What Should GM Do With Pontiac?

[JoeT]

With all the talk lately of GM cutting one or more of it North American brands,
especially Pontiac and GMC, we though we would give you, our members, a chance to have your say.

So here is our latest front page poll - What should GM do with Pontiac? Tell GM what you think.

Related Thread - Pontiac's Uncertain Future Commentary
Related Thread - Which GM Brand(s) Do You Think Should Get The Chop?

[Bravada]

How would one "merge it with Saturn"? Just keep on going, give it some serious vehicles and make it a global brand.

[Caleb02]

i think they should brak gm in three companies.

company 1:
Chevy (entry level), Pontiac (mid level Acura) Buick (bmw)

Company 2:
Saturn (entry level some zoom zoom), Saab (High end)

Company 3:
Opel (Mid level), Caddy (Mercedes)

[samkung]

Turn it into a Brand which makes Super cars?? Like Ferrari ?? or Lotus?? I mean its a nice dream isnt it?

[Caleb02]

Originally Posted by samkung

Turn it into a Brand which makes Super cars?? Like Ferrari ?? or Lotus?? I mean its a nice dream isnt it?

In 1986, General Motors took full control of Lotus and created Lotus Cars USA in 1987. That relationship lasted until 1993, when GM sold Lotus to Bugatti. Bugatti's ownership was even shorter; Lotus was sold to a Malaysian firm in 1996. The same year, Lotus began producing the flyweight Elise.

[ksr]

Stop wasting money on Saab. Those resources should go to Pontiac. Saab was a money loser long before GM got involved and likely never will be profitable. They've always been somthing of a niche brand of limited appeal, and it is nearly impossible to turn a profit being a niche brand at the current Saab price point. With R&D costs these days, to be a profitable niche brand, you have to be selling vehicles of a much higher cost.

I'd combine Saturn and Pontiac. But it wouldn't be so much a combination as it would be Pontiac swallowing the resources going to Saturn. The Saturn name would be phased out over time, and their products given Pontiac styling. Even though Pontiac is down, I think there's way more brand equity there than with Saturn. Saturn makes great products now that aren't selling. I think they'd do better as Pontiacs.

[JT87]

Odd how, even with a near 40% drop in sales, replacing a high volume Grand Prix with a low volume G8, having a rebadged compact, the least 'fancy' of the midsize cars, a rebadged Toyota, a virtually unimproved roadster, and a rebadged compact CUV, Pontiac still outsells Saturn, what was touted to be GM's 'second biggest selling brand' in North America. Imagine how much better and earlier the Malibu could have came to market if it were not for the Aura. Or how much quicker and better developed the Canadian-built Chevy and GMC Thetas would be if it weren't for the Mexican-built VUE. I could go on... All that investment into what will almost certainly be a 'bargain basement, plastic car' brand to be behind Pontiac in sales, and not much higher than the 3 vehicle line Buick brand. Saturn can go the way of the Dodo, or be pushed back down the ladder.

That said, Pontiac has almost always been the Performance Division. Back in the early days, they put sixes where fours belonged, and eights where sixes belonged, and introduced 'Wide Track' to their lineup. They introduced the GTO, the Fiero, WS6 Trans Am's, etc. Give the cars the old names (Catalina, Bonneville, Grand Prix, Fiero, Firebird, GTO, Safari wagon, Ventura), some fresh, aggressive styling (a la G8), size them right, price them right, and it would have fit perfectly in the B-O-P(and G) group.

[hercman]

As of now I feel there is too many choices of vehicles. Look at the other makers. Most are only one to two divisions an everyday line and a luxury line. There needs to be more centralization/organization to make GM successful.

How many varients of the Camry is there? how many Accords?

[zinner]

I wouldn't miss Pontiac, most of their vehicle could be markets under Chevy no problem.

[Caleb02]

gm should only make one car until it can get that car to be #1 then have a 2nd car and so on. back to basics. they should have a stripper car with no radio, no power anything, just a real basic car, no extras....

[Xenon]

Save for the G8, Pontiac offers no performance options, G6 is the ugliest Epsilon there, and with the Grand Prix going away I thing Pontiac won't have as much volume as they have now. Worse yet GM is thinking of rebadging an Aveo for the Pontiac lineup...

[2002 Caddy]

Other:

In GM marketing speak so it is clear to the Brass

"Pontiac is Keep"
"Saturn is Kill"

[mgescuro]

I put "Other."

Why??

Because I believe if GM has the balls to actually maintain Pontiac as a mainstream performance brand with RWD sports vehicles, then Pontiac deserves to live with that focus and niche in mind.

However, if GM has the idea that Pontiac must soldier on as rebadged Chevrolets, then there's nothing special left at Pontiac, and might as well be shuttered with its R&D funds going to Chevy or Cadillac or any of the other remaining divisions.

[Archangel]

Pontiac should merge with Saturn, meaning, Pontiac gets more resources including Opel products and upgraded interiors along with Holden products. Pontiac should not build small fuel efficient models like Pontiac's version of the Aveo. However if they do they should be sportier with more powerful engines and more features. Any Pontiac base-model should be at least as equipped as a mid-level Chevy sibling (if they decide to keep on with Chevy re-badging). Pontiac's top-of-the-line engine should definitley be more powerful than any engine offered in its Chevy sibling. Case in point, Pontiac G6 GXP has the same hp rating as a Chevy Malibu LTZ. This should really not happen. Mazda is not even one of the big 3 japanese brands and has developed sporty, desirable models that have definitely boosted its sales. It's time to bring Pontiac back! Make a Pontiac sport compact that can give Civics and Mazda 3s a run for its money, a G6 that can steal sales from Altima and Accord, etc... Let Chevy battle against Toyota Yaris, Corolla, Camry and other boring but successful cars. Make Pontiac owners feel proud about their Pontiac!

[2b2]

Other < linky (also explains the following)
&
it occurred to me recently that GM is actually making one extremely appropriate Pontiac...
(in addition to the nearly appropriate G8 (imho))
it's just that they only sell it with the Luxury-by-Buick Pkg...

...and call it the "Cadillac" CTS