The Enclave and LaCrosse have both been well-received, and so far indications are that the Regal, a lightly-reskinned version of the European Opel Insignia with U.S.-market touches, could be as well.

Designed to be Buick's "sport sedan" that will take on the likes of the Acura TSX and Volvo S60, the Regal is set to launch in mid-2010 with its middle, CXL trim level, powered by  the car's base, gas direct-injection 2.4-liter DOHC Ecotec four rated 182-horsepower and 172 pound-feet.

Later, Buick will add a gas direct-injection turbocharged 2.0-liter four to the mix, rated 220 horsepower and 258 pound-feet -- an engine directly related to the one found in the departed Solstice GXP/Sky Red Line. Both engines will be mated to a six-speed automatic, with a six-speed manual reported to be an option further down the line. From the outset, the Regal will be imported from Germany, but production will eventually move to North America.

Interestingly, according to Jim Federico, vehicle line exec for global mid-size vehicles,  five years ago, when Lutz asked him to move to Germany and head up the Insignia project, the plan from the outset was to design the car so it could be easily built and sold around the world.

"Bob said, 'Jim, I want you to go over there and make this work'," according to Federico. So he did. And despite GM's massive issues over the past year, the Epsilon-platform based global midsize effort has been a much-needed success so far for the automaker.

The Opel/Vauxhall Insignia has been winning critical acclaim and selling well in Europe. And in China, Lutz  boasted during the reveal that the Chinese-market Regal has already sold 64,000 units since its spring launch, with the average buyer age around 35 years old. Is all that Chinese youthful enthusiasm a sign of things to come for Buick here in America? The aim for the U.S. market car is to score customers in the 40-50 range, GM says.

If last night's event was any indication -- hosted by Lutz, GM design honcho Ed Welburn and Susan Docherty, general manager of Buick GMC -- interest in the car from the collection of Buick dealers, customers, and hipsters (who were arguably more focused on singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat's performance) in attendance at the Palladium seemed pretty high.

To be sure, it'll take much more than a glitzy Hollywood premiere to push the Regal name -- a moniker that doesn't exactly elicit fond memories short of the 80s-era GNX and Grand National -- back on the radar screens of American buyers. But at least so far, it looks as though the Regal has the potential to help breathe more life into the evolving Buick revival plan.