What Should GM Do With Pontiac?

[LeSabre]

Originally Posted by ptviperz

Not really....GTO and Trans Am are American history...what else have they ever made? My last GM was Pontiac but I wouldn't consider them today. G8 is nice and all, but no manual and no Nav in a $30K+ sports sedan? Are you kidding me?

The rest of Pontiac is junk. G3? G5? G6? Could the names (and the cars) get any worse? Rebadged Aveo, Cobalt and a 5 year old horrible interior in the G6.

And really, the people that buy GM are gonna buy GM forever, GM needs to look elsewhere for growth. No one outside of GM loyalists gives a crap about a Tempest from 40 years ago. They need to come with an idea like the Maxima....it doesn't really compete with the Accord and Camry, it's a step up in luxury with a performance edge. THAT'S what Pontiac needs to be. G8 needs to be a little smaller, with a little better fuel economy. 360 HP V8 is stupid, 330 hp with a nice V6 will get the job done if they shrink it a bit.

Build from the G8, the cars don't have to be all RWD with a V8....just a nicer looking, better handling, and a little faster than the competition. G6 could be a nice car if they updated the looks and completely redo the interior.

Are you kidding me? IF there wasn't a Pontiac there wouldn't have been those models that we like & others that we dislike or even hate.

Read about the history of Pontiac here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontiac

[ptviperz]

Originally Posted by marinerbc

Well I for one am not too concerned what your last Pontiac or GM was; you went Import, so you have little pull on this subject. Schilling for Nissan on this site is pretty lame..even for you.

I'm not schillling (whatever that is) for Nissan....and I'm not talking about my 6 year old car LOL. Heck, my car is 6 years old and TWO generations out of date now. How long has the same boring G6 been around? Take a look at the new Maxima, look at the interior and read about the handling. THAT'S what Pontiac needs to move toward. It can't be a Chevy rebadge, it has to offer more than a different nose and tailights. How hard can it be to use different springs/struts and give a car 10 more HP? Upgrade the interior?

For some reason I still root for GM although they make it really hard sometimes. CTS is sharp, I like the G8. That's about it.

[ptviperz]

Originally Posted by LeSabre

Are you kidding me? IF there wasn't a Pontiac there wouldn't have been those models that we like & others that we dislike or even hate.

None of that is relevant today. No one buys a car because of what a company made 50 years ago. At least no one I know.

[cyclone]

sell it to lamborgini they could use small small sports.

[camaro_freak]

here's a comment... how about a new poll?

[WookieOnRitalin]

Three of my family members have Pontiacs. 1996 2.4L Sunfire Convertible, a 2003 2.2L Sunfire Coupe, and a Pontiac G6 V6. I have driven all of them and have found them pleasant enough. In fact, that convertible is pretty fun to throw around with the bigger engine. It scoots and moves tight on turns if not a little stiff on the ride. Space is tight in both coupes, but thats true for most GM compacts.

The problem I find with Pontiac now is that it simply has no identity other than a rebadge factory for Chevy which is ultimately destructive for Chevy's sales as well.

I think Pontiac should stay with a different mentality. I think right now, GM is putting little to no money to develop any new products for Pontiac because it simply has no money to spend on new product development other than for Chevy, Buick, and Cadillac. Saturn would be considered, but GM has essentially just been rebadging Opels as Saturns so that is not really product development.

When they mainstreamed Pontiac back in the 90s, GM had a lot of success, but if you look at the products they came out with (Grand Am/Prix, Sunfire), they were still uniquely different from Chevy products at least in sheet metal. They felt and looked different even if mechanically they were the same. Pontiac is a brand to be had with a big enough consumer base to get people driving them again if they could fork over just enough cash to develop some interested designs.

My question is, why has GM sat on their hands and not gone after the one brand that makes sense for Pontiac to go after. MAZDA! If you stack up Pontiac now to Mazda, Mazda wins hands down in terms of style, quality, design, and performance. It's a landslide and Pontiac is supposed to be about fun is it not? Well, why hasn't GM gone after the one mainstream brand that's all about fun in Mazda? Or, why not take Pontiac on the Subaru route and make everything in the brand AWD? I'm sure it would cost money over the next 10-15 years, but it can be done. It would bring more people to the brand than take away.

In my view, Pontiac needs to take Mazda, Subaru, and Scion head on. I'd rather Pontiac survive as a profitable niche brand then as the capital bleeder it has become now for GM. I think everyone is in most agreement that Pontiac needs...

1: A four door compact with unique styling, better handling (AWD option?)
2: AWD Mid-Size and Full-Size Cars
3: A compact SUV built on a unibody platform to improve fuel efficiency and handling (Rogue, Forester come to mind)
4: An improved Solstice

This is all you really need. If nothing else, let the Vibe phase out and sell the next compact as a sedan, coupe, and hatch.

