General Motors wants Buick to be the new American Lexus.  The company took a huge step toward achieving that goal with its all-new 2010 LaCrosse, a hit with reviewers for its stylish upscale cabin and smooth ride.  But the LaCrosse is a large car.  In order to truly succeed, the brand will need a smaller midsize car that does at least as well with critics.

They’ll get one soon.  CNN reports, “General Motors will bring back the Regal name on a new Buick car set to be unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show next month. The 2011 Buick Regal will be smaller and sportier than the new Buick LaCrosse that went on sale this year.” 

The car, Kicking Tires reports, “looks a lot like LaCrosse in all ways. Luckily, the Regal doesn’t sport the portholes of the LaCrosse, and the rear is certainly distinctive.” 

Jalopnik adds, “While the looks do impress, it's what's under the skin that's really getting us interested. The base car gets the 2.4 liter four cylinder with 182 HP and a highway fuel economy of 30 MPG while the uplevel car will have the 2.0 liter direct injected turbocharged four-banger which saw previous duty in the Cobalt SS, though tuned to a less hairy 220 HP and still delivering 29 MPG highway.”  Both engines will send power through a six-speed automatic transmission.  The car will offer a driver-adjustable suspension – something common to sportier entry-level luxury cars like the Audi A4.

The Detroit News notes, “Pricing was not announced,” but Buick Marketing Director Craig Bierley said that “Buick expects the Regal to go up against the likes of the Audi A4 and Acura TSX sedans,” and “suggested Regal's price tag would be below the competition. The redesigned 2010 LaCrosse, which is aimed directly at the Lexus ES350, costs $4,000 less than the Lexus.”

If you're in the market for a new car, check out the U.S. News rankings of this year's best cars as well as this month's best car deals.