Bitauto's original "GL8" is a name that can occupy a place in the development history of China's automobile industry. For a long time, it can be said that it has almost dominated the entire business MPV market in China. What's even more rare is that, against the backdrop of today's ever-expanding model selection, GL8 can still achieve sustained and stable sales performance, and its annual sales volume still ranks first in the MPV list. As for the fundamental reason, I think it is nothing more than that GL8 is constantly adapting to the domestic market while ensuring its original competitiveness. The new GL8 Aivia/ES Lu Zun released by Buick this time just confirms this. Such a view.
The front face has changed dramatically
This generation of Buick GL8 was launched in 2016, and in this generation of GL8, Buick launched the flagship version of Aivia for the first time. During this period, the vehicle's appearance underwent a minor upgrade. While the appearance of the new GL8 Aivia/ES Lu Zun has changed, it also brings a new body color of "Canghai Blue" and three Heyue version configurations, which also provides consumers with more choices.
Compared with the previous upgrades, the appearance changes of the new GL8 Aivia/ES Lu Zun are more "drastic". The appearance changes of the new car are mainly reflected in the grille. According to the manufacturer, this styling concept comes from the cornice and bracket structure of ancient Chinese architecture. The headlights upward create the momentum of cornices, while the expanded grille trim emphasizes the overall structure.
The difference between the front faces of the new GL8 Aivia and the ES Lu Zun is very subtle. The two models only differ in the details of the armor grille. Compared with the current model, the new car's mid-grid grille weakens the difference between the Avia and the ES Luzun. However, the Aivia's merlot burgundy exclusive body color is not available in the ES Luzun. In addition, the word "BUICK" on the front lip of the new GL8 Aivia/ES Lu Zun also reflects the designer's little thought.
The headlights of the vehicle still adopt the original shape, and the internal structure also continues the wing-type LED daytime running lights + 8 independent LED light sets. The Aivia's headlights also have a Matrix matrix function, which can achieve 8 different lighting modes according to vehicle speed and road conditions.
The body side of the new GL8 Aivia/ES Lu Zun is no different from the current model. The design is relatively simple. Its length, width and height are 5219x1878x1799mm, and the wheelbase is 3088mm. The vehicle has a privacy glass configuration starting from the second row. Except for the lowest-end 653T comfort model, which only uses a right-side electric door, the rest of the models are equipped with double-side electric doors.
The rear shape of the vehicle has not changed and is still the familiar look.The wing-shaped taillights echo well with the headlights. The Aivia's taillights are somewhat different from the ES Lu Zun in shape. They are more three-dimensional and have an interactive effect of light language. The high-mounted brake light at the top and reversing light at the bottom are also consistent with the current model.
The style of the new GL8 Aivia/ES Lu Zun is also consistent with the current model. ES Lu Zun is equipped with 18-inch aluminum alloy wheels, which adopt a multi-spoke shape and two-color matching. Aivia's wheels have an exclusive design, a more three-dimensional shape, and are 18 inches in size. The original factory is equipped with German Continental tires, specification 225/55 R18. Among them, the Aivia and the two Heyue high-end models also have the function of self-repairing tires, but because of this, they are not equipped with spare tires.
The interior maintains its original style
The interior styling of the new GL8 Aivia/ES Lu Zun remains consistent with the current model, and the cockpit adopts a 360° wraparound design concept. The instrument panel is covered with soft slush molding and leather, and the texture is relatively good. The central control operating area is still the familiar suspended style. In addition to our common beige color scheme, the new GL8 also provides a color scheme called "Zoya Gray". The shape of the steering wheel remains the same, and its slightly larger size is suitable for a medium to large MPV.
Zhuo Ya Gray interior color scheme
Aivia still uses some special designs in the details of the interior. There are three-dimensional diamond-shaped corrugated reliefs on the right side of the instrument panel and the inside of the door panels, and the roof lining is also made of suede fabric. In addition, the Avia's floor is covered with plush carpet imported from Australia, but according to most people's car usage habits, it will soon be covered by floor mats.
The new GL8 Aivia/ES Lu Zun still adopts the design of suspended dual screens. The dual screens are composed of a 12.3-inch LCD instrument and a 12.3-inch central control screen. The central control screen is embedded with the Buick eConnect interconnection system, and the interface adopts the currently popular card-style + Dock shortcut bar combination. The vehicle system has functions such as navigation, voice control, Apple CarPlay/Baidu CarLife, multimedia entertainment, and remote start. It can well meet daily car needs.
The new GL8 ES Lu Zun 653T smart flagship model shot this time has reached a very rich level in terms of interior configuration. It has a 360° panoramic image, automatic three-zone air conditioning, PM2.5 air filtration, front and rear Segmented sunroof, induction electric rear tailgate, 12-speaker BOSE audio, streaming rearview mirror, induction wipers, etc. The functional configuration in the car is different from that of the new GL8 Aivia six-seat Xianli version.Don't be too small.
