Buick Regal eAssist live in the Windy City

What's most important about this automobile is what is under the hood  a 15-kilowatt electric motor that offers 15 horsepower and 110 pound-feet of torque for preliminary acceleration thrust, matched with Buick's 2.4-liter direct-injected inline-four. Combine that with regenerative braking and a start/stop technique for the engine, and the outcome is a Regal that is able to achieving 26 miles per gallon in the city and 37 mpg highway.

They received the first details about Buick's new Regal eAssist earlier today, but we have  returned from seeing the automobile in person before the Chicago Auto Show officially kicks off tomorrow. Visually, the more fuel-efficient Regal looks no different than the standard automobile, save the addition of eco-friendly 17-inch alloy wheels and low-rolling-resistance tires.

Buick's new eAssist technique first debuted on the larger LaCrosse sedan, where it will serve as the base powertrain for 2012 model year vehicles. With the Regal, however, the eAssist model will slot  above the base 2.4-liter automobile and below the Regal Turbo, which makes use of the automaker's 220-horsepower 2.0-liter Ecotec inline-four. Pricing will be announced closer to the eAssist's official launch later this year.