The Buick GL8 is a minivan built by SAIC-GM, the joint venture between SAIC Motor and General Motors, and sold only in China. It went into production in December 1999 and has stayed on the market through four generations.
Buick GL8 at a glance
| Maker | SAIC-GM (SAIC Motor and General Motors) |
|---|---|
| Production | since December 1999 |
| Market | China only |
| Class | minivan |
| Platform | GM U-body (first generation) |
| First engines | 2.4 I4, 2.5 V6, 3.0 V6 |
| Trim levels (first generation) | LT, CT1, CT2, CT3, GT |
| Price at launch | 218,000–318,000 yuan |
| First Land | long-wheelbase version |
| Second generation | 2010, as the GL8 II |
| Third generation | 2017, as GL8 ES and Avenir |
| Fourth generation | 2022, sold as the GL8 Century |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the GL8.
History of the Buick GL8
The GL8 entered production in China in December 1999. It was closely related to the minivans GM sold in North America under several nameplates and used the GM U-body platform, which also underpinned the Buick Rendezvous and Pontiac Aztek crossovers.
The first generation came in five trim levels — LT, CT1, CT2, CT3 and GT — with the GT reserved for the long-wheelbase First Land. The regular-wheelbase car was known as the GL8 2.5 and the extended version as the GL8 First Land. Prices ranged from 218,000 to 318,000 yuan, roughly US$31,900 to US$46,600.
From October 2001 the same vehicle was exported to the Philippines as the Chevrolet Venture, in ten-seat form, until 2005. It was one of only two Chinese-built Buicks rebadged for that market, the other being the Chevrolet Lumina, a rebadged Regal. A 2006-model facelift brought a new front end and the First Land with a new nose and clear tail lamps, and a second facelift followed for 2010.
In 2001 GM and SAIC also built the GL8 XEA1, or Phoenix, a prototype using a 35 kW fuel cell and compressed hydrogen. It was shown at the Pan Asia Automotive Technology Center in 2001.
The second generation, the GL8 II, arrived for 2011 with an all-new look inspired by the 2009 Buick Business concept and a drastic dip in the beltline, on the same 3,099 mm wheelbase as the First Land. It was developed by the Pan-Asia Technical Automotive Center and offered a 2.4-litre Ecotec four or a 3.0-litre direct-injection V6 with a six-speed automatic.
The third generation, sold as the GL8 ES and with an Avenir luxury version, went on sale in November 2016. The second generation returned in March 2017 as the GL8 Legacy or Business Traveler, later with a 2.5-litre four and then a 2.0-litre turbo. A fourth generation, marketed simply as the Century, arrived in 2022, and for a while three generations were on sale side by side.
Design and features
- China only: built and sold exclusively through SAIC-GM.
- U-body origins: the first GL8 shared its basics with GM’s North American minivans.
- First Land: the long-wheelbase version with its own front-end design.
- Hydrogen prototype: the 2001 GL8 XEA1 fuel-cell show vehicle.
Buick GL8 versions
- GL8 2.5 (1999–2016): the standard-wheelbase first generation.
- GL8 First Land: extended wheelbase, 3.0 V6.
- GL8 II / Legacy (2011–): second generation, still sold as the Legacy.
- GL8 ES and Avenir (2017–): third generation.
- GL8 Century (2022–): fourth generation.
The GL8 shares its U-body ancestry with the Rendezvous and it is the mainstay of the Buick collection in China, where it sells alongside the Excelle.
Sources
- Buick GL8, English Wikipedia: launch, trims, generations, engines, Philippine export
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