A few hours after showing a preview of the Buick GL8 Flagship Concept that will be fully revealed next week in China, General Motors has just announced the imminent unveiling of a second Buick concept vehicle in the Asian country. The automaker reports that the all-new Buick Smart Pod Concept will also make its world debut on November 19th at the 2021 Guangzhou International Motor Show.
The all-new Buick Smart Pod Concept is officially described as a concept vehicle that will present the Tri Shield brand’s bold and revolutionary vision for future hub-to-hub travel in the era of intelligent mobility. As such, the Smart Pod Concept will not be a preview of an upcoming series-production vehicle, but rather a futuristic model that will showcase GM’s progress on its mission of zero accidents, zero emissions and zero congestion in the long term.
SAIC-GM, the U.S. automaker’s main joint venture in China, announced the introduction of the all-new Buick Smart Pod Concept with an intriguing teaser image that appears to show the interpretation of the cabin of future Buick autonomous vehicles. Representing either end of the Smart Pod Concept’s cockpit, the preview previews a revolutionary, minimalist interior painted almost entirely in white.
The interior of the Buick Smart Pod Concept stands out for the fluidity and simplicity of its lines, which create an intelligent cabin similar to a modern living room. The end of the vehicle shown in the teaser contains a graceful ledge below the glazed area, where a continuous line of LED lighting is located, a massive horizontal screen, and flower plants on either side. In addition, it has a large flat piece of furniture that appears to serve as a seat.
According to GM, the all-new Buick Smart Pod Concept leverages industry-leading fully autonomous driving technology, the pioneering Ultium electric vehicle platform and smart connectivity to redefine the smart personal mobility space of the future. The concept vehicle advances the manufacturer’s vision of the future characterized by safety, comfort and seamless world-class connectivity.
The all-new Buick Smart Pod Concept will be revealed in its entirety next week at the 2021 Guangzhou International Motor Show, which will be open to the public from Friday, November 19th to Sunday, November 28th.
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Comments
I will not buy a vehicle made in China.
(Types on Chinese-built Mobile device / Computer)
Do we have a choice? So this is reason enough to accept everything else being made in China, too? The US should just give it all up? Is that what you’re intimating?
Like the treasonous, blind to global human rights and the plight of American workers in a hollowed out “Service Economy” tech industry is some kind of Grand Example to follow??!
Most of us really don’t care about what GM/Buick/Cadillac is doing in China. The current US market is trash since most manufactures only care about the SUV/CUV/Minivan/Pickup/EV market now. The sedans (Malibu, CT4&5) aren’t worth the time or effort and yes, I have driven each of them for an extended time.
When you look at the photos of the makes now that are posted, many have Chinese license plates! Can you just report on what is happening in the US? Too bad that we have lost sight of what and who built this country. Will all the car manufacture’s that built the country go down the tubes with their current marketing or lack of marketing strategy? No more Pontiac or Oldsmobile. Might as well write off Cadillac and Buick and focus on the GMC brand. Slide the Escalade over to that market as a super Yukon.
It seems that Toyota/Hyundia/Nissan/Mercedes still say the sedan market is alive and well and push the upscale brands that they have in marketing. Too bad GM…get off you a$$ and see what people want and not force your high profit vehicles down our throats.
Olds was shut a long time ago at the start of the new Millennium. Pontiac was a victim of bankruptcy and, by 2009, only an “Excitment” brand giving away Vibes on Oprah.
I’ll agree Cadillac is toast if the EVs fail but this is also the case for low volume players like Alfa, Jag, Infiniti. GM has been trying to restart Cadillac since the late 90s with the brand failing to gain cache and relevance.
Buick as a 4 vehicle line up makes money and compliments GMC. I wish, like old FCA, that there GMC trims were also available across GM, especially Buick, with Delani and AT4 being better known than Avenir.
Yes, Sedans and SUS models should be built. FCA killed 200 & Dart to save money. Ford was strong with Fusion and GM needed to build a Malibu as great as Impala.
The last two years have seen GM and the market in ruins. The Phoenix is they saved the chips for the highest mark-up cars and made more money. Always taking the easy route and always picking up profits I highly doubt GM will bother with a design studio or bother with quality or tradition.
Pontiac was a victim of the Obama Administration (as was the entire USA).
They were on a roll when axed, selling not only the best sedan in America (it being a re-badged Holden Commodore notwithstanding), but the Solstice was a major hit and a veritable darling of the press. Both instant classics despite a preponderance of American car hating Americans, and like most exceptional things, they’ve both not only held their worth over time, but values have steadily increased and continue to rise.
I had driven Pontiacs since the 1970 first one wa a GTO gold with black vinyl top. Yes Pontiac had the GTO G8 but they didn’t sell. Bob L said the Pontiac and Satrun were stop gap at the best. GM let Pontiac die a slow death. Bush and Obama were the ones who pumped $$$$ into the corporation’s.
Pontiac was ascendant at the time. Lutz had big plans for Pontiac until he just gave up and retired. Obama forced GMs hand. He was a luminary of sorts inasmuch as he knew the gangstaz would keep GMC afloat even though it trashed GMs CAFE numberz. Just what Greta and the tree-huggers needed – more trucks and SUVs at Pontiac’s expense. Obama was a sham and remains so as he doubles down on his his condescension of America at COP26. He’s an ugly hypocrite, the most vile and offensive kind. F him. In fact, gang F him.
Most agree COP 26 is a bust. Russia, China, and India didn’t participate, so nothing was promised or delivered. I think Lutz knew GM culture and multi-brands were not in the cards. Some of my cars were Saturns, Olds, and Pontiacs.
In retrospect, GM had more brands than they could manage or support.
But China is now Cadillac and Buick’s biggest markets, and in a big way China determines what the products that the US market gets are like.
Much of developmental costs as covered by GM China a lot like Opel/GM Europe utilized Russelheim: Opel would have been profitable if rightly compensated.
This is why we see so much China. No one complained when we saw European models and locations.
Anyone who fails to grasp the difference between embracing Chinese versus European made is living on a some kind of Novocaine drip.
Opel is very profitable today with new ownership. They supply Chinese Buick too.
How about an Electric Buick Avista. Yes another concept that never made it. I would rather have had it then the current choice of Small, Medium or Large SUV’s.
You’re Killing me Queen MaryB. Absolutely, killing me.
GM reminds me of that ‘70’s poster of a kitten hanging by its claw’s….captioned Just hang in there. I’ve bought, been disappointed. Spent more & and was super disappointed. My
‘’95 Olds LSS was by far the best GM product I ever bought. Kids, google it. Never buying a car made in China. Like, do you folks follow World News, or what?
Yo momma
Ross Perot tried to bail out GM. He dumped in megabucks to buy his way on the board. Once there he wanted to reset GM to higher quality and set standards of design that would end the rebates and price dumping to survive and maintain failing actions.
GM gave Ross megabucks plus to show him the door until the time Obama decided to save the UAW. The rest is history. RIP Pontiac, Saturn, Olds, and SAAB.
I guess if China ever attacks the USA, they will avoid targets like GM dealerships and Nike stores.
@Bobert and @Mike, GM only has one model offered in the US market made in China, and it’s the Buick Envision. Another note GM only has four vehicles made in South Korea. A large portion of GM products offered in the US is made in North America and in the U.S.
The Chinese don’t want to wreck the place, they want to own it. They have plenty of cash and the USA is a good place to put it.
So what is this? A desk? A diaper changing station?