Buick
GL8 China: May 2000 – March 2017, USA: August
1996 – July 2004
(GMT200/SGM200) China: May 2000 – December 2010
The Chevrolet
Venture, Pontiac Trans Sport and Oldsmobile Silhouette arrived in
August/September 1996 in America and stood on 112-inch and 120-inch
wheelbases. By February 1997 Europe got
the (imported) Opel/Vauxhall Sintra on the short, and the Pontiac-based
Chevrolet Trans Sport on the 20 cm longer wheelbase. After quality start-up problems, the Sintra
arrived at the same time as its American regular wheelbase 4-door counterparts,
that were deleted in the United States in 2003 (Olds in 1999).
A width of
over 180 cm was uncommonly wide in Europe in those days, but evenly narrow in
America. In autumn 1998, the Pontiac
Trans Sport became Pontiac Montana, though Trans Sport models with the sporty
Montana package were known as such from the start. In Europe, the Trans Sport continued after
the Sintra’s early deletion in 1999.
The rear
suspension was an open-section twist axle (not a compound crank torsion beam),
sometimes dubbed as rigid, while the extended models were available with
four-wheel-drive and independent rear suspension from 2002 model year.
The
American models were also available as a 3-door with only one door at the
driver’s side, both regular and extended models, the latter for two years at
Chevrolet, and only one year at Pontiac, while such regular models lasted for
three years, but Oldsmobile kept both 3-doors only in the first year.
All
American models had standard 7 seats (mostly 2-2-3, sometimes 2-3-2), while
middle and rear seats could be pulled out, as in Chevrolet’s cargo model. The second seat row was placed 1~2 inches
further back in the 14 inches longer extended models. Initially, only the Pontiac could be had with
8 seats, the others from 1999 model year.
A year later, Pontiac offered a 6-seater as well, Oldsmobile also from
autumn 2000.
Opel/Vauxhall
models with Opel-tuned suspension were available with 5 or 7, or with 8 seats
(until 1999), and from autumn 1998 also 6 (with Captain’s chairs). Production was discontinued in spring 1999,
when the 9 cm narrower 7-seater Astra-based Zafira took its place, that was
also imported by GM China, priced in between the GL8 range.
Over 1.9
million American GMT200 models were built, plus nearly 55,000 Sintras.
Based on
the 1.5 cm wider Pontiac, China built and sold the Buick GL8 (next to the
Century-based Buick GL) by May 2000 with a finely meshed waterfall grille on
the longer wheelbase, initially standard with 8 (2-3-3), optionally 7 (2-2-3)
seats. When the 7-seater became the
regular one in July 2004, and the 8-seater was deleted for the next generation,
the GL8 name was retained.
From
October 2001 until 2005, a 10 (3-4-3) seat model was exported to the
Philippines as Chevrolet Venture, with a typical Chevrolet grille, and from
2005 to 2007, as 7-seater (2-2-3).
At the
arrival of the updated SGM201 models in August 2005, the SGM200
model was retained with
7 or 8 seats, while the grille now had four horizontal bars.
(GMT201/SGM201) China: August 2005 – March 2017, USA: July
2004 – September 2008
By 2005
model year arrived in America the 7-passenger Chevrolet Uplander, Pontiac
Montana SV6 (probably meaning “SUV V6”), Buick Terraza and Saturn Relay, the
latter the first Saturn without polymer dent-resistant side paneling, as had
the predecessors of the Chevrolet Venture (Lumina APV) and its Pontiac and
Oldsmobile siblings. Buick and Saturn
came extended only, while Pontiac regular wheelbase models were not offered in
the United States, and similar Chevrolets only in the first year (except for
the fleet market).
The
Uplander ("crossover sport van") c.s. was basically the same as the
Venture, but had a stubbier nose, an exposed C-pillar for the extended model,
and the front transaxle was moved about an inch forward because of structural
safety improvements at the suspension.
The vehicles were 8~10 cm higher due to two-inch larger wheels,
resulting in an equal height/width for the extended model. The four-wheel-drive models lasted until
2006. The Pontiac for the United States
(called ‘Pontiac SV6’ here in its last year) and the Saturn ended in 2006, the
Buick in 2007.
Over
560,000 GMT201 models were built. The 16 cm
wider 2007/2008 Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia, Buick Enclave and Saturn
Outlook 7/8-seaters became the successors of the extended GMT201 models in America.
On this
slightly longer wheelbase, but with its own modernized front end and revised
lower panelling and side window rear end, China built the Buick GL8 FirstLand
(“Buick Business class on land”) from August 2005. Basic models had 7 or (until May 2006) 8
seats. The C-pillar remained concealed,
as before.
When the
second generation GL8, arrived in January 2011, the SGM201 model saw its horizontal bar grille
replaced by a waterfall grille, and was renamed Business car, additionally
“Business class on land”. It stood on
the new model’s (SGM258) reworked platform, and remained a 7-seater (2-2-3). Retaining its body shell, the rear wheels
were placed about a cm backward, using the slightly longer wheelbase of the SGM258
model.
Over the
years, the SGM201 model sold marginally better than the new SGM258 Luxury Business model. Production was discontinued in December 2016,
after over 550,000 SGM200/201 GL8s were built (vs 44,000 American Buick
Terrazas). In total, over three million
200/201 models were made in America and China.
Buick GL8 China: January 2011 –
(SGM258)
The second
generation GL8, called Luxury Business car (as with the previous model, additionally
“Business class on land”), was conceived in China, on the basis of the previous
model, with an enhanced suspension with independent front-and-back sub-frames
and on a slightly longer wheelbase (9 mm), and had the usual 2-2-3 seating
configuration. The engines were the L850
4-cylinder 2.4 dohc, next to the Canada-built direct injection HF 3.0 V6
dohc.
