Buick isn’t quite an also-ran in the US market it helped create, but it’s a long way from cracking the top 10 best-selling brands in the US again. Somewhat ironically, though, the Buick brand does well in China for GM. Last year, the Buick badge sold 436,729 units versus the 198,155 sold in the US.
That was mainly achieved by GM’s joint venture with the Chinese state-owned SAIC Motor Corp, which has just unveiled the all-electric 2027 Buick Electra L7. This sleek sedan has some impressive credentials that sadly, Americans will never see. Probably, anyway.
Big Range And Big Power
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While we briefly had a Buick Electra model in the US, it’s incredibly unlikely that the Electra L7 will enter the US market. That is a shame as it’s not just a great-looking car, but has the power, range, and technology that the US market wants in a luxury EV. The numbers claim an 800-volt architecture with 378 horsepower generated from a single motor, powered by a CATL lithium iron phosphate battery pack. It’s also packed with tech that includes a standard roof-mounted LiDAR sensor.
Range is estimated at 435 miles on a single charge, but the Chinese standard for estimating range is known for being optimistic compared to the US and Europe’s metric. Speaking of range, it will go on sale alongside the existing range-extended version, with differences that include exclusive wheels, new exterior colors, new upholstery colors, and bronze-colored trim. It also features door handles that are no longer retractable to fall in line with theChinese law that comes into forcein 2027.But the bigger question isn’t whether the Electra L7 is impressive. It’s why a car this good is being kept away from the market that built Buick’s name.
Buick In China, For China
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The 2027 Buick Electra L7 should roll out over the next few weeks in China to complete its lineup. Despite being one of the American Big Three, GM has a long-standing relationship with China that initially ran from the early 1900s until the communist takeover in 1949. Initially, its cars were popular with American expatriates and wealthy Chinese seeking luxury vehicles, but became a staple of government officials. Buick re-entered China in 1998 through its joint venture with SAIC Motor.
Now, Buick in China is one of GM’s most financially rewarding brands, still appealing as an aspirational luxury brand. Buick is making all-electric cars and hybrids in China due to government incentive programs encouraging it to do so. However, in the US, Buick is currently down to four models, all of which are crossover SUVs. None are electrified.
CarBuzz Insight – Why This Matters:
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Not only are Buick’s electric vehicles not available in the US, the likelihood they never will be is only getting stronger. Recently approved legislation toughens the government ban on Chinese automakers entering the American market and bans companies with more than 15% ownership by Chinese entities completely. This puts Mercedes in a difficult position due to Chinese shareholders, but Buick’s electric vehicles are developed and built with SAIC as a joint venture.
Buick’s survival likely hinges, as it has before, on its sales in China. While Chinese automakers are now outselling all automakers that aren’t homegrown, to the point that global brands are starting to worry, Buick has a chance of surviving due to its historic badge appeal as much as its status as a joint venture with a Chinese state-owned automaker.
H/T: GM Authority
