General Motors and Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) established a joint venture in 1997 called Shanghai GM, and had begun assembling the Buick Regal in Shanghai, China in April 1999. The Regal has sold well in the Chinese market as a large, relatively luxurious model, despite its high price, costing more than the North American version. The Chinese market Regal has different front- and rear-end styling compared to the North American version and different engines, including the 2.0 L L34, the 2.5 L LB8 V6 and the 3.0 L LW9 V6. Gearbox choices were a 4-speed automatic for V6 models, while four-cylinder variants are paired with a 5-speed manual gearbox. V6 models had a set of black dashboard gauges, while the four-cylinder models had white dashboard gauges. These models also had slightly different names: the entry-level model was the New Century, with more upscale models carrying the GL and GLX names. Later, G and GS models were added. Production for this generation ended in November 2008 in China being replaced by the Opel Insignia-based Regal. The Chinese-built Regal was also sold in the Philippines from 2005 to 2006 as the Chevrolet Lumina, where it replaced the Opel Vectra. The 2.5 V6 was the only engine option. The Chevrolet Lumina was discontinued from the Filipino market in 2006, leaving GM again without a mid-size sedan until the introduction of the eighth generation Chevrolet Malibu in 2013. Fifth generation (2008) The fifth-generation Buick Regal is a four-door, five-passenger, midsized sedan with a front engine, front-wheel drive layout. According to GM published information, more than 41 percent of Regal buyers in the US came from non-General Motors brands, and more than 60 percent of CXL Turbo buyers were under the age of 55. Development The fifth generation Buick Regal rides on GM's Epsilon II platform and is mostly identical to the Opel Insignia. It first went into production in Rüsselsheim, Germany, in 2008. The Shanghai GM twin of the Insignia was introduced in China as Buick Regal in December, 2008 for the 2009 model year. GM originally planned to sell a modified version of the Opel Insignia in North America as the second generation Saturn Aura, but changed strategy after deciding to discontinue the Saturn brand. The Regal utilizes unibody construction with galvanized steel front fenders, hood, roof and door panels and thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) bumper covers. The North American Regal weighs about