At the same time, the seat configuration of the new GL8 ES Lu Zun 653T smart flagship model has also reached a very high level. The front driver's seat has a 12-way electric adjustment function, and the passenger seat is 6-way and equipped with In addition, the front seats also have armrests, heating and ventilation. The Aivia six-seater Xianli version has the same functional configurations, but its seat fabrics and aviation headrests still reflect the advantages of the exclusive version. In addition, except for the lowest-end 653T comfort model, all other models have small tables behind the first row of seats.
New GL8 ES Lu Zun 653T smart flagship model
New GL8 Aivia Six-seater Xianli Edition
The second row of the new GL8 ES Lu Zun 653T smart flagship adopts all-inclusive seats. The seats have the functions of electric backrest and electric leg rest, and are heated and ventilated. , massage function is also equipped, and the seat slides forward and backward manually. Since the second-row seats also provide aviation headrest configurations, the difference between it and the Avia six-seater Xianli version is only reflected in the seat fabric.
Although the second row of the low-end ES Lu Zun model is also equipped with independent seats, it is not fully inclusive. According to the manufacturer, this kind of seat is more suitable for the placement of baby seats and also reflects its IKEA attributes. At the same time, it also has electric backrest, electric leg rest, heating, ventilation and aviation headrest configurations, ensuring a certain level of comfort.
The third row of seats in the new GL8 ES Lu Zun 653T smart flagship model has a 3-seater layout. The middle backrest can be folded down to be used as a central armrest when idle, but low-end models do not have this function. The third row of seats can be folded flat in a 4/6 ratio, but when folded flat, there will be a high gap between it and the trunk floor, which is not suitable for loading large items.
The third row of the new GL8 Aivia six-seat Xianli version adopts a 2-seat layout, and the seats are independently designed and can slide forward and backward respectively. It is worth mentioning that these two seats are also equipped with heating and ventilation functions, which is rare in many three-row models. However, due to structural limitations, these two seats cannot be folded forward.
The experiencer is 172cm tall. After adjusting the suitable driving posture, there is about 2 fists of room for the head. Entering the second row, the headroom has about 1 punch + 4 fingers, and on the premise that the legroom in the second row is 1 punch + 4 fingers, the third row can stillIn order to obtain the leg space of 1 punch, the head space is about 1 punch + 4 fingers. This performance also fully reflects the space advantage of MPV. At the same time, the seat height of the third row is also very suitable for long-term riding, which can ensure better comfort.
The storage space in the new GL8 Aivia/ES Lu Zun is still very good, and engineers have developed the vehicle's storage capacity to a relatively high level. At the same time, the vehicle has a total of 7 USB-C interfaces, which also ensures that when the seats are full, each occupant can charge his or her mobile phone device, and the 220V interface in the second row can also charge laptops and other office devices. Supplies provide power.
The power continues to be 2.0T+48V light hybrid
The powertrain of the new GL8 still uses a 2.0T engine coupled with a 48V light-hybrid system. The engine has a maximum power of 174kW and a maximum torque of 350N·m. This engine has variable valve management technology, which can switch between two-cylinders and four-cylinders according to different working conditions, taking into account fuel consumption and power performance. This engine is matched with a 9AT gearbox developed by General Motors. In addition, the intervention of the 48V mild hybrid system also allows the vehicle to perform better in terms of fuel economy, NVH and acceleration.
The chassis of the new GL8 Aivia/ES Lu Zun uses front MacPherson and rear multi-link independent suspension, while the business class on land will still use a torsion beam non-independent rear suspension. . In terms of driving assistance, except for the ES Lu Zun 653T comfort model, all other models have the functions of adaptive cruise, automatic parking, lane keeping, lane departure warning, forward anti-collision warning, active braking, and traffic sign recognition. The model is also equipped with full-speed adaptive cruise, lane centering, and door-opening warning functions.
Editor's comment: GL8 has been upgraded more and more frequently in recent years. At the same time, it not only took the lead in launching flagship models like Aivia, but also added new configurations to cater to the increasingly saturated MPV market. market reaction. Today's MPV market is no longer what it used to be. More and more manufacturers are beginning to regard MPV as another focus after cars and SUVs, and have launched many worth-seeing works. Therefore, if you want the new GL8 It is quite difficult to recreate the glory of the past, but from it, we can still feel the strength and heritage of the domestic business MPV. I think it still belongs to it as the sales leader.
We can see through the Bitauto App that in the past year, Buick GL8 has sold a total of 138,867 units, ranking first in the domestic MPV market, and still significantly ahead of the second-placed model.
