2018 Buick Regal Sportback first drive review: the crossover of cars

The decision to do away with a sedan shape and offer the 2018 Buick Regal as a hatchback (called Sportback) and a wagon (called Tour X) is an odd one at first blush. After all, mid-size sedans traditionally have been among the strongest selling vehicles, while hatchbacks and especially wagons have seen little success. 

But a funny thing has happened to sedans in the past couple of years. Sales of bread-and-butter mid-size sedans have fallen while crossovers have soared. Maybe it’s time to do something different. Maybe the 2018 Buick Regal Sportback is it.

At a glance, it’s hard to tell if the Regal Sportback is a sedan or a hatchback. And yet, the rear hatch opens in one piece. It’s basically a combination of a mid-size car and a crossover.

While the Regal Sportback is a hatch in the vein of the Audi A5 Sportback, BMW 3-Series GT, and Kia Stinger, it is bigger than those cars and offers more space in its cavernous hatch area.

Buick says it wants to explore white space in the market. We wouldn’t say a mid-size hatchback is something entirely new. After all, Audi, BMW, Kia, and Porsche all have hatchbacks that are take-offs on the traditional sedan shape. However, the Regal Sportback isn’t as premium as those cars, and it offers more interior space. Maybe that can win some buyers back to cars from the crossover craze.

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