Extraordinary adventures of an American in China
The Buick Excelle (Chinese: 別克凱越; pinyin: Biékè kǎiyuè) is the common name for some cars marketed by General Motors China under GM’s Buick brand since 2009, in sedan, estate and hatchback bodies adapted to the needs of Chinese consumers. It has analogues in the USA and Europe.
Complex genealogy
The Buick Excelle (Chinese ‘Kai Yue’) is based on the famous Daewoo Lacetti developed in South Korea by Daewoo Motors. In 2004, General Motors renamed all Daewoo models in Europe as Chevrolets, and the Buick somehow got lost, but it took on a new life in China.
In China, a hatchback called the Buick Excelle XT debuted in 2009, which is essentially a rebadged Astra J (2009). In 2010, Shanghai GM unveiled a new vehicle in China called the Buick Excelle GT, based on GM’s Delta II global compact car platform, which was developed in Rüsselsheim at the Opel International Technical Development Center (ITDC). The world-popular Chevrolet Cruze is built on the same platform.
Thus, all models and modifications of the Chinese Buick Excelle of American origin were and are some other American and even European cars. We’ll just have to live with it.
The first generation
It was produced from 2003 to 2016. The first Buick Excelle was available in sedan, estate and hatchback bodies, whereas the latter two were produced from 2005 to 2009, and the sedan continued to be produced in Shanghai from 2003 to 2016.
In 2008-2009, the car underwent a restyling, during which the front panel, rear design, headlights and bumpers were slightly modified, and the interior was slightly improved. Now the Chinese Buick Excelle looked similar to another Buick, American Buick Park Avenue. A 1.6-liter engine was standard for the restyled model. During the second restyling in 2013, the car acquired a new radiator grille. The 1.6-liter engine was replaced by a more fuel-efficient 1.5-liter one.
Chinese puzzle
In August 2016, Chinese GM suddenly announced termination of the Excelle production. This led to confusion, because in fact, the Excelle continued to be released, as it was still very popular in China. And then, probably in accordance with the pretentious Chinese philosophy of endless cycles of dying and rebirth, the Buick Excelle was reintroduced to the public in 2018! Moreover, the Chinese said that this is a completely new car. But at the same time, it is the same Excelle.
The second generation
It has been produced from 2018 to the present (as of 2021). The second Excelle is built on the GEM Buick Excelle platform and is equipped with a new 1.3-liter 4-cylinder dual fuel injection engine producing 106 hp, which can be coupled with a 6-speed manual transmission and a CVT.
New options include automatic LED headlights, eConnect cloud technology, standard Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA).
The new 2019/2020 Buick Excelle features a slightly upgraded design, a wheelbase of 2,611 mm (11 mm more than its predecessor), a taller and wider body and a more spacious interior. There are also a number of new connectivity, traffic management, fuel consumption and safety options.
