Refreshed Buick GL8 Is A Chrome-tastic Minivan For China

Buick’s teaser campaign for the GL8 Lu Zun has come to an abrupt end as China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has revealed the new minivan. It follows in the footsteps of its predecessor, but adopts the company’s latest design language.

The changes are immediately apparent as the model has split lighting units and a massive trapezoidal grille. They’re joined by a streamlined hood that now sports Buick’s new logo.

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Moving further back, we can see streamlined bodywork and flush-mounted door handles. The van also wears additional chrome trim as well as familiar blacked out pillars.

The differences at the rear end are less dramatic, but the model has been equipped with new taillights and a slender chrome accent with “BUICK” lettering. The latter resides above a minimalist logo.

New top, old bottom

Besides the standard model, there will be a luxurious Avenir variant. Little is known about it at this point, but the model appears to be distinguished by a mesh grille and larger air intakes. We can also see unique wheels and Avenir badging on the front fender.

According to Buick’s application, the large people-carrier measures 205.5 inches (5,219 mm) long, 73.9 inches (1,878 mm) wide, and 71.1 inches (1,807 mm) tall with a wheelbase that spans 121.6 inches (3,088 mm). Those figures carryover from the current model.

Under the hood, there’s a hybrid powertrain with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. Specifics are lacking, but the model has 208 hp (155 kW / 211 PS) and a top speed of 112 mph (180 km/h). Buick also confirmed plans for a plug-in hybrid powertrain and we can likely expect to see both versions debut at Auto China later this month.