The Pontiac G3 is Coming
Published: June 2nd, 2008
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Last week, we told you the EPA had certificated the Aveo-based Pontiac G3. We posited it would hit Pontiac showrooms in the U.S. next year. Now Automotive News [sub] is thinking the same thing, citing "dealer sources" who say it's true– even though many Pontiac Buick/Pontiac/GMC dealers say they didn't ask for the car. Nor do they want it. Interestingly, several Pontiac executives found out the EPA had certified the G3 over the Memorial Day weekend, about the same time we did. Like it or not, GM needs to raise its CAFE averages in a hurry and adding something small, cheap and based on an existing car is the easiest way to do it. It just isn't the best way.
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At this rate, it won't be long until GM no longer makes any of their own small cars.
Even though the GEO Metro was a piece of crap, it got 40-50 mpg on the hwy. The AVEO/G3 barely breaks 35. What I don't understand...can't GM/Ford "detune" their truck engines via computer module to have less horsepower and more mpgs? Change the I6 in the Trailblazer from 275hp to 220-240 and gain 4-5 mpgs hwy? Silverado from 330hp to 270hp and gain 4-5mpgs? Is it not that simple? Would consumers notice the hp drop but appreciate the mpg gain?
Pontiac needs this car (well, they need a car this size that gets 5 MPG more, but...). People need to understand that Buick/GMC/Pontiac is just Chevy Part Deux. Both a Buick/GMC/Pontiac dealer and a Chevy dealer need full line ups of vehicles to sell, including subcompacts. This of course means lots of duplication between the two, but that really can't be helped. Pontiac is never really going to be the "excitement division", although they will have some sporty products. Pontiac exists so GMC truck dealers have some cars to sell on the side (although, if things continue the way they have been, it will be Pontiac dealers sell some GMC trucks on the side). Now, all that being said, it's quite possible that the only Pontiac dealers that will get this car are Canadian ones. The Pontiac Wave and Chevy Optra were certified by the US government, although both were Canada-only models. GM apparently does this so people Canadians who then move to the US can keep their cars (and, since they are clones of models sold in the US, no extra tests are needed).