If you have some knowledge of MPV models, you must understand the position of the “GL8” in the Chinese market. Since entering the domestic market, the Buick GL8 series has almost completely monopolized the MPV market in its price range. It has always been the first choice for high-end business travel in the hearts of most consumers, with almost no second option. In the past few years, many models targeting the market have tried their best but can only attract a few consumers. The market position of the GL8 has always been unshakable. However, under the irreversible trend of new energy, it has come to a time when it must make changes. Therefore, it has ushered in its glorious transformation into the new energy era. The SAIC General Motors’ new GL8 Laozun PHEV officially debuted, and it was launched the day before the Beijing Auto Show. The model we are test driving this time is this new face. Previously, we conducted a poll on Weibo #TakeQuestionsToTestDrive#, the top three options were “How is the performance of the second and third rows in terms of space,” “How is the performance in terms of intelligence,” and “How is the performance of the power system as a hybrid model.” Here are brief answers to these three questions: 1. The second row features an independent first-class cabin design that exudes luxury and style. The backrest design fits the human body with nearly 90% accuracy. The “Feather Feel Seat” is flawless when you sit on it. 1. The configuration of the functions is quite advanced, the “courtesy dynamic island platform” provides functions such as cold and warm boxes, cup holders, and wireless charging for both front and rear passengers. The performance of the third row space is also very impressive, despite a slight decrease in seat volume and comfort. The seats are still electrically adjustable, and the riding experience can match that of common compact SUVs in the second row. 2. In addition to the hardware upgrades, this cabin is equipped with a fully upgraded VCS intelligent cabin. The vehicle system functions cover digital ecological content such as music, videos, games, and microblogs. It also adds iKey mobile phone keys. Another highlight is the ability to upgrade the AI big model intelligent voice assistant via OTA, and respond accurately to user needs through the Wenxin One Word intelligent partner. The rear seats are also equipped with entertainment screens to meet scenario-based needs. The advancement of intelligent driving is also important, with the new car pre-installing NOP intelligent navigation function hardware, capable of achieving L2+ level intelligent assisted driving, including automatic parking and remote parking. 3. The all-new generation PHEV intelligent electric plug-in hybrid system, with a 1.5T engine, plug-in hybrid electric drive unit, and plug-in hybrid battery. The 2-speed DHT gearbox allocates and sorts the power between gasoline and electric power, providing power performance that is more in line with its identity as a “premium gentleman’s special car.” During daily driving, the power feels relaxed and smooth, but when you suddenly increase the throttle, the car’s speed will still maintain a linear increase. The power system deliberately conceals the feeling of acceleration, showcasing the effort a major manufacturer puts into power tuning. This is the inheritance of the GL8, and for the GL8, which is primarily for rear passengers, a smooth and comfortable riding experience is the attitude that the GL8 should have. How does its appearance change after being transformed into new energy?
Officially, the all-new GL8 Landlord PHEV seamlessly integrates Eastern landscapes, modern aesthetics, and digital technology. Its design retains the classic GL8 style, with a robust and stylish appearance. The overall volume and exterior design are very much in line with what a flagship MPV should have. It preserves many design elements from the gasoline version, with detailed design bringing a strong sense of style.
The front end is still large in size, with a design similar to the fuel version, featuring a family-style front face design that is simple and clean. The grille has a cross-shaped dense louver base, with many three-dimensional and extended interior decorations, and a new Buick brand logo on the hood. The front bumper of the new car also has small ventilation holes on both sides, along with bright decorative strips, bringing a certain sporty atmosphere.
The headlight group still features the split design commonly used by the Buick family, with narrow LED daytime running lights at the top, connected by a through-type light strip in the center, and the main light at the bottom is designed with separate high and low beams, with a high-quality piano light effect, 6 intelligent lighting modes, and the Cloud Rise and Snow Fly rhythm light language enhances the luxury feel, creating a strong sense of ceremony as the front light gradually lights up when the car is turned on.
The new car retains a traditional side profile, with a smooth and sleek waistline. The design is understated, appealing to most business people. The door handles have evolved to be more modern, with hidden handles that pop out automatically when the user approaches the vehicle. The handles have a breaking force greater than 130N to ensure they can open even when frozen in winter.
In terms of dimensions, the new GL8 Landranger PHEV has a body size of 5219×1878×1807mm and a wheelbase of 3088mm. The large body brings spaciousness and a business atmosphere that appeals to consumers. The relatively narrow body also provides longer range and theoretically lower vehicle noise.
