The eAssist system bumps Regal mileage to 37 mpg on the highway, 26 around town.
The new Buick Regal, currently an also-ran in the midsize mileage race, is about to get back in the game.
The maker will give Regal the same eAssist hybrid driveline used by the bigger Buick LaCrosse, it will formally announce at the Chicago Auto Show, this week. That technology will bump fuel economy upwards by an estimated 25%.
While the Regal will still lag behind Ford’s 40+ mpg Fusion Hybrid, the Buick offering will still get a respectable 37 mpg on the City, according to preliminary estimates, and 26 mpg in city driving.
And that’s a big improvement from the conventionally-powered sedans current 19 City/30 Highway rating.
The eAssist driveline is what generally is known as a “mild hybrid,” or “mybrid,” though General Motors prefers the term, “light electrification.”
A basic diagram showing how power flows from the eAssist battery pack to a 15 hp electric motor sharing drive duties with a 2.4-liter Ecotec gas engine.
Unlike the Fusion Hybrid or the best-selling Toyota Prius, eAssist vehicles, like LaCrosse and Regal, cannot operate on battery power alone. They are more like the Honda IMA system used in models like the Insight and CRZ, where battery power is used to provide an extra boost during launch or heavy acceleration, reducing the fuel consumption of, in this case, Regal’s Ecotec Direct Injection 2.4-liter inline-four engine.
What’s significant, however, is that Buick has turned to an advanced lithium-ion battery, rather than the older nickel-metal hydride powerpack used in Prius and the Fusion Hybrid. Connected to an onboard motor, the eAssist system adds an extra 15 horsepower to what the front-driven wheels see.
The eAssist version will get around on smaller 17-inch alloy wheels and use a special eco climate control system designed to further reduce energy needs. And drivers will be able to track energy flow with a special eco gauge displayed on the Regal eAssist’s 7-inch video monitor.
The eAssist will join the standard Regal and turbo model in Buick’s expanding line-up. The eAssist system, according to division officials, was designed to fit in a variety of different platforms. Whether we’ll next find it on Buick’s new compact sedan remains to be seen.