Buick looks to the future with 2 wildly styled van concepts

While we wrapped up the LA Auto Show last week, the Guangzhou Auto Show unfolded over the weekend, and it brought two new concepts from . The brand, which retains an idol-like status in the country, revealed the GL8 Flagship concept and the Smart Pod concept. The former's a good look at a future production van. The latter is probably a flash-in-the-pan design study and nothing else.

So we'll start with the GL8 Flagship, which retains the name from production van currently on sale in China today. The van goes in a very new, bold direction for Buick design with a new take on the brand's signature "winged" LED lights and an utterly massive grille. It feels quite Lexus compared to the tamer waterfall grille elements on production Buicks today. A mix of exterior colors highlight various parts of the wild design, as does the sweeping shoulder that flows from the headlight up to the C-pillar out back. The rear, meanwhile, gives off more Toyota vibes, specifically the Sienna minivan with a concave sweep in the tailgate and a lightbar that flows downward. 

Buick GL8 Flagship concept: A luxurious preview of China's new people hauler

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Inside, things take a far more futuristic turn with lounge seating and a design that takes inspiration from Chinese mountain and water landscapes, according to the brand. The futuristic lounge seats are also super flexible and the GL8 Flagship concept even sports a tea tray to sip on a beverage and integrated audio into the headrests. When there's no driver around, the van can also drive itself completely autonomously. That's rather pie-in-the-sky, but the massive 30-inch screen and full head-up display don't feel nearly as outlandish for a new GL8 when it's due.

Moving onto the Smart Pod, Buick said the futuristic van provides a look at tomorrow's "world class" comfort autonomous pod vehicles can provide. Although it's very forward-looking, it actually rides on Ultium electric vehicle platform and the automaker's new VIP electrical architecture. It's impressive to see today's production elements help create something as wild as this. The exterior, like the GL8 Flagship, provides another take on Buick's winged design elements, like the headlights, but they use micro LED technology. Buick said this tech is totally fluid, so the lights can provide welcome messages and all sorts of other animations. 

Inside, the interior is basically a mobile hotel with room for work and sleep. The "sleep seat" reclines fully when it's time for a nap and various areas feature hidden tables to find the best place to get some work done. The Smart Pod also includes noise-canceling technology, ambient sounds to lux up travel and a 50-inch retractable LED screen for entertainment or work. It sounds a lot nicer than your typical $100 motel room, honestly.

While the GL8 Flagship is definitely out for the US, perhaps the Smart Pod previews something that could slot into GM's future portfolio. We won't know until the fancy van's tech is truly ready for series production -- if it ever is.

Buick's Smart Pod is a relaxing look at the future

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