Manufacturer Shanghai GM Assembly China: Shanghai Successor Buick Verano | Production 2003–present Class Compact | |
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The Buick Excelle (Chinese: 別克凱越 or Chinese: 别克英朗) is the common name for the luxury compact cars marketed by Shanghai General Motors Company Limited (Chinese: 上海通用汽車有限公司) under GM's Buick brand.
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The original Buick Excelle (Chinese "Kai Yue") is based on the Daewoo Lacetti developed in South Korea by Daewoo Motors. While this car was originally sold worldwide under the Daewoo brand, in 2004, General Motors rebranded all Daewoo products in Europe as Chevrolets.
Parallel to the Lacetti-based Excelle, Shanghai GM introduced a new car, also called "Buick Excelle" in China, but called "Ying Lang" in Chinese. It is based on GM's global compact car platform "Delta II" which is developed at Rüsselsheim in Opel's International Technical Development Center (ITDC). The Chevrolet Cruze is based on this same platform.
Since the 2009 economic crises and the subsequent demise of the Saturn brand and reduction of GM's North American brands to four, the Opel models are aligned no longer with the Saturn brand, but the Buick brand. Consequently, the models built and marketed by Buick China are twins of the Opel variants of GM's global platforms.
Originally presented in China as a hatchback called the Excelle XT in 2009, which is essentially a rebadged Astra J (2009–present) or as a sedan presented in 2010 called the Buick Excelle GT (Chinese: 别克英朗GT). A North American version of the Excelle GT is assembled in the United States and marketed as the Buick Verano.
In August 2016, Buick decided to end Excelle production despite strong sales, with 2.68 million units sold over the course of 13 years. Citing its low price while the brand moves upmarket as a main reason, there will be no direct successor, with Chevrolet and Wuling filling in the low-end market niche left unoccupied by the departure of the Excelle.
First generation (2003–2016)
The first generation was available in a sedan or wagon and Excelle HRV (hatchback) and was a rebadged Daewoo Lacetti. The HRV and wagon have both ended production, but the sedan continued to produced locally in Shanghai until at least August 2016.
The model year 2008 received a facelift consisting of a new front fascia, new rear end design and updated interior. The facelift was partly inspired by the Buick Park Avenue. A second facelift consisting of a new grille was released in 2013.
Excelle XT (hatchback)
The Excelle XT hatchback made its debut in late 2009 at the Guangzhou Auto show and the Excelle GT saloon in late 2010. The hatch went on sale in China only in January 2010 and the sedan in early 2011. The XT is essentially a rebadged Opel Astra for the Chinese market only, with the most noticeable differences being Buick badges and a new grille.
Engine options for the Buick Excelle XT include:
All engines are available with a six-speed automatic transmission featuring a sport mode.
Excelle GT (sedan)
Another version of the Opel Astra that shares the design cues of the Excelle GT is assembled and marketed in North America as the Buick Verano. Production of the Verano began in the fourth quarter of 2011 at the General Motors Orion Assembly plant. The Verano went on sale late in 2011 as a 2012 model.
A facelifted Buick Excelle GT was introduced as a 2015 model. The new model has a completely new look, with new front and rear bumpers, new lights, new grille, and a more luxurious cabin. New engines such as a 1.5-liter 113 hp (84 kW) mated to a six-speed automatic gearbox. Production of the new model began in late 2015.