GUANGZHOU, China — Shanghai General Motors continues to upgrade its Buick range with models engineered in Europe. The latest entry is the new Buick Excelle XT — essentially a rebadged and mildly reworked version of the Opel Astra. It is debuting at the 2009 Guangzhou Auto Show.
The premium five-door hatchback, which goes on sale in China in January, was modified for the local market at GM's Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center (PATAC) in Shanghai. The Opel-based Excelle range eventually will supplant the Excelle models that were designed and engineered in Korea by GM Daewoo.
The Excelle XT, which will also be known in China as the Buick Yinglang, is being positioned at the upper end of the compact segment. Premium features include navigation, heated front seats, dual-zone electronic climate controls, electronic parking assist and a choice of three audio systems.
The Excelle XT will offer customers one of three four-cylinder gasoline engines, including a 114-horsepower 1.6-liter unit, a 138-hp 1.8-liter DOHC unit and a 181-hp turbocharged 1.6-liter unit, all equipped with a six-speed automatic transmission.
Inside Line says: By replacing Korean designs with German designs, GM apparently hopes to raise Buick's image with Chinese buyers — a potentially risky strategy that could result in higher costs and lower volumes. — Paul Lienert, Correspondent
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double_duece says:
02:02 PM, 11/26/2009
the Saturn Astra didn't work here(here being the US), unfortunately, so i'm not sure a Buick in the the same class would work here either, Buick or not. not that we'll get it in the states haha. but that said, Buick is hugely popular in China and i think this car could be a decent seller. i'm not entirely sure who is going to buy it though, depending on the price