The model is based on the Buick Business hybrid concept car, shown at last year’s Shanghai Auto Show, which was developed in China by Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center (PATAC), a GM subsidiary.
The long minivan is meant to comfortably seat six people for long journeys. Styling queues are taken from the 2010 Buick LaCrosse and from Opel Meriva’s flowing lines. Also borrowed from the Meriva is the “wave” in the rear passenger window. While the Buick Business hybrid concept featured a stylish rear door and no door handles, this car seems to adopt a more simple suicide door configuration.
GM Shanghai did not release any information about the new car’s dimensions, though we can expect it to be very similar in size to the 2009 concept that measured 5,278 mm (207 inches) in length. Where the real car differs from the concept is under the hood: instead of the hybrid system, which was hoped to deliver a 20 percent reduction in fuel consumption, we get a 2.4-liter normally aspirated Ecotec engine. For those who want their minivans to run on diesel, a 3.0-liter V6 SIDI unit will be made available.
As for the interior, the teaser images allow us to see an ergonomically designed console, a black dashboard and leather seats all-round. We are sad to see that the funky interior, pillar-less doors and panoramic four-piece roof did not make it into production.
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