I think all other segments should belong to other brands. Pontiac does not need a 7-8 passenger vehicle nor a huge SUV.

[mattyman1010]

I say merge Saturn and Pontiac and either rename them Holden or Opel who knows then GM could start making a profit from them!

[Joep76]

I think Pontiac can still exist in the BPG brand. It can get the small vehicals, coupes and convertibles from Opel. While Buick gets the larger sedans from Opel. And GMC will be all SUVs and trucks of the division. Maybe they can even give GMC all of the Hummer design and architecture. Since it was the first true truck division, way before hummer was thought of.
Just makes more sense.

Pontiac Vibe = Opel Astra Hatchback
Pontica Solstice or fiero = Opel GT
Pontiac G6 or Grand am = Opel Astra sedan, coupe, twin top convert.
Pontiac GTO = Opel Insignia GTC coupe
Buick Regal = Opel insignia sedan
Buick Lacross = new Opel model in Europe
Buick Enclave = new Opel model in Europe
GMC Terraine = Reskinned Opel Antera
GMC Acadia = Hummer H3 with GMC grille
GMC Yukon = Hummer H2 with GMC grille
And pick-ups may continue as it is if they choice

[ausrutherford]

Originally Posted by Joep76

I think Pontiac can still exist in the BPG brand. It can get the small vehicals, coupes and convertibles from Opel. While Buick gets the larger sedans from Opel. And GMC will be all SUVs and trucks of the division. Maybe they can even give GMC all of the Hummer design and architecture. Since it was the first true truck division, way before hummer was thought of.
Just makes more sense.

Pontiac Vibe = Opel Astra Hatchback
Pontica Solstice or fiero = Opel GT
Pontiac G6 or Grand am = Opel Astra sedan, coupe, twin top convert.
Pontiac GTO = Opel Insignia GTC coupe
Buick Regal = Opel insignia sedan
Buick Lacross = new Opel model in Europe
Buick Enclave = new Opel model in Europe
GMC Terraine = Reskinned Opel Antera
GMC Acadia = Hummer H3 with GMC grille
GMC Yukon = Hummer H2 with GMC grille
And pick-ups may continue as it is if they choice

Just make all opels Buicks and problem solved.

[Bravada]

Pontiac Vibe = Opel Astra Hatchback
Pontica Solstice or fiero = Opel GT
Pontiac G6 or Grand am = Opel Astra sedan, coupe, twin top convert.
Pontiac GTO = Opel Insignia GTC coupe
Buick Regal = Opel insignia sedan
Buick Lacross = new Opel model in Europe
Buick Enclave = new Opel model in Europe
GMC Terraine = Reskinned Opel Antera
GMC Acadia = Hummer H3 with GMC grille
GMC Yukon = Hummer H2 with GMC grille
And pick-ups may continue as it is if they choice

1. The Vibe's appeal is that of a compact MPV - should be Meriva, not Astra hatch



The Meriva should get an "off-road" version this time around, like competitors do in Brazil, which would fit Pontiac really well:



2. I am all for Fiero, with less "hairdresser's roadster", and more "minisupercar" styling:



3. The Astra will probably not have a sedan (with the Cruze and the new Buick Excelle it wouldn't make too much sense). The hatchbacks would make nice G5's, though.

4. The GTO and G6/G8 can probably be replaced by a smaller Commodore based on Alpha, which is apparently coming after the VE and its Zeta derivatives run their course.

5. If the LaX and Enclave are ever to be sold in Europe, it might be as Buicks, but certainly not Opels.

6. The Antara could go to Buick as new Rendezvous (or a better name) - though the Zafira might fill in this role too, the appeal of the Rendezvous was more that of a family people mover than SUV.

7. I'd keep Hummer Hummer. Hummer with another fascia doesn't make sense. GMCs, however, could retain BOF construction, while Chevrolets could go unibody gradually.

[Joep76]

Oh thats right. I forgot about the Meriva. That would make sense as a vibe. Nice catch.

[gmlifer]

If anyone thinks that Pontiac's image is beyond repair...take a look at the first Hyundias that were sold years ago.I think it was called an Excel and looked like a very cheap imitation of a VW Rabbit. (what a rust bucket cheap piece of crap )
Now look at what Hyundia has to offer today.
I would never buy an import but they have come a long way in quality and style and they are proof that image can change with quality and desirable product.

I agree that Pontiac should go head to head with Mazda,Subaru and Scion with their smaller cars and offer unique models not available at other US GM dealers for their larger cars. As long as they live up to Pontiac's intended image
Sporty styling, great handling and horsepower that will scare the crap out of the average citizen.