Buick’s lineup has changed dramatically in recent years, with China emerging as the brand’s most important market.
Buick’s model range has gone through a major transformation, and China has become the brand’s key market. Today, new hybrid vehicles wearing the iconic American badge are being built there through a joint venture—and one of the latest examples is the new Buick Electra E7 crossover. Here’s a first look.
Gone are the days of big, plush models like the legendary Roadmaster or classic coupes such as the Riviera. Modern Buicks are still focused on comfort, but now place a much stronger emphasis on efficiency and fuel economy, in line with global trends. One of the newest additions to the lineup is the Buick Electra E7, a plug-in hybrid crossover produced by the SAIC-GM joint venture in China.
The Electra E7 is a new five-seat crossover scheduled to officially launch on the Chinese market toward the end of 2026. It’s built on Buick’s “Xiaoyao” hybrid platform and uses the company’s latest “True Dragon Plug-in Hybrid Pro” technology.
The design takes inspiration from the Electra SUV concept and follows Buick’s so-called “winged element” design philosophy. Clean yet flowing lines, combined with split headlights, create a front-end look that Buick describes as “a shark cutting through the wind.” The Electra E7 measures about 191 inches long, 75 inches wide, and 66 inches tall, with a 112-inch wheelbase. It rides on 20-inch “Wing Flow Shadow” wheels wrapped in Michelin tires. At the rear, full-width “Galaxy Wing” LED taillights feature a distinctive parametric lighting pattern.
The new Electra E7 will come equipped with Buick’s “Xiaoyao Zhixing” (Xiaoyao Smart Travel) driver-assistance suite. Its digital instrument cluster, also based on the Xiaoyao architecture, is powered by Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8775P automotive processor.
Under the hood is a plug-in hybrid powertrain that delivers an all-electric driving range of more than 130 miles, with a total combined range of nearly 1,000 miles. The system pairs a 1.5-liter turbocharged gasoline engine producing 156 horsepower and 170 lb-ft of torque with an electric motor rated at 221 horsepower. Energy is stored in a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery pack.
The Electra E7 also stands out for its advanced suspension. The RTD predictive damping system scans the road surface 500 times per second and can adjust damping in milliseconds—up to 200 times per second, according to Buick. It’s capable of detecting road imperfections such as speed bumps or manhole covers from as far as 65 feet ahead, allowing the suspension to prepare in advance and deliver a smoother, more comfortable ride for both driver and passengers.