Buick has an image problem in the U.S., where it’s seen as a brand for The Olds, and where it’s planning to take its own name off of its cars in 2019. But in China, where Buick sold 1.2 million vehicles last year, it’s a completely different story. Electric is also big there, which brings us to the big Buick news of the day: an electric concept for China called the Enspire.
The Enspire will debut later this month in Beijing, and reflects Buick’s continued push into China and what is turning out to be the future of the brand. And while the Enspire is just a concept, GM has said that it will launch 20 new electric vehicles by 2023, meaning that the Enspire is just the tip of the iceberg.
Buick didn’t release many details about what might be inside, just the teaser image you see above, though we can probably assume that it’ll be based on the Chevy Bolt platform. One other burning question: Will the Enspire, in some form, ever be available in the U.S.? We don’t know, but GM acquired the trademark to “Enspire” here nearly three years ago, according to GM Authority.
I will say, I like the look of that rear, and it has me vaguely excited for a new Buick for the first time since ... I dunno, the Reatta? Nah. Not even then.