Buick Re-Launches Park Avenue Name with RWD Zeta Sedan in China

As we’ve reported on several occasions, General Motors’ biggest brand in therapidly growing Chinese auto market isn’t Cadillac or Chevrolet, but rather it’s Buick. Across the Pacific, Buick’s lineup is significantly different than what it sells here; many of its products are re-badged GM-Daewoos or Holdens. What’s interesting is that despite this, Buick’s sales are actually stronger than its North American division, and the brand has a good, up-market image to the point where GM’s Chinese arm is starting to have an effect on what all the vehicles will look like, not to mention the future image of the brand.

Buick of China is trying to restore some of the brand’s heritage to its new products. No, you won’t be seeing any Chinese-built Buicks on this side of the Pacific anytime soon, but the names are going to be familiar. For instance, at Shanghai Buick showed off its brand new 2+2, gullwing sports car concept dubbed the Riviera. Although, for a car that consumers will be able to purchase in Chinese dealerships, Buick will be building the new Park Avenue, its flagship sedan.

The Park Avenue also marks the spread of General Motor’s Zeta chassisinto Europe. Essentially, this full-size sedan is a slightly restyled version of the long-wheelbase Holden Statesman (a relative of the Pontiac G8), and a carbon copy of the Daewoo L4X Concept, which was shown a few weeks ago at the Seoul Motor Show. Where the previous Park Avenue sedan that was sold in North America was considered on the large side of midsize, at 203.7 inches in length with a 118.4 inch wheelbase, the new car is nearly as large as a long wheelbase Audi A8.

Like Cadillac’s China-only SLS sedan, the Park Avenue has an interior that would shame our North American market products. The interior design is sleeker than any existing Buick, and looks to be more elegantly finished with top quality leather and wood. The list of luxury features for this car includes massaging seats for all four passengers, a rear-seat entertainment system, a navigation system and Bluetooth cellphone connectivity.

Buick of China will offer two powertrain choices with the Park Avenue, both of which include a V6. The base model is powered by a 201 horsepower 2.8-liter V6, while the top of the line car features the 3.6-liter V6 with variable valve timing that makes 250 horsepower, the latter of which is capable of accelerating from a standstill to 60 mph in 7.8 seconds. The engines for the Park Avenue are built by Holden in Australia before being shipped to China for installation.

Back in February, Automotive News reported that GM product guru, Rick Wagoner proposed to dealerships the idea of a rear-wheel drive Buick that’s related to the vehicle shown here. The dealers didn’t seem too thrilled about the prospect, claiming that such a vehicle would cannibalize sales of the front-wheel drive Lucerne. So, while the brand’s own dealers may have lost the vision of what Buick is all about, this Chinese Park Avenue certainly has captured the all-American spirit. It’s likely Buick would have greater success in North America if its U.S. division followed the lead of China.