A lot is happening in China's automotive world these days, as the 2024 Beijing Auto Show has officially opened its gates today, April 25. Local and international automakers are attending the car event, which comprises many local and international premieres.
We spent our morning presenting you with some of the novelties, and that list has just grown to include the new Buick GL8 Lu Zun PHEV. As its name implies, it is a plug-in hybrid version of the minivan that follows the luxurious Century into the automaker's local portfolio.
Buick shared images and details of it on its local website, and our Mandarin may be a little rusty, yet we still managed to find out what powers it. That would be a 1.5L engine with forced induction and an electric motor. The people carrier has a combined 391 hp (397 ps/292 kW) and 428 pound-foot (580 Nm) of torque.
For a minivan, the 2024 Buick GL8 PHEV is quite agile, as it takes 7.8 seconds to push to 62 miles an hour (100 kph). With the battery pack fully juiced up, it can travel in the all-quiet mode for 86 miles (138 km) on the local driving standard.
Photo: Buick China
The safety gizmos shouldn't be ignored, as the model features automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, blind spot warning, lane centering, traffic sign recognition, and adaptive cruise control. The remote parking assist will make the lives of its users easier.
Besides the electrified powertrain, the GL8 PHEV sports a few stylistic enhancements, too. For instance, it has a split-lighting signature up front, as the main clusters and the daytime running lights were separated. The upper grille was also updated, and the lower one is just as big as before. Buick also gave it new taillights, chrome accents, 18-inch alloys, and others.
Since we've started talking about the equipment list, we might as well tell you that it is comprehensive. For instance, the people carrier has a standard front sunroof, a power tailgate, Nappa leather upholstery, ventilated and heated front seats, multi-zone climate control, an advanced ambient lighting system, etc.
The second row can be equipped with Aviation or VIP seats, sporting power adjustment, heating, ventilation, and massaging functions, and this makes the GL8 PHEV the people-carrying equivalent of a chauffeured-driven minivan. It has three rows of seats, a compartment that can cool or heat items, a wireless charging pad, a rear-seat entertainment system, folding tray tables, an optional panoramic roof for those sitting at the back, and so on.
Buick's latest addition to the GL8 family is quite affordable for what it offers, as it starts at 359,900 yuan, which equals almost $50,000 at today's exchange rate. Would you want GM to sell this model in our market?
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
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