Photo: S. Baldauf/SB-Medien
Half of Buick Excelle GT's name might not sound too familiar to most of you, and that's because it is only available in the Chinese market. However, its visuals will be instantly recognizable.
The Excelle GT is the compact luxury sedan GM builds in China in a joint venture with SAIC Motor known as SAIC-GM (or Shanghai GM). The model shares its platform with the Buick Verano, a name all Americans are accustomed to, but also with the Opel Astra sedan in Europe (Vauxhall Astra Sedan in the UK) and the Chevrolet Cruze.
The current generation of the Excelle GT was introduced in 2015, so the sedan is getting ready for a mid-life facelift. Not that its sales suggested it needed a refresh, but it's best to act before the market gives the signal.
Since it rides on the heavily used Delta II platform that underpins numerous GM models, a lot of people will know what to expect from the Excelle GT. The facelift won't do anything to change that, but it will bring a few new aspects.
The interior, however, won't be one of them. The spy shots reveal it remains largely unchanged, but that it in no way a bad thing. GM isn't known for making brilliant cockpits, but this latest design that can be found - with some variations - across its compact range is arguably a home run. There are nice, flowing lines, the dashboard isn't cluttered with buttons, and the ergonomics are well sorted out. It won't win any prizes, but it'll do the job just fine.
The most important changes to the 2018 Buick Excelle GT will target, as it's natural, the front of the vehicle. Their extent, though, is mostly guesswork at this point because of the heavy camouflage. What we can see is a new headlight design with LED daytime running lamps, while the taillights also allow a new inside layout to creep out from under the camo.
Choosing an engine and transmission configuration on the Excelle GT might be a rather lackluster affair since GM's Chinese model doesn't offer too many options. At least not any juicy ones. It has a 1.5-liter engine developing 113 hp that works together with a six-speed automatic, even though we fear that's a bit of a poor match-up. The only decent option is the 1.4-liter turbo mated to a seven-speed DCG transmission, but as we all know from other GM products this setup is rather thirsty.
This is the first time the Buick Excelle GT facelift has been spotted as it's currently undergoing tests in the European Alps, so we suspect it won't launch sooner than the second half of next year, especially since the current Excelle GT hasn't been out in the market for that long.
The current generation of the Excelle GT was introduced in 2015, so the sedan is getting ready for a mid-life facelift. Not that its sales suggested it needed a refresh, but it's best to act before the market gives the signal.
Since it rides on the heavily used Delta II platform that underpins numerous GM models, a lot of people will know what to expect from the Excelle GT. The facelift won't do anything to change that, but it will bring a few new aspects.
The interior, however, won't be one of them. The spy shots reveal it remains largely unchanged, but that it in no way a bad thing. GM isn't known for making brilliant cockpits, but this latest design that can be found - with some variations - across its compact range is arguably a home run. There are nice, flowing lines, the dashboard isn't cluttered with buttons, and the ergonomics are well sorted out. It won't win any prizes, but it'll do the job just fine.
The most important changes to the 2018 Buick Excelle GT will target, as it's natural, the front of the vehicle. Their extent, though, is mostly guesswork at this point because of the heavy camouflage. What we can see is a new headlight design with LED daytime running lamps, while the taillights also allow a new inside layout to creep out from under the camo.
Choosing an engine and transmission configuration on the Excelle GT might be a rather lackluster affair since GM's Chinese model doesn't offer too many options. At least not any juicy ones. It has a 1.5-liter engine developing 113 hp that works together with a six-speed automatic, even though we fear that's a bit of a poor match-up. The only decent option is the 1.4-liter turbo mated to a seven-speed DCG transmission, but as we all know from other GM products this setup is rather thirsty.
This is the first time the Buick Excelle GT facelift has been spotted as it's currently undergoing tests in the European Alps, so we suspect it won't launch sooner than the second half of next year, especially since the current Excelle GT hasn't been out in the market for that long.
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