2000 Buick Century on 2040-cars

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Buick reveals production GL8 Century minivan, and you can't have one

The futuristic GL8 MPV concept Buick showed late last year in China is headed to production. This jazzed-up people-mover appears to have held true to its concept design, with only a few elements of the exterior getting attention before heading to the assembly line.  At first blush, the most significant change from the concept is the exterior paint scheme, which was essentially inverted over several of its surfaces. The glossy silver grille of the concept gave way to a more conventional honeycomb pattern for the production version, but accents in a similar silver finish are now visible along the hood and roofline and the rising wave that peaks just in front of the GL8 Century's C-pillar.  Admittedly, the production car loses some of the wilder elements of the concept's cabin, but perhaps not as much as you might expect based on the interior photo included here. We can only see the rear seats, which give off sort of a baby private jet vibe that is vastly more impressive than what Buick offers in its American SUVs.  The Century will sit atop Buick's GL8 lineup of MPVs (which includes the more-pedestrian GL8 ES and GL8 Legacy) in China when it goes on sale later this year. Related video: 2022 Kia Carnival EX Sliding Minivan Doors | Autoblog Short Cuts

Top-of-the-line 2018 Buick Regal TourX costs $43,795

Buick has unveiled an online configurator for the 2018 Regal TourX wagon, and it shows that picking the full suite of premium options puts the sport wagon at $43,795. That prices it under its Regal GS Sportback sibling and competitors like the Volvo V60 Cross Country and Audi A4 Allroad. The luxury hatchback starts at $29,995 and is available in three trim options: TourX 1SV, Preferred ($33,575) and Essence ($35,945). All are powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that puts out 250 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque and drives an eight-speed automatic transmission. Intelligent all-wheel-drive with active twin-clutch, start-stop technology and 18-inch painted aluminum wheels are also standard. There are eight exterior color options, including Sport Red and Summit White for no extra charge, and two options for the interior at no extra charge. Driver Confidence package options come with things like LED headlamps, 4-way lumbar seat adjuster and rear park assist for $1,725, and various driver-assist technologies including adaptive cruise control and forward collision alert for an additional $1,190. A panoramic moonroof will set you back $1,200. At 73.5 cubic feet with the second-row seats folded down, Buick says the TourX boasts more overall cargo space than the Subaru Outback, Volvo V60 Cross Country, Audi A4 Allroad and BMW 3-series Sport Wagon. The rear hatch area offers 32.7 cubic feet with the seats up.Related Video:

GM expanding Lansing Lambda CUV plant

Considering that crossovers are a rapidly growing portion of the US auto market, it's not surprising to hear that General Motors is preparing to build even more of them. The company is investing $63 million to expand its Lansing Delta Township Assembly plant that builds Lambda platform CUVs like the Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave.
According to GM, the expansion will add roughly 263,000 extra square feet of space to the plant. Of that, 181,000 square feet will be for an updated body shop with cutting-edge robots. There will also be 54,000 square feet of additional room in the paint shop and 28,000 square feet of more area for general assembly.
GM isn't saying as much, but there is the possibility that this extra space could allow for additional models produced at the factory. Cadillac reportedly dropped plans to build a three-row SUV on the Lambda platform earlier this year, however, dealers for the luxury brand were recently pitched the possibility of adding large and small CUVs, an ATS convertible or a sedan below the ATS.