By March
2013, the 2.4 engine received direct injection, and at the arrival of the new
GL8 ES in November 2016, the SGM258 GL8 was removed from the portfolio, while the
old SGM201 GL8 was
retained until March 2017, when the SGM258 model reappeared with the brand's new flying
wing family styling at the front, and the chassis system upgraded with a newly
designed full-length sub-frame, while the sole engine was the 4-cylinder 2.5
dohc, available until summer 2019. It
was now internally called GL8 Legacy to discern it from the GL8 ES, but it was
advertised as Business Traveler and by 2020 Business Class on Land. It was nicknamed the “Fathead Fish” version.
In December
2018 the LTG 2-litre turbo was added, to be replaced by the tri-power LSY in
May 2020, when it lost the waterfall grille, and was badged 652T, where the
first number 6 represents the engine torque output range being 350 Nm or
greater, the second number 5 rather casually stands for the 9-speed automatic
transmission, the third number 2 means the eConnect 2.5 car networking system,
and the final letter T stands for Turbo pressure models. This 2020 update also included the first GL8
welfare version. The badge was deleted
in the course of 2023.
Year by
year, the GL8 Business Class on Land sold slightly better than the GL8
ES/Avenir. In October 2021, the 48V mild hybrid system was added. In August 2022, a facelift took place.
Buick GL8 ES, GL8 Avenir China: November 2016 –
(SGM358)
While
retaining the same wheelbase, the chassis (and body structure) of the 3rd
generation GL8 is all-new, and includes independent 4-link rear
suspension. It is advertised as Luxury
Business Traveler. Top model is the new
GL8 Avenir with a honeycomb grille.
The
production of this GL8 (SGM358) takes place at the new Cadillac plant in
Jinqiao, Shanghai, instead of Shenyang.
In May
2020, the 2 litre engine and grille change of the GL8 Legacy, happened also to
the GL8 ES, but the GL8 ES, now with Chinese “Lu Zun” (FirstLand) suffix (not
on the vehicle), received a 653T badge, due to its eConnect 3.0 connectivity
technology, as did the GL8 Avenir, now with 4(!) or 6 (2-2-2), next to the
usual 7 (2-2-3) seats. The weight was
now 1970~2050 kg. This badge was deleted
in the course of 2023.
The Avenir
is equipped with Matrix LED headlamps that incorporate 18 independent high-beam
control sections with up to eight adaptive driving beams.
In December
2020, the Buick GL8 Avenir became the first vehicle in China, to be optionally
available with V2X (Vehicle-to-everything) intelligent transportation
technology, which can realize the information exchange and sharing capabilities
between vehicles (V2V), vehicles and road infrastructure (V2I), and provide
emergency brake warning related to vehicle-to-vehicle communication EBW,
vehicle out of control warning CLW, abnormal vehicle warning AVW, intersection
collision warning ICW, and speed limit warning SLW related to vehicle and road
infrastructure communication, red light warning SVW, road hazard warning HLW,
green wave speed guidance GLOSA, a total of 8 items features.
By March
2021, the GL8 ES, GL8 Avenir sales finally exceeded those of the 10 year old
Legacy (“Business Class on Land”) models.
The Avenir
received the 48V mild hybrid system in July 2021; the ES followed in
September. In August 2022, a facelift
took place. Combined GL8 retail sales in
2022 were over 125,000, and 110,000
in 2023.
A plug-in
hybrid version composed of a 1.5 turbo engine and two electric motors (for power
generation and for mechanical propulsion) is expected to be launched at the
upcoming Beijing show in April 2024.
Buick (GL8) Century
China:
December 2022 –
(SGM458)
Early
November 2022, a third GL8 series, called Century (Shiji in Chinese), joined
the current lines, on a 313 cm wheelbase, and with a width of 198 cm (10 cm
wider than the earlier models), and equipped with the 2-litre mild hybrid
engine. Initially, only 6-seat (529,900
yuan) and 4-seat (609,900 and 689,900 yuan) models were offered, accompanied by
a (2+2+3) 7-seater (519,900 yuan) at the end of June 2023. All models have the Avenir logo.
In the 6-
and 7-seater (Yunshi version), the second row of seats can be moved laterally
by 8 cm to the outside through the lateral slide rails, forming a middle
channel with a width of 19 cm, which makes it easier for passengers to enter
and exit the third seat row.
In the
6-seater the second and third seat rows have interdependent electric front and
rear movement of respectively 44 and 46 cm, while in the 7-seater the volume of
the trunk can be expanded to 1901 liters, and the depth can reach 111 cm to
meet the needs of larger storage.
The cockpit interior
of the four-seat version is made of high-quality natural white cork wood
imported from Europe with a tree age of more than 100 years.
In May
2023, an entry-level 7-seater Zhenxiang version with an arrow feather bow
grille was added at a 10% lower price of 469,900 Yuan, without items like the
11 or 13 mm thick wool carpet imported from Australia, and the remote parking
assist system.
The Buick
Century is based on the new large luxury MPV architecture, with a newly
designed five-link rear suspension. Over
20,000 were sold in 2023.
In 1998,
Buick brought the first mid-to-high-end sedan to the Chinese market, the Buick
New Century, which opened the 'China era' in the brand's century-old history.
with thanks to www.chinacarforums.com and en.wikipedia.org
For recent specifications
on Buick cars built in China, see:
On a Global Mission: The Automobiles
of General Motors International
6 March, 2024