Buick has been skewing younger in recent years; no news there. And entries like the Regal GS and Verano Turbo show they’re even taking things back to their performance roots. So it was with this in mind that we take a first look at the 2014 Regal GS.

The look could be called aggressive; though certainly not intimidating and it’s not much of a departure from its introduction a few years ago. But accents and intakes add some pop, bigger wheels add stance, and the finished product is a Regal that subtly hints at its extra capabilities, but doesn’t jam it down your throat.

Power is still delivered through a 2.0 turbocharged inline 4; bad news… horsepower is down, from 270 to 259. But torque is available at lower RPM, all-wheel drive has been added, and the Regal GS really comes alive when you get on the throttle.

PATRICK LUCAS: The Regal GS is the "sport" version of the regular Regal. Yeah it's still the same powertrain, but they've done so much more to it: the suspension, the steering, the all-wheel drive performance, everything has been tightened and it really transforms the car.

Keep it tuned to MotorWeek, as we’ll go more in depth with the 2014 Buick Regal GS soon.