To create more seating space, the rear of the car is designed to be round, matching the style of the front to maintain a consistent design. The lines and colors are simpler than the front. The rear window is still large, the tailgate is simple and large, in line with the conventional design of a large MPV, giving a sense of stability.
The shape of the taillights is very “Buick”, featuring a new family design with split ends. The design is called the Crystal Through Clouds LED taillights. The overall shape is a large H-shaped structure. The slim dual-width light strip is integrated with the rear window. The interior design of the light is very strong.
18-inch alloy wheels with smooth surface as visual feature. Tires are from Bridgestone’s Turanza series, size 225/55 R18, focusing on luxury balance and comfort. In the era of new energy, a new intelligent cockpit.
The design of the all-new GL8 Landzun PHEV cabin continues the traditional family style. The T-shaped layout with curved surfaces and coordinated colors is both neat and eye-catching. The full LCD instrument panel and large central screen on the center console are integrated, connected in a fan-shaped mold, very technological and minimalist. The color scheme in the cabin remains business-like, with beige and black-blue, giving a sense of luxury. All materials are skin-friendly and exquisitely crafted.
The new four-spoke suspended multifunction steering wheel design is refreshing, with buttons on both sides for driving control and multimedia functions. The use of transparent black interior panels enhances the clean visual effect and matches the overall interior style of the vehicle.
In addition to hardware upgrades, the highlight of the cabin is the upgraded VCS intelligent cabin, which can upgrade AI large model intelligent voice assistants through OTA and accurately respond to user needs through the Wenxin One Word intelligent companion.
In addition to music, video, games, and Weibo content, there is a large amount of digital ecological content, providing a comprehensive intelligent interactive experience. The added iKey phone key supports mainstream smartphones such as Apple and Huawei, allowing for keyless entry and exit of vehicles.
Of course, for a GL8, the rear cabin passengers may be more important. The 15.6-inch rear cabin smart screen with sunroof design supports 5-level electric adjustment and 0-150° manual adjustment, providing optimal viewing angles for both sitting and lying positions. It can be controlled via touch and Bluetooth remote control, with Wi-Fi connection, Android and iOS wireless screen mirroring, and eco-app downloads, creating a mobile video conference room and car cinema.
In terms of safety, in the field of intelligent driving, the new car is equipped with NOP intelligent navigation hardware, supporting advanced automatic driving assistance systems, capable of achieving L2+ level intelligent driving assistance.
APA automatic parking and SRP remote parking systems are practical and thoughtful, while the panoramic safety vision system can further enhance driving safety.
In terms of air conditioning, the new car is equipped with BioCare smart fresh air system to purify air and ensure passengers’ respiratory health. The cabin is designed with a business style.
The driver’s seat is spacious and comfortable, taking a home route, with leather seats featuring textures and contrasting colors to enhance the luxury feel. The headrest has a butterfly-shaped design, the side wings increase the wrapping, and the shoulder support design provides adequate support and wrapping for the entire seat.
The Smart Touch light-sensitive touchpad hides seat memory and other function buttons in a brushed metal trim, oozing both tech and luxury. The front seats offer electric adjustment, ventilation, heating, and massage, truly comprehensive.
Our test drive car features a six-seat layout, providing ample interior space. The second-row first-class cabin design exudes luxury. The completely independent aviation seat not only looks prestigious but also offers a near 90% fit to the human body. The seat’s composite layer has been upgraded to 5mm silk + 8mm breathable sponge, making it flawless to sit on. Passengers can enjoy a variety of functions, including independent air conditioning vents, six-way aviation headrests, four-way power lumbar support, power leg support, three-speed quick heating and ventilation, and three-speed adjustable 8-point massage. Overall, the configuration level is quite impressive.
Buick equipped the new car with a concierge dynamic island platform that can automatically move back and forth through a hidden electronic sliding unit, with a maximum front-to-back sliding distance of 260mm, maximizing the front row aisle and facilitating the use of the built-in cooler, cup holder, wireless charging, and other features for rear passengers. Technology is full of sense.
The second-row seats do not support lateral sliding, but the vehicle has a smaller ground clearance, larger sliding door area, and extra-long rails for the second-row seats to create more space for passenger entry and exit. Passengers can easily access the third-row space in a more dignified manner.
The third row space is impressive, with a luxurious feel despite slightly reduced seat volume and comfort. The seats are still power-adjustable with ventilation and heating. After adjusting the second-row seats to a normal position, the seating comfort here is comparable to that of a typical compact SUV’s second row.
