Buick reveals Electra 4 - its second Ultium-based SUV for China

14 June 2023

Buick waited exactly two months since it unveiled its first Ultium SUV for China, to reveal the second model. While the Electra 5 is a medium size SUV slightly larger than the Tesla Model Y, the all-new Electra 4 is its smaller and sportier cousin. Buick Electra 4 is the closest we are going to get to the Buick Electra-X concept car the company revealed a while back.

This isn’t a full unveiling though, Buick is only showing the design of the new SUV but keeping most of the technical details secret for now. The coupe-like SUV has a wheelbase of 116.3 inches which places it firmly in the Tesla Model Y territory. Both front and rear lights follow the same design language, first introduced by the Electra 5. But that’s where the similarities end - at least on the outside.

With a long wheelbase, short overhangs, and a low roofline, the Electra 4 looks very attractive, its fake grille is just as large as on the Electra 5, but it doesn’t detract from the attractive overall design. If you squint your eyes hard enough, you can just see the influence of the Jaguar I-Pace - but with all the sharp edges replaced with gentle curves.

The interior of the Electra 4 is Electra 5 all over again - and that’s a compliment. We get the same 30-inch 6K curved display sitting behind the same steering wheel. The dashboard is very similar - down to the physical controls under the screen and drive selector in the center console. Window switches, side mirrors, and even the roof-mounted interior light with a set of control LEDs - almost identical to Electra 5.

Although Buick did not disclose any powertrain details, thanks to the Chinese MIIT approval procedure, we know that Electra 4 will be powered by a single electric motor with 180 kW (245 hp) output. This is the same powertrain Electra 5 uses in the standard range model. The Electra 4 will very likely use the 68.4 kWh battery from its bigger sibling, which should be enough for at least 342 miles of CLTC range.

The AWD model will follow later and it will use the 211 kW (287 hp) powertrain from the Electra 5. Buick will introduce the Avenir trim as well for the top-of-the-range model. The company did not say when the Electra 4 will go on sale and at what price. The expectation here is that the new SUV will retail between RMB 200,000 and 260,000 ($28,000 to $36,000) as it has to keep a gap from the larger Electra 5.

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