Remember the General Motors U platform? You may not, but you likely know or remember someone who brought a Chevrolet Uplander, Pontiac Montana, Buick Terraza or Saturn Relay into your life.
In China, the U platform lives on in the enormously popular Buick GL8, and General Motors is milking U for all it can by introducing the Buick GL8 25S. This “new” variant is actually an ever so slightly refreshed version of the second-generation Buick GL8, and adopts more modern Buick styling cues such as the winged front grille and tri-color badge.
Third generation Buick GL8.
Buick aims to cover the important MPV segment in China by offering the GL8 25S at a lower price point than the new, third-generation GL8. The latest GL8 starts at RMB 289,900 ($42,714 USD), while the GL8 25S starts at just RMB 229,900 ($33,352 USD).
The brand also says the GL8 25S adopts an upgraded powertrain and revised chassis, with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and a six-speed automatic transmission. For a more comfortable ride overall, Buick has added hydraulic control arm bushings, a new MacPherson front suspension and an all-new sub-frame for greater chassis rigidity.
Inside, Buick still offers up the luxury, just not in spades like the all-new GL8 does. The latest IntelliLink system is present with a seven-inch touchscreen and oodles of safety features, such as stability control, rollover mitigation and hill start assist, help keep things under control.
If you’re looking at the opposite end of the spectrum, and neither the GL8 25S or third-gen GL8 will do, Buick will be happy to show you the GL8 Avenir with an RMB 449,900 ($66,289) price tag.
Third generation Buick GL8 Avenir
Comments
To all the naysayers who said GM wouldn’t build the Avenir, well, here it is in production form. It’s built in China and a few stylistic changes were made but it’s still the Avenir.
Me so uglee.
So this is not coming stateside?
I have never understood why people want or buy a minivan, I was glad when GM got out of the minivan market and I hope GM stays out of the market in the future.
If GM wants to build a minivan for the Chinese market then knock yourself out just don’t bring it to the states.
Maybe more people will catch on and the minivan market in the US disappears!
The Terreza lives again!
Um ok, my drunk self wants to know what is this beast… I thought mini-vans were 90s, dudes?
Ok, whatever, I’ll roll with it, this time, Buick. >.> Only because my parents purchased a brand new Buick Riviera when I was a kid that blew my mind. You only get 1 pass though; no more mini-vans. I thought we talked about this.
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