Buick’s Flagship Sedan Concept Looks Like A Citroen DS Beamed In From The Future

Buick, is that really you? GM’s mid-ranking premium brand has just pulled the covers off a stunning luxury sedan that’s a world away from the pleasant but forgettable SUVs and crossovers you’ll find in its US showrooms, but there are a couple of major downsides to the news.

Called Electra Orbit, the long, low four-door EV is unfortunately only a concept at this stage, but there’s a good chance much of what we see here will translate to future Buick flagship sedans. The other snag is you’ll have to live in China to get the chance to buy one.

A New Direction for Buick in China

China is a huge market for Buick, and GM has started to put real effort into making buyers look at the brand as a serious player in the luxury market. As part of that push, the company has launched its Electra sub-brand in Asia, and this new concept helps the Chinese audience understand what they are all about.

Related: Buick Treats China To A More Attractive And Luxurious Minivan

The Electra Orbit has a sleek profile that arcs from a razor-thin nose to an equally pointy tail, making it look more like a stretched GT coupe concept than a four-door sedan. The design appears to take inspiration from the 1950s space race, and is also reminiscent of the iconic original Citroen DS born in the middle of that decade.

A long wheelbase ensures plenty of room for Chinese buyers who often prefer to be driven rather than to drive, and the extended boat-tail overhang at the rear screams old-school luxury.

Visual Drama, Inside and Out

Six LED lights and an illuminated badge telegraph the branding from the front, and there are more Buick markers on the front fenders, wheel centers, and rear. Those kinds of visual details could well make it onto a production car, but the four scissor doors are less likely to make the cut.

Renderings of the interior reveal four individual seats separated by a central spine running front to rear, and a wide digital dashboard that appears to consist of one slim digital screen running from pillar to pillar. Some kind of orb on the console presumably controls the car’s various drive and infotainment systems, and there’s a holographic globe display hovering beneath the windshield.

Where It Fits in Buick’s EV Strategy

No technical details have been revealed, but the Electra Orbit is believed to be a full EV, although the Electra brand was conceived to sell both electric cars and hybrids.

Last month, Buick launched the far more conventionally styled Electra L7 sedan in China, built around Xiao Yao architecture. The BMW i5-sized sedan launches with a range-extender hybrid producing 502 hp (374 kW / 509 PS), although a BEV version is in the works.

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