Buick cuts Regal price, glams up amid sales slide

LOS ANGELES — 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, 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.

In a bid to broaden Buick's appeal, Buick held a star-studded event here July 22 to associate the brand with health and wellness. The message was that Buicks are quiet, easy and confortable -- just like the kind of centered life many people want to create for themselves.

"We're going after the broader part of the segment." Aldred says. To add glamour, Buick invited several Hollywood actresses, including Christina Hendricks of Mad Men fame. 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.

Buick needs a sales boost. With a lineup heavy on SUVs and trucks — industry favorites amid low gas prices — sales have sunk. Sales fell 18.1% in June and were down 6.3% for the year, Autodata reports. The Regal price cuts should help.

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 an automaker whose cars appeal mainly to older people, and the marketing campaign at the time "wasn't moving the needle," he said.

So Aldred ordered up a new ad campaign that has been flooding the airwaves to show off his fresh vehicle lineup. He says it's paying off. Though he says changing minds will be a "long journey," he talks about the potential to generate buzz.