Solidifying its transition from an American brand into a mostly Chinese one that just happens to sell cars in the U.S., Buick is about to launch an updated LaCrosse sedan just as the LaCrosse nameplate leaves the U.S. market. Buick ended production of the LaCrosse for the U.S., Canada and Mexico on Feb. 15 of this year (along with the Chevrolet Volt that was also built there) as it winds down the Detroit-Hamtramck plant while launching a 2020 model that will be produced in China for China.

The 2020 model with restyled front and rear fascias debuted this week at the Shanghai auto show -- an event that was upstaged by the supercar-fest going on at the Geneva motor show. The front wears slimmer headlights and a hexagonal grille with chrome elements stretched below the headlights, while the rear fascia has been reworked with high-set taillights linked by a horizontal chrome strip. Overall, the new LaCrosse looks sleeker and more athletic.

Buick also launched the Velite 6 plug-in hybrid in China, ahead of the launch of the (much more interesting) Velite EV that will be revealed later in 2019. The Velite 6 is actually a reworked the second-generation Volt underneath, which is sold as the Buick Velite 5 in China. The updated, longer and roomier Velite 6, resembling a small station wagon, will still use a 1.5-liter four-cylinder from the second-gen Volt.

Almost a month after production of the LaCrosse came to an end in the U.S., Buick has unveiled an updated version for China.

"The new-generation modular high-performance ternary lithium-ion battery pack will be assembled at the new state-of-the-art SAIC-GM Power Battery Development Center in Shanghai," Buick said. "The battery incorporates leading battery heat management technology, providing independent and uniform temperature control of each battery unit via liquid cooling. This will ensure a longer life cycle and more stable performance."

The upcoming EV version of the Velite 6 will also be produced in China, but it won't be offered in the U.S. That's right: Buick will offer an EV in China that it won't offer in the States.

When it comes to the LaCrosse, there are a number of long-brewing factors that have contributed to the demise of the North American LaCrosse model.

First and foremost, big American sedans have been on their way out for quite some time, and large Buick sedans have been clinging to an ever-shrinking audience for decades. Cadillac is the brand on which GM has staked the most in the last few years, offering a number of new (and somewhat overlapping) sedans just as the market started to shrink. Second, GM is in the midst of cutting underperforming nameplates, and the LaCrosse has been on the chopping block for some time. Third, Buick's lineup in China eclipsed the U.S. lineup a long time ago with a far greater range of models and a greater share of the luxury market.

Buick was one of the first American car brands to be produced in China, landing there about 20 years ago, and has been a runaway success there for much of that time. Unlike in the U.S. market, demand for sedans in China is still strong, only now beginning to be challenged by luxury SUVs and crossovers. More importantly, Buick still has impressive brand cachet in China on a level not matched even by Cadillac -- also present there in a slightly limited form.

We're still a few years away from all Buick models being produced in China, including those that will be exported to the U.S.

The Buick Velite 6, an updated version of the Velite 5 Chevy Volt sibling, will go on sale in China this year. The Velite 6 is more wagon-like, featuring a roomier interior.

When it comes to the Velite 6 and its upcoming EV twin, China is rocketing toward a purely EV and hybrid future via government mandate, which will prioritize electric and hybrid vehicles under the New Energy Vehicle umbrella. This means that it still makes sense for GM to offer a version of the Volt powertrain in China, after cutting the model in the U.S. as a result of changes in model strategy and lackluster sales. This is why we'll also see a pure-electric version of the second-gen Volt, which will have a rather modest range of under 200 miles, in China. That may not sound like a lot, placing it alongside the short-range version of the Nissan Leaf, but for traffic-clogged Chinese cities it will be plenty.

GM plans to launch no fewer than 10 New Energy Vehicles by the end of 2020 and another 10 by 2023, and this means that versions of the Bolt and Volt powertrains will get a heavy workout in the Chinese domestic market along with newly developed EVs and plug-in hybrids. Needless to say, GM's EV strategy for China is very different from its strategy for the U.S., where it does not plan to offer a next-gen Volt.

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