Buick Century Raises the Bar for Ultra-Luxury Minivans

The Buick Century is a new flagship ultra-luxury minivan, sitting atop the brands GL8 family of vans offered in China. The Century comes in equally sumptuous four- or six-seat layouts, complete with 18-way adjustable seats. The Century will be available with three trim levels, starting around $74,500 and ranging to around $97,000 based on current exchange rates.

Want an ultra-luxury minivan? Move to China, and Buick’s got you covered with its new Century minivan (no, this isn’t related to the Buick Century sedan sold for many decades in the U.S.). Several high-end vans available in China have caught our attention before—including the boldly styled Lexus LM and Buick’s GL8 Avenir—and this latest Buick van’s cabin looks nearly on par with that of luxury sedans like the Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

The Century can be had in either a four- or six-seat layout. Covered with Nappa leather, the rear seats offer 18-way adjustments, five independent heating zones, and a massage function. Worried about cold feet? Don’t be. The extendable footrests are heated as well. The Century is designed to chauffeur the wealthy, and nothing screams wealth like 366 LEDs and 162 flashing lights in the suede headliner meant to resemble a starry night sky, complete with shooting stars.

The four-seat layout offers a partition between the driver and rear passengers, creating a private place to work or sleep while being chauffeured. A 32-inch entertainment screen can raise and lower at the touch of a button on yet another touchscreen. A cabin-talk system allows rear passengers to see and talk to the driver or front passenger. In a move that shows just how much the Century caters to its passengers, 16 of the vans 21 speakers are located in the rear passenger section. A 13-liter fridge keeps drinks cool, while the scent diffuser keeps the cabin smelling fresh.

The Century may favor its passengers, but the driver is not forgotten. The Century has a 30-inch virtual cockpit display as well as head-up display to project nav, speed, and other key vehicle info to the driver. Buick doesn’t provide many mechanical specs, but the Century is powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission and a 48-volt hybrid system.

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