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Buick Enspire Electric SUV Concept Teased, Could Use Chevrolet Bolt's Platform

On April 25th, the doors to the media will open at the Auto China 2018. Held in Beijing this year, the Chinese motor show will see the world debut of nameplates such as the BMW M2 Competition, as well as an all-new, all-electric crossover from Buick.
Buick Enspire Electric SUV Concept 12 photos
Photo: Buick
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Teased by a shadowy image of the vehicle's right rear three quarters, the Enspire is a concept that will be previewed at the Buick Brand Night on April 17th in Wuzhen, Zhejiang. According to the premium-oriented automaker, the one-off crossover “leverages General Motors’ global resources and is an exploration of design and new technologies.” The word “leverages” is of utmost importance, as you might know from a previous article.

As reported in July 2017, Buick’s upcoming EV “could be a Chevrolet Bolt-derived crossover.” It’s hard to make up the size of the Enspire Concept from the teaser, but when you think about it, Bolt underpinnings are the way to go in this application.

The design of the single-bar taillamps and third brake light is out of the norm for Buick, though this solution might have been adopted to emphasize width. The third brake light, as you can tell, is integrated into the sporty-looking, roof-mounted spoiler.

Buick goes on, claiming that the Enspire is “the brand’s latest example of innovation and application of future electric smart mobility.” Is it a coincidence Chevrolet is testing autonomous-driving Bolt models in California, Michigan, and Arizona since October 2017? Or is it a coincidence General Motors announced that it’ll launch an autonomous Bolt, without a steering wheel or pedal box, in 2019?

Whatever the concept is about, there’s no denying Buick is doing better in China than in the United States of America. Of the 1.4 million passenger cars and utility vehicles sold in 2017, around 1.2 million were delivered in the People’s Republic of China. By comparison, U.S. customers bought less than 220,000 vehicles in 2017.

While on the subject of Buick and the Middle Kingdom, the first-ever General Motors vehicle built in China to be sold in America is the Buick Envision. The compact-sized crossover SUV is priced at $33,995, with the 2019 model year going on sale this summer.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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