Buick does not build many cars like the Buick GL8: a 5-door minivan with 2.4 , built from 1999 when airbags, anti-lock brakes and Japanese build quality became the world standard. Its designer of record is James C. Shyr / (2005; GL8 First Land).
The background
The Buick GL8 (Chinese: 别克GL8; pinyin: Biékè GL8) is a minivan that is produced by SAIC-GM, a joint-venture between Chinese automaker SAIC Motor and American automaker General Motors. It is only sold in China. Introduced in 1999, the first generation Buick GL8 is similar to the GM-made minivans that are sold in North America which was marketed under many nameplates. Like the North American GM minivans, it is built on GM's U-body platform, which is also used by the Buick Rendezvous and the Pontiac Aztek crossover SUVs. A revamped edition was released in late 2010/early 2011, featuring 2.4 L and V6 3.0 L engines.
It is based on an old minivan platform, with a completely reworked exterior and interior design. The previous generation was available as the GL8 First Land until 2016. The third-generation model dubbed the GL8 ES and Avenir was launched in 2017, with the second generation still available and updated as the GL8 Legacy. Both the third generation GL8 and GL8 Legacy received a facelift with the third generation GL8 receiving an Avenir luxury variant. The fourth-generation is marketed simply as Century was launched in 2022, with the GL8 Legacy (second generation) and GL8 ES and Avenir (third generation) models both available and updated to be sold alongside the Century, resulting in a 3-generation lineup with the latter two generations both available with an Avenir luxury trim level.
The engineering
Under the skin sits 2.4 other versions carried different engines, listed in the specification table below. Kerb weight is 3730 lb. The gearbox is a 4-speed automatic / 6-speed automatic. The wheelbase is 112 in (2.5) / 3099 mm (First Land). These are manufacturer figures carried by Wikipedia and Wikidata, not road-test measurements.
Where it sits
Where it sits in Buick's history is not in doubt: it was built at Shanghai, China (SAIC-GM. On a showroom list of its day it stood against the Honda S2000, the BMW X5, the Toyota Yaris. Its Buick stablemates include the Buick First Call and the Buick Funeral Car.