Remember the Buick LaCrosse? This Is It Now

China Keeps Buick Relevant

To those still asking why General Motors kept Buick instead of Pontiac, the simple answer is China. The brand holds significant value there, and it remains a strong seller that's key to GM's Chinese business.

Need proof? Last year, Buick sold 436,729 vehicles in China, easily double its sales in the U.S. For reference, U.S. sales for the company totaled 198,155 units. Buick owes a lot to the expats and wealthy individuals who brought its cars to China during the first half of the 20th century.

That gave the brand a prestigious and aspirational image in the country, something GM capitalized on when it returned to China in the late '90s. Today, Buick has several models exclusive to that market, some of which feature names that may sound familiar to us.

The LaCrosse Lives

One such example is the LaCrosse. Formerly known as the Allure in Canada, it served as the successor of the Century and Regal. It spanned three generations until it was discontinued in 2019, except in China. As sedans are still a popular body style there, the LaCrosse continued to be produced and was even redesigned in 2023. This year, it gets a few updates to keep it fresh amidst stiffening competition.

The refreshed Chinese LaCrosse continues to ride on GM's VSS-F platform, which is also used for the Buick Encore and Envista. Based on photos from the China Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, it largely looks the same as the 2023 model. According to Chinese auto website AutoHome, the 2026 update largely focuses on technology than aesthetics.

So far, no other details have been provided about what exactly will be new this year. However, the fact that it's getting tweaks is a promising sign for the car's future there. We do see new wheels and grille elements, but that's all we observed from the sole front exterior photo.

Pure Combustion

Interestingly, there seem to be no efforts to electrify the LaCrosse. Despite China's push for EVs, the large (by Chinese standards) sedan remains resolutely combustion-powered only. Pure combustion vehicles still post decent sales over there, especially in parts where the charging grid isn't as widespread just yet. Buick aims to capitalize on that by keeping its more traditional models.

The government document suggests that there's only one engine choice available. If so, the sole option is a turbocharged 2.0-liter with 233 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque, conservative by today's standards, but should be more than enough for its target market. It's then mated to a nine-speed automatic, and no all-wheel-drive version is offered.

It's not like that the company is choosing to ignore electrification, though. Buick China revived yet another nameplate from the past and rebooted it to suit the market. That name is Electra, or more specifically, the Electra L7. It rides on a totally different architecture, but it sticks to being a sedan rather than being turned into a crossover. It's offered as an EV or range-extended EV, and it's aimed at those who'd like their Buick sedan with a more electrified twist.

View the full article