Despite the ongoing transition to crossovers and SUVs to meet changing customer preferences, sedans and minivans are still popular in China. Not to be forgotten, the People’s Republic produces and sells unique long-wheelbase saloons, as well as a few luxury-oriented minivans. One of them is the Lexus LM, which is essentially a luxury Toyota Alphard / Vellfire that was launched in reaction to the Buick GL8.
The GL8 Avenir used to be the top-of-the-line people mover, but that is no longer the case, as the Century has taken its place. The trim level’s name will probably make you think of Toyota’s Japan-only fullsize luxury sedan, used here on a minivan with a glitzy headliner à la Rolls-Royce. It boasts a massive screen that doubles as a divider between the first and second rows of seats.
It’s a folding screen that you can manipulate with the touch panel on the central console. Its size has not been stated, although it must be comparable to the new BMW 7 Series G70 / i7’s 31.3-inch Theatre Screen. That one, too, folds up when it’s not in use.
Since we discussed the rear seats, they’ve been updated to include some of the biggest headrests we’ve ever seen, as well as Bose speakers. The individual back seats have extended footrests, and you get Maybach-level legroom to fully stretch out in this huge luxury minivan. The cabin’s refinement is enhanced by the pleasant ambient lighting, sun blinds, and luxury leather, which creates a limo-like experience.
The Buick GL8 Century is quite large, measuring 5,230 millimetres (206 inches) in length, 1,980 millimetres (78 inches) in width, and 1,867 millimetres (73.5 inches) in height. It gets a two-tone paint job in the style of the most opulent sedans on the market, and a dramatic new face for 2022. Despite the luxurious features, it’s still a minivan at heart, with sliding rear doors and a tall and broad body to maximise inside space.
Finally, the GL8 Century receives the new Buick emblem seen on the Wildcat and Electra-X prototypes.