Buick cuts Regal price, glams up amid sales slide - CNBC

Buick is cutting the price of one of its top car models, the latest in a series of moves to try to make the brand more appealing, and glamorous, to younger buyers. The starting price of the 2016 Buick Regal GS sports sedan will be $34,995 before destination charges, which is $3,300 less than the 2015 model. Other Regal versions will be cheaper as well, including one, Buick says, that now will cost less than Nissan Altima SL, despite having 75 more horsepower and standard 18-inch wheels. Though low gas prices have cut into all car sales, Buick chief Duncan Aldred says the price cuts reflect a sense that Regal has crept too far out of the sweet spot for big sales in its category. "Repositioning the Regal to more aggressively compete in the midsize sedan segment is the first of many steps we are taking in advance of next year's product offensive," Aldred said in a note to dealers. At a star-studded event here last week to kick off a new Buick promotion Aldred said, "We're going after the broader part of the segment. " Buick unveiled a plan to let potential customers borrow vehicles like Regal for a full 24 hours so they can determine how good they are. Tesla to offer $1K referral discount on Model S. But Aldred insists Buick is a brand on the way up. When he took over 18 months ago, Aldred said, "it was pretty clear on Buick what we had to do. " For years Buick has been saddled with the image of... Source: www.cnbc.com