The new car’s roof lining and A/B/C pillars are covered in delicate suede, creating a luxurious and cozy atmosphere. The cabin is equipped with a large two-section panoramic sunroof with electric sunshade. In addition, the top also features 128-color dynamic ambient lighting to enhance the immersive luxury experience in the cabin atmosphere.
In terms of storage space, the interior of the car is equipped with specially designed storage spaces with limiters and hooks, with a large amount of velour used. The total volume reaches 33.8 liters.
High-end cars naturally require a sense of ceremony when opening the door, simply step on the ground light projection to open and close the door. The opening of the new car’s trunk is relatively low to the ground, making it easier to transport heavy items. Due to the advantage of the vehicle size, the entire space of the trunk is more than enough for daily use. There is no need to adjust the back of the third-row seat to enjoy a very large conventional storage space in the trunk. The “luxury cruise ship” of new energy.
The all-new GL8 Land Zeal PHEV is equipped with SAIC General Motors’ new generation PHEV intelligent electric hybrid system, featuring a 1.5T Miller cycle engine + hybrid electric drive unit + hybrid battery, with 292kW of total power and 580Nm of total torque. The CLTC comprehensive range is 1370km, with a pure electric range of 138km. It is said to have a 7.8s 0-100km/h acceleration and a 5.2s 80-120km/h overtaking acceleration.
The power system is powerful in parameters, but when placed on this car with a weight of over 2 tons, the overall performance appears much softer. After all, for the GL8, which gives higher priority to rear passengers, a smooth and comfortable riding experience is the attitude that GL8 should have. The importance of rear passengers in its usage scenario is higher, so the overall vehicle’s driving control and riding adjustment show the “high-end gentleman’s exclusive car” side. All of this is thanks to the old-fashioned power system tuning that it still retains after adding new energy: it understands too well how to output power to meet the needs of rear passengers.
Lightly press the accelerator to start, the posture is very stable, without the common sluggishness of large vehicles. Everything feels comfortable and natural. As you gradually increase the throttle on your right foot, the car’s posture remains stable, thanks to the 2-speed DHT transmission’s distribution and coordination of oil and electricity. You don’t need to worry about how the power is being decided or how much battery power is left. Drive calmly, and the power system will always give you the best solution.
Even if suddenly accelerating, the car’s speed will still maintain a linear growth. It is not laid-back to drive, but the matching output of the entire power system progresses gradually, with the throttle always reserving some power. It accelerates quickly, but deliberately hides the push-back feeling. The acceleration in the middle and later stages is very calm and steady, accelerating evenly within the safe speed range on urban highways, making overtaking a task that does not require much anticipation.
Kinetic energy recovery feels comfortable throughout, easy to activate on the left side of the steering wheel. The braking part, perhaps due to weight, the front part of the brake feels gentle, making it less likely for the car to nod when braking lightly. As you apply more pressure, the braking force output from the brake pedal is very linear, the foot feel is excellent, and the absolute braking force is enough to completely stop where you anticipate.
The structure of the body of the armor vehicle is designed with six vertical and ten horizontal lines, placing the battery pack in the center. The body pillars, anti-collision beams, and door frames are covered with 1700Mpa submarine-grade ultra-high-strength steel. The widest 1486mm full-frame subframe in its class enhances safety and ensures dynamic quality performance. The extensive use of sound insulation materials throughout the vehicle also ensures good NVH protection.
Its steering setting is not as light as a regular family sedan, but the damping is quite nimble. People who have driven the GL8 should know that this car has nothing to do with handling, but its steering feel is not as loose as a big car. When turning the steering wheel, the front of the car reacts quickly, although there is still some play. It maintains a sense of sophistication that is expected at this price point, making driving it no longer feel like driving a big ship.
In terms of the chassis, the GL8 still uses the familiar front MacPherson independent suspension + rear four-link independent suspension combination. With its soft and resilient tuning style, the chassis can filter out most of the impacts and vibrations from the road, almost eliminating any unnecessary body vibrations. When cruising on smooth roads, it gives a slight “boat-like” feeling: the body has a slight up and down movement on the road, especially in the third row. Editor’s summary: With the trend of new energy, the transformation of the GL8 is imperative. Technologically, it has chosen a route that is most suitable for high-end business and family travel, the energy-saving, powerful, and green policy-enjoying plug-in hybrid route. While the focus is on the changes in the powertrain, the overall character of the SAIC General Motors’ new GL8 Lulun PHEV still maintains the advantages of the original model and upgrades upon them. Compared to other versions, the entire series being attributed to Avia makes it more precise in its choice of customer base. This is an elite work of the new energy era, a timeless classic.