Buick right now is an enigma within GM’s portfolio of vehicles. While the automaker made its reputation building large, semi-premium American sedans, it recently converted to an SUV-only portfolio of vehicles that are, let’s put it politely, rebadged models of existing Chevrolet vehicles. Even more interesting is that, while all of GM’s brands have been seriously committed to electric vehicles (EVs) lately, Buick still doesn’t offer a single EV.
At least, that’s the story here in the U.S. and Canada. There are reasons for this, obviously. But elsewhere, like in China, where Buick has a rich history, Buick is, well, still Buick. It’s totally fascinating to see the automaker not only selling interesting EVs over there, but also sedans! Good-looking, graceful, American sedans that have me wondering: what the hell happened?
The Buick Electra L7 Is A Beautiful Electric Sedan With A Range Extender
America’s love for SUVs happened, obviously. But when I look at vehicles like the recently launched Electra L7, it simply confirms my original thesis that GM should have invested in Saab rather than Buick. Imagine that car sold under the Saab nameplate and marketed to go against brands like Polestar and Tesla. I think it could actually do well in this part of the world. Instead of trying to rejuvenate a nameplate that, let’s face it, is still associated with a retirement home – even through Buick’s best efforts of changing that – we’d have a sexy, sleek, Scandinavian sedan, powered by GM’s witty EV tech.
But, hey. What do I know? In China, electric Buicks are sold under a new Electra sub-brand and through a joint venture called SAIC-General Motors. And this L7, which rides on the jointly developed Xiao Yao platform, takes its styling cues from the recently presented Buick Electra GS concept car. It’s stunning, with a nice, low, rear-dropping roof, elegant LED tailights, the now familiar Buick front fascia, and what appears to be a low-slung, wide stance gracefully complimented by a stylish wheel design. It also looks properly American.
The biggest highlight from this electric sedan is that it’s also fitted with a gasoline-powered range extender. Actually, it’s general layout is very similar to the now-defunct Chevrolet Volt, where a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine acts mostly as a generator to recharge the 40.2-kWh lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) battery.
The dual-motor, all-wheel-drive L7 makes 338 combined horsepower and can travel up to 300 kilometers (186 miles) on electric propulsion alone. But once that range extender does its thing, range is bumped up to a whopping 1,400 kilometers, or 870 miles. Impressive. The car costs around $300,000 yuan, or the equivalent of $42,000 USD.
Why Isn’t Buick Selling Stuff Like This Here?
We can scream all we want, but as long as the beancounters at GM consider that there’s no business case for a car like the Buick L7 in our market, it’s just not going to happen. And the reason for graceful Buick sedans no longer existing here is a tad more complicated than just a love for SUVs. Actually, we’re noticing a comeback from sedans and, interestingly enough, wagons, due to a new generation of buyers that appear to be fed up with SUVs. We’re also noticing that electric sedans, like the Tesla Model 3 and Polestar 2, are performing rather well (in context).
That seems to be the issue at Buick. A large majority of Buick dealers heavily pushed back on the switch to electrification, especially in the U.S., which forced GM to separate Buick from its EV agenda. Although the brand has been working overtime to rejuvenate its image and attract new blood with models like the Envista, the cold, hard truth is that Buick dealers and buyers remain extremely conservative.
This generally means that too much change is not welcome at Buick, which we clearly witnessed through its dealer EV backlash. So, while you and I feel like a car like Electra L7 would be a breath of fresh air for the Buick brand as a whole, I fear it’ll just become a showroom dud. GM executives know this, too. So, for now, we’re stuck with SUVs of all shapes and sizes that offer a bit more of a premium feel than a Chevrolet, but are not full-on luxury vehicles like a Cadillac. Sigh.
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