cally ar the Burnaby ‘Foreshore Marine Park gall i- 888-4-SATURN,

“engines are extremely

“under strong acceler-

Friday, July 4, 1997 — North Shore News — 38

REDESIGNED fe for the first time In 10 yerrs, the all-new Buick Regal has more interlor room, improved ride and handling, and, a choice of

arged 240 horsepower 3.6-litre v6 engine, Prices start at $27, 795. Test drive the new Regal at Regency Pontiac | Buick Cadillac GMC, 1160 Maine Dr., North Vancouver (985-6333).

two engines: a 195 ho

standard 3.8-litre overhead valve V6 engine with 195 horsepower (up from 170 horsepower in the ‘96 Regal Limited). The Regal GS has a standard supercharged 240 horsepower 3.8-litre V6 engine (which replaces the standard 3.8 liter V6 in last year’s Regal Gran Sport’ modcl). This is the same

_ supercharged engine offered . in the Riviera and

Park Avenue Ultra. “Both these

quiet and smooth — even the super: ° charged engine emits minimal whine from the supercharger

ation. The base engine has plenty of power for comfort- able cruising and passing, but the supercharged engine

~ makes driving more fun

because of its superior responsiveness. On the high- way, both engines rev at a comfortable 1,800 r.p.m, at a

2.6-litre V6 and a su

steady 160 km-h (62 m.p.h.). A smooth-changing four- speed automatic transmission with push-button Performance and Norimalt modes is standard equipment. Because of its tail hi gearing, both Regals o! reasonably good fuel econo: my when cruising (up to 7.3 1/100 km/ 39 m.p.g.), but around town, fuel consump-

transverse

tion drops to 12 or 13 litres per 100 km (22 m.p.g.) at the very best.

All Regals have standard magnetic variable-assist power

way .

front ©

steering which improves steering feel and responsive- ness, and standard four wheel ” disc brakes with ABS for.” quicker stops. For, improved winter traction and stability, two different traction contro! systems are offered on the LS _ and GS, one more sophisti- cared than the other — how- ever it’s not a necessary safety feature on a hefty, front-

‘Buick Regal technicai data Base price (LS): $27,795

Price as tested (GS): $33,429 ‘Type: four-door, five-passenger mid- size sedan Layout: . engine/front-wheel-drive

Engine:. 3.8-lire OHV V6, super-. charged;

Horsepower: 240 @ 5200 p.m. Torque: 280 @ 3600 r.p.m.

Transmission: four-speed automatic

Tires: P225/60R-16 Length: 4983 mm (196.2 in.) Width: 1845 mm (72.7 in.) Height: 1438.mm (56.6 in.) Trunk: 473 litres (16.7 cu: ft.) Fuel consum:

1/100 km (35 m.p.g;) .

Warranty: Three years /60, 000 km

wheel-drive car like this which already has lots of trac- tion.

Two useful new features are offered on the Regal:

“A DIFFERENT KIND of COMPANY. A DIFFERENT KIND «CAR ‘Our sticker price actually sticks

SATURN SL

$14,403

OR LEASE “*YFhon

in 93 2 PER MORREY SATURN SAAB. ISUZU 294-

WILLINGDON: ‘4 LOUGHEED IN BURNABY Se BDEALER 9131 _ a

SATURN SWI

$16,113.

Payments based on 36 mus/60,00 km. lease with $1,000 down or trade plus taxes, TP. $7,948 at 6.1% financing.

: City —~. 13.1 1/100 km (22 mpg.) Hwy — 8.1

“grind protection” which prevents the starter from operating while the engine is running, and « low tire-pres-' sure warning indicator.

The Regal’s interior is well Jaid-cut with ahorizonral, wraparound theme actewor- thy for its lack of chrome trim and minimal wood trim. ‘The round instruments and controls are well-positioned, and outward visibili-

y is excellent. The

ONE stats are sup- portive and comfort- able, but I wasn’t impressed with the -

firmness of the rear _.

seats (which are mounted higher for better visibility). There's plenty of front and rear legroom and acres of headroom. The trunk is huge (16.7 cu. ft) and there is a ski pass-through in the center rear armrest, but the rear seat does not fold down.

Standard equipment on the Regal LS, which starts at

$27 195, includes five-pas- _

senger seating with a console 7

“shifter, air-conditioning, air,

filters in the ventilation sys- tem, power door locks and,

. power windows with a dri- °

ver’s express-down feature, a

' variable intermittent wipers,

tachometer, AM/EM stereo . - cassette, remote keyless entry

_ with “ panic” button, heated

Ee, outside mirrors, fog : battery run-down tection, and 15-inch tes The Rega) GS ($31,249). adds the supercharged engine, a beerer : throttle /brake traction con-

“trol system, 16-inch tires and. ees

alloy wheels, firmer suspen-

. sion, two-tone exterior paint, ;

leather upholstery, power dri-.- ver’s seat, and a trip comput- er which displays instant fuel economy, vehicle range and

oil life.

The new Regal is priced - well when you compare it with the previous model. The. price of the base Regal LS is. up just 1%, while the Regal GS, with its new super- charged V6 engine, i is up x.

At Saturn, the price on the window is actually the price of J the car. We like to call it no- J haggle pricing. And VG means that every person G who buys a Saturn pays SATURN

the same price. It also means you can still buy a new car for under

$15,000 or lease from only $193

per month.