Asia is good at minivans. Like, really good.
While automakers are busy packing all their newest tricks and tech into whatever SUV-shaped products the North American market demands, in Asia, the luxury minivan is still very much a thing. And for an indication of how glorious its reign is, look no further than the just-revealed 2023 Buick GL8 Century Flagship MPV (Multi Purpose Vehicle), which will not be coming to Canada.
As Buick’s new range-topper for the new fourth-generation GL8, the Century has a clear role to play in China, where it will likely shuttle around executives and VIPs in its living room-like rear cabin, complete with sumptuous leather seats and a massive folding screen that acts as a divider between the front and back.
What is it about a minivan with a segmented rear interior that looks like a swanky living quarters? Or is it just me who wants to move in whenever I see a back-seat screen bigger than the laptop upon which I watch Netflix every evening?
2023 Buick GL8 Century Flagship MPV (China) Photo by Buick
2023 Buick GL8 Century Flagship MPV (China) Photo by Buick
2023 Buick GL8 Century Flagship MPV (China) Photo by Buick
2023 Buick GL8 Century Flagship MPV (China) Photo by Buick
2023 Buick GL8 Century Flagship MPV (China) Photo by Buick
2023 Buick GL8 Century Flagship MPV (China) Photo by Buick
2023 Buick GL8 Century Flagship MPV (China) Photo by Buick
2023 Buick GL8 Century Flagship MPV (China) Photo by Buick
The seats – cushy white leather ‘buckets’ with expansive headrests stuffed with Bose speakers, and long leg rests extending forward into the large cabin – also look more comfortable than my mail-order mattress. Sun blinds and ambient lighting with a darkened overhead that simulates a starry night insure passengers won’t be bothered by whatever the actual sky is doing.
From the outside, the new flagship trim leads with a trapezoidal grille and blunt front end punctuated by reconfigured dual-direction headlights. It measures in at 5,320 mm long, 1,980 mm wide, and 1,867 mm tall, and will wear a duo-tone paint job, like pictured here in a metallic forest green and brushed silver.
Canada definitely will not get a Century level GL8 van, but may see some of the vehicle’s features bleed over into North American Buick models like the compact Envision or mid-size Enclave SUVs.
Buick meanwhile recently previewed the design language for its upcoming onslaught of electric vehicles with the Wildcat Concept EV, a four-seater coupe with semi-swing doors and a fastback finish.
Keyword: Buick debuts lustworthy GL8 Century Flagship MPV in China