New Buick GL8 Minivan


As consumer preferences shifted towards crossovers, GM completely abandoned the minivan segment in North America, but not in China where its Buick GL8 II full-size people carrier has gone under the knife.

The mid-cycle facelift of Buick’s GL8 minivan isn’t officially out yet, but Chinese media somehow got their hands what they claim to be official photos of the car ahead of its launch later this year.


The exterior redesign goes way further than your typical nose-job, as essentially, every exterior panel aside from the roof is new, with Buick giving the 2017 GL8 a sharper and more modern look, though we can’t help but notice some similarities in the profile with Nissan’s North American Quest. We suspect that Buick will also make notable changes to the interior as well.


In its current form, the GL8 can be had with 2.4 liter Ecotec four-cylinder and 3.0 liter V6 gasoline engines, but Chinese media are reporting that GM’s 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with around 250-horses will be added to the range, without clarifying if any of the two other units will be dropped. Another significant upgrade is said to be the use of new a multi-link rear suspension to improve handling, ride and comfort.