Buick Just Launched a Five-Meter Electric Sedan for $25,200, but Only in China

The Electra L7 EV arrives in three trims with official sticker prices of RMB 179,900 to 209,900, cut to RMB 169,900 to 199,900 ($25,200 to $29,700) under launch incentives, and as low as $23,100 once national subsidies are stacked on.

Buick is marketing it as the first 700-km luxury electric sedan under RMB 170,000. The launch event happened to fall on Qixi, China's Valentine's Day, and the first 18 buyers, all newlywed couples, took delivery on stage.

At 198.1 inches long (5,032 mm) on a 118.1-inch (3,000 mm) wheelbase, this is a proper mid-to-full-size sedan. The cabin is the sales pitch.

Every trim gets pressure-relieving seats with ventilation, heating and massage on all four positions, a reclining zero-gravity front passenger seat, the largest PDLC dimming glass roof in its class, double-laminated glass, active noise cancellation and a 27-speaker Buick Sound system.

The playbook is obvious, counter the tech startups with old-school luxury quietness and ride comfort.

The powertrain is identical across the range, an 800V architecture, an 80.6 kWh CATL LFP battery, 436 miles (702 km) of CLTC range, and 6C fast charging that adds 280 miles in 10 minutes. A single rear motor makes 378 hp and 282 lb-ft, good for 0-62 mph in 5.6 seconds. Driver assistance runs on Momenta's R6 reinforcement-learning model, with lidar on the upper two trims.

The backdrop matters here. The range-extended L7 that launched last September sold just 354 units this June, so the EV's aggressive pricing reads as a joint venture finally fighting Xiaomi and Zeekr on their own turf.

Buick has not sold a sedan, let alone an EV, in its home market for years. These days the century-old brand's best work is a China-only sedan built with SAIC, and Americans are left admiring it from afar.