With a range of only crossover and SUV vehicles in the United States, Buick is now betting on completely different values than a decade or two ago. In China, however, the American luxury brand has some rather interesting products and one of them is the GL8 multi-purpose vehicle. This model now receives a facelift, which brings an expanded portfolio of versions and a new bolder design.
Starting with the aesthetics, the refreshed GL8 comes with a fully redesigned front fascia which features different grilles depending on the trim level. The GL8 Avenir, for example, bets on tons of chrome and a wide grille in line with the current design trends in the automotive industry. The GL8 ES, in turn, has a slightly more restrained and sporty-looking front end.
Gallery: Buick GL8 facelift
Depending on the grade, the minivan can be equipped with features such as matrix LED headlights, 18-inch wheels, and electric swivel seats that rotate to the outside of the vehicle to provide convenient access for disabled people. The GL8 Legacy is the model focused on safety with the standard equipment including tech such as adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, and automatic parking brake.
Another addition to the lineup comes in the form of a new family-oriented variant based on the GL8 ES, which has a special design for the rear seats that allows easier entry and exit for elderly individuals and children. The equipment of this model also includes a dual 12-inch instrument panel on the dashboard, electric sliding doors on both sides, an electric liftgate, and foldable tables, as well as what Buick says is a segment-only set of self-healing tires from Continental.
The automaker has been selling the MPV on the Chinese market since 1999 with more than 1.6 million units sold so far. There’s no word about mechanical changes introduced with the facelift, which likely means there’s an available 2.0-liter hybridized powertrain mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission.
