Buick Electra GS Concept Previews Electric Chinese Lineup

Buick currently only sells four SUVs in the US, with no announced plans to introduce anything else anytime soon for American buyers. But things are heating up over in China, where the premium GM brand is looking to make fresh inroads with customers with six new electrified models under the umbrella of a new “Electra” brand, including a sporty new GS sedan with no relation to the old Regal GS.

And purists might want to look away, because this is nothing like Buick’s Gran Sport models of old.

The Buick GS Sedan Is Back

The new GS for China is a handsome-looking sweeping cab-forward design in a vibrant orange paintjob, so it’s writing a check as a fun sporty model just based on looks alone. The front end is the fairly stock Buick look that has been on a number of concepts, with split hook-shaped DRLs above the headlight units. The rear is almost echoing Aston Martin, with strake-patterned lighting in a striking curved shape that also forms a small spoiler.

The GS badge (an abbreviation of Gran Sport) was last used in the US on the Regal sedan, for a sport-tuned model in the 2000s. It came with all-wheel drive, a 310-hp 3.6-liter V6 gas engine, adaptive dampers, and Brembo brakes. Now, the GS badge is on this new Electra sedan for China, which looks like it’s based on the previously mentioned Electra-L. No performance specs were detailed, so it’s unclear if it’s a hybrid or fully electric model.

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The Electra GS concept rides on 23-inch wheels and measures in at 208.7 inches long with a 126.0-inch wheelbase, so it’s slightly smaller than a comparable BMW 7 Series or Mercedes-Benz S-Class, with plenty of interior space. There’s a screen for the instrument cluster behind a yoke-style steering wheel, with an augmented reality driver display as well. The passenger gets a 16.3-inch entertainment screen. The center console features a row of physical buttons, and there are swaths of brown and black leather throughout the cabin.

History Of Electra

The Electra name was first used on a US sedan in the late 1950s, up until the 1990s. It has since been used in China for a pair of electric SUVs, one of which was once rumored to come stateside last year, but those plans have reportedly been scrapped. Now, the Electra name is expanding in China to include a total of six new PHEV and EV models in the next few years.

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Six New Electras For China

The six new vehicles include the Encasa minivan, a sedan based on the Electra-L concept that debuted last year, and at least one new SUV design, three of which were teased in a new image. The other models could include the two existing SUVs on sale under the brand, as well as the Electra GS concept that premiered at this week’s Shanghai Auto Show. That would account for all six, but it’s possible other models will be introduced in the future.