Opel unveiled their all-new Insignia sedan and wagon at the Geneva Motor Show, previewing for us here in North America the next-generation Buick Regal.

In spite of the news that GM is selling its Opel and Vauxhall brands to French automaker PSA Groupe, the next-generation Opel Insignia will continue to be the basis for the next-generation Buick Regal as it currently is.

The all-new Insignia that made its debut at Geneva in fact looks almost ready for the Buick showroom save for a new grill and the proper emblems. Styling is evolutionary but much sharper and more taut than before. LED headlamps will be available along with LED lighting at the rear.

Based on an all-new platform architecture, it weighs up to 385 pounds less than the car it replaces while offering small increases in size that afford a roomier interior. The greenhouse itself is longer and sleeker now with a third window behind the rear doors than helps its fastback roofline extend further to the rear deck.

The sedan shown here is actually a five door, whether that element will transition to our Regal is unlikely as Americans tend to like their sedans and conventional trunks.

Handling and driving performance is expected to be the number one winner when it comes to the weight reduction. While powertrains for the Buick Regal version haven’t specified it’s expected that it will at least have a version of the 2.0-liter turbocharged four which for Europe is rated at 260 horsepower.

The latter would most likely be available with an 8-speed automatic transmission, a manual is not yet mentioned. Available will also be a new all-wheel drive system with torque vectoring. The system features two multi-plate clutches that can vector torque to either rear wheel in a split-second.

A potential base engine may be the same 170 horsepower 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder we will see in other 2018 Chevrolet and GMC crossovers introduced here earlier this year.

The new Insignia starts as standard with driver assistance systems such as forward collision alert with pedestrian recognition, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, lane keep assist with automatic steering correction and following distance indication.

Also rumored for some time now is that Buick may bring the Insignia wagon to the states as a Regal as well. Though rumors and wishful thinking always comes with European sport wagons, this notion has had some legs and persists pretty strong.

We will know very soon as the 2018 Buick Regal is expected to be introduced at the New York Auto Show just next month. If that happens we’ll likely know the answers to all the questions.