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New Pontiac G6 to compete with 'prestige' midsize cars
By AP
Long a leader in styling excess, Pontiac is discarding its busy bodies for a smooth, steely new look.
The General Motors Corp. division - which once produced classics like the 1963 Grand Prix and 1965 GTO - has been adrift for years, critics say. But Pontiac wants to re-establish itself in the huge midsize sedan segment with the sleek 2005 G6, which will replace the largely unloved Grand Am.
"We want to make Pontiac an aspirational brand again," Lynn Myers, general manager of Pontiac, said Monday at the G6's official unveiling at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. "We want people hanging posters of Pontiacs on their walls again."
For much of the last 10 years, the domestic Big Three automakers have focused on building profitable pickups and sport-utility trucks. But now, with imports such as Honda and Toyota dominating the car side of the industry, all the domestics are devoting more effort to their cars.
On Sunday, for example, Ford unveiled two new cars - the 500 sedan and Freestyle crossover vehicle - as well as a production version of the all-new 2005 Mustang.
GM has already made considerable progress in revitalizing Cadillac and is trying to do the same with its other brands, said Gary Cowger, president of GM North America.
"All of this started with Cadillac at the upper end," Cowger said in an interview following the introduction of the G6. "We think we can do the same with Pontiac."
The G6 will compete in the largest segment in the industry, midsize sedans. When coupe and convertible versions of the car are introduced in about a year, Pontiac officials said, GM hopes to sell about 200,000 of the cars annually. That would make it one of the company's highest-volume vehicles.
The G6 features smooth, sophisticated styling and an understated wedge shape. It will be built on GM's new Epsilon platform, which also is being used for the new Saab 9-3 and Chevrolet Malibu.
GM officials said the G6 will be a solid, crisp-handling car that can be ordered with a 240-horsepower V6. Unlike the Grand Am - a lower-end sedan heavily represented in rental fleets - the G6 aims to compete with sporty "prestige" midsize cars like the Mazda 6 and Nissan Altima.
No prices were announced, but the car should arrive at dealerships later this year, officials said. It will join the new 350-horsepower GTO, a revamped Bonneville with V8 power and a new four-cylinder roadster, the Solstice.
But like other new domestic sedans introduced at the show, the G6 will try to appeal to buyers who have grown up with imports - and for the most part, prefer them, analysts say.
"It is light years ahead of anything they have built recently, but they will have to convince younger, import-oriented customers that this is a competitive car," said Wes Brown, an analyst with industry consultant Iceology in Los Angeles. "GM has to accept that this is a stepping stone. It took 10 or 15 years to destroy the brand, and it will take at least that long to rebuild it."
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By AP
Long a leader in styling excess, Pontiac is discarding its busy bodies for a smooth, steely new look.
The General Motors Corp. division - which once produced classics like the 1963 Grand Prix and 1965 GTO - has been adrift for years, critics say. But Pontiac wants to re-establish itself in the huge midsize sedan segment with the sleek 2005 G6, which will replace the largely unloved Grand Am.
"We want to make Pontiac an aspirational brand again," Lynn Myers, general manager of Pontiac, said Monday at the G6's official unveiling at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. "We want people hanging posters of Pontiacs on their walls again."
For much of the last 10 years, the domestic Big Three automakers have focused on building profitable pickups and sport-utility trucks. But now, with imports such as Honda and Toyota dominating the car side of the industry, all the domestics are devoting more effort to their cars.
On Sunday, for example, Ford unveiled two new cars - the 500 sedan and Freestyle crossover vehicle - as well as a production version of the all-new 2005 Mustang.
GM has already made considerable progress in revitalizing Cadillac and is trying to do the same with its other brands, said Gary Cowger, president of GM North America.
"All of this started with Cadillac at the upper end," Cowger said in an interview following the introduction of the G6. "We think we can do the same with Pontiac."
The G6 will compete in the largest segment in the industry, midsize sedans. When coupe and convertible versions of the car are introduced in about a year, Pontiac officials said, GM hopes to sell about 200,000 of the cars annually. That would make it one of the company's highest-volume vehicles.
The G6 features smooth, sophisticated styling and an understated wedge shape. It will be built on GM's new Epsilon platform, which also is being used for the new Saab 9-3 and Chevrolet Malibu.
GM officials said the G6 will be a solid, crisp-handling car that can be ordered with a 240-horsepower V6. Unlike the Grand Am - a lower-end sedan heavily represented in rental fleets - the G6 aims to compete with sporty "prestige" midsize cars like the Mazda 6 and Nissan Altima.
No prices were announced, but the car should arrive at dealerships later this year, officials said. It will join the new 350-horsepower GTO, a revamped Bonneville with V8 power and a new four-cylinder roadster, the Solstice.
But like other new domestic sedans introduced at the show, the G6 will try to appeal to buyers who have grown up with imports - and for the most part, prefer them, analysts say.
"It is light years ahead of anything they have built recently, but they will have to convince younger, import-oriented customers that this is a competitive car," said Wes Brown, an analyst with industry consultant Iceology in Los Angeles. "GM has to accept that this is a stepping stone. It took 10 or 15 years to destroy the brand, and it will take at least that long to rebuild it."
Article Here
