Buick OMPV Concept.
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GM unveiled this all-new Buick Minivan concept in China. The world’s largest car market where both minivans in general and Buick are both doing quite well.
The concept is obviously a preview of the next-generation Buick GL8 Minivan sold in China in 1999. The current generation was introduced in 2021, and it seems GM is almost ready for something even better maybe next year.
The current Buick GL8 is also newly available with a brand new PHEV powertrain. Using a 2.0 Liter engine.
While we don’t have official sale numbers for 2023, the previous model sold over 170,000 units back in 2021 in China. However, sales went down to 123,000 in 2022. Maybe the current generation is not meeting sales expectations. Who knows.
The new concept actually celebrates the production of 2 million GL8 minivans in China over the years.
Luxury minivans are quite popular in China and many local manufacturers are offering pretty futuristic designs these days. I guess Buick is aware of this intense competition with new models coming out all the time and might not want to have an “old” 3 or 4-year-old product to offer.
GM isn’t saying much about the concept except it is a “new energy vehicle”, which could mean their first Ultium-based EV minivan. This also could explain why it would come so soon after the current GL8.
Either way, we are never getting this over here. Unless there is a sudden major shift in North American consumer taste. And all of a sudden people go down the streets and demand minivans.