The
Buick GL8 is a
minivan sold by
General Motors'
Buick division in
China. Introduced in 2000, the GL8 is similar to the
Pontiac Montana. Unlike other GM minivans, a roof rack was never offered. It was redesigned for 2005; however, it has a more aerodynamic and futuristic look than its
American and
Canadian counterparts, the
Buick Terraza, the
Chevrolet Uplander, the
Pontiac Montana, and the
Saturn Relay.A revamped edition was released in late 2010/early 2011, featuring 2.4L and V6 3.0L engines.
[1] It is based on an old minivan platform from the U.S., but it would likely require costly upgrade to meet current U.S. safety and requirements. Sales amounted to 52,127 units in 2010, and it was relatively stable over past few years. The previous generation is still available as GL8 First Land.
Models
The regular wheelbase GL8 is known as the GL8 2.5 while the extended wheelbase variant is called the GL8 Firstland. There are four trim levels available, called the LT, CT1, CT2, and GT (which is only available on the Firstland). In October 2001, the first bunch of Buick GL10s (10 passenger versions of the 1st-generation GL8) were exported to the Philippines.
Engines:
Prototype
In 2001, the Buick GL8 XEA1 or Phoenix was developed as a collaboration between General Motors and Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC). The Buick GL8 XAE1 is a hybrid vehicle that uses a 35 kW fuel cell and compressed hydrogen gas to deliver its power. The General Motors Phoenix was officially unveiled at the Pan Asia Automotive Technology Center in China in the year 2001.
