As General Motors' best-selling wholly owned brand in China, Buick is in a good place in the world's largest car market. The company has bigger ambitions, though, as it embarks on an accelerated transformation toward an electric future and long-term commitment to China.
To achieve that, Buick will launch 12 new products in China through 2025, including five all-new electric vehicles. Two of these EVs will be revealed this year, Buick said last week when it introduced its all-new brand identity and design language simultaneously in China and the United States.
While the US saw Buick's new badge and typography applied to the Wildcat EV Concept, China saw it showcased on two vehicles: the Electra-X all-electric SUV concept developed on the Ultium platform and the GL8 Century flagship minivan.
Now, Buick did not reveal details about the two electric vehicles it plans to launch in China later this year, but it did say the Electra-X "previews the production version of Buick's new generation of electric vehicles in China." In China, as in North America, all future Buick EVs will use a variant of the Electra name. One of them could be named Electra-X, just like the concept whose expressive new face will appear on future Buick products.
Gallery: Buick Electra-X Concept
"Since entering China more than two decades ago, Buick has always responded to the changing times. Leveraging GM’s global resources and unmatched local expertise will lead Buick into a new era of development in China, accelerating the transformation toward electrification and intelligent driving. It’s an exciting moment to introduce a refreshed image of Buick that is more electric and more intelligent with a more premium experience in China."
Cesar Toledo, general director of Buick at SAIC-GM
Speaking of Buick's new brand identity, the new badge marks the first significant change to the emblem since 1990. No longer a circular logo, the new badge features a sleek, horizontally aligned layout that builds upon Buick's iconic tri-shield. The automaker says the open columns of the tri-shield incorporate fluid movement that will be mounted on the front fascia of upcoming Buick products.
Besides the new badge, Buick's revamped brand identity also brings new typography, an updated color palette, and a new marketing approach.
In North America, the first all-electric Buick model will arrive in 2024, but the brand did not offer any details about it. Unfortunately, the Wildcat 2+2 coupe study is unlikely to make it to production, at least in its current form, as it is a statement of intent indicating the brand's future styling direction rather than a preview of an actual model.
On top of that, it wasn't designed for any existing battery architecture, unlike the Electra-X SUV which is built on the Ultium platform.
Gallery: Buick Wildcat EV Concept
