The Buick GL8 LS plug-in hybrid is the people carrier with the longest range on the market

A Buick plug-in hybrid people carrier has become the production multipurpose vehicle with the longest range in the world. It sounds strange, but it is one of those automotive news stories nobody expected in 2026.

Although the Buick brand has lost prominence in the United States, it remains very much alive in China thanks to the alliance between General Motors and SAIC. There, the GL8 people carrier has won over a good number of Chinese drivers interested in vehicles like this one with generous interior space, which is why this model is offered in both electric and plug-in hybrid versions.

In this case, we will focus our attention on the Buick GL8 LS PHEV. This plug-in hybrid version has earned a Guinness World Record by becoming the production multipurpose vehicle capable of covering the greatest distance without refuelling or recharging its battery, after completing a route of 991.79 km.

Record in real-world conditions

The test, verified before a notary, was carried out on 18 January at the banked oval circuit of the Xi’an Weishui Test Drive Facility in China. The most notable aspect of this record is that it was achieved while maintaining a constant speed of 120 km/h and an average ambient temperature of just 5 degrees Celsius. These are remarkably realistic conditions: the car did not resort, as some might assume, to the trick of completing the test at very low speeds to reduce consumption or at extremely favourable temperatures.

The Buick GL8 LS PHEV has been sold in the Chinese market since last year. This model features the advanced plug-in hybrid system True Dragon, which combines a 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine with Miller cycle and two electric motors. Together they deliver 392 CV and 580 Nm of torque. It should also be noted that the LFP battery pack it carries has a capacity of 24.4 kWh and allows a pure electric range of up to 113 km under the optimistic Chinese CLTC homologation cycle, while the total combined range reaches 1,420 km.

Although the platform on which this model is based is already a decade old, the GL8 LS PHEV is part of a very broad range from the North American manufacturer, which in China also includes other versions such as the GL8 Legacy, GL8 ES and GL8 Century. This wide range of versions has made the GL8 lineup one of the most popular in the Chinese market.