Earlier this week a report emerged naming Buick the new gateway for Opel’s European models into the U.S. now that the future of Saturn is looking grim. The star in Opel’s crown, the 2009 Insignia sedan, is already on sale in Chinese markets as the Buick Regal but an insider at General Motors recently said the Insignia would also be sold in the U.S.

The car was already confirmed to replace the Saturn Aura later this year, making its import as a Buick Regal completely plausible, however, there is one major stumbling block. The Insignia is based on the same FWD ‘Epsilon II’ platform that will underpin the upcoming 2010 Buick LaCrosse.

This means both the Insignia and LaCrosse will share much of their drivetrains, suspension architecture, and even the same basic proportions. GM would be wary of returning to Buick’s old days when it was overloaded with midsize sedans, and this has led to speculation that the Insignia could instead be rebadged as a Cadillac.

Yes, you read that correctly. The Detroit Free Press reports that GM has considered offering the Insignia as a Cadillac. The FWD layout of the car would be safer to drive on icy-roads than the current fleet of RWD Cadillac saloons, and many of the features offered on the Insignia in Europe, such as AWD, adaptive headlights and a lane-departure warning, could also be offered in the U.S., improving the potential mid-sized Cadillac's feature set and profitability.

GM Insignia official interior reveal
2010 Buick LaCrosse sedan