No Reprieve For Pontiac G8

The Pontiac G8 will go away when the Pontiac brand is retired, in contrast to rumors that Chevrolet would sell the Australian made sports sedan as the Caprice. GM CEO Fritz Henderson put to rest a suggestion by Bob Lutz that the Holden built model would become the flagship car for the Chevy brand, dashing the hopes of some.

With GM deciding to keep the Holden Commodore (Pontiac G8) out of the US, hopes that the automaker would bring the Chevy El Camino back have been dashed too. GM had announced months prior to the shutting down of the Pontiac brand that the Holden Ute would not be sold as the Pontiac G8 ST as originally planned. Enthusiasts wanted GM to call the truck the "El Camino" but GM scotched that idea too.

Problems with the 2010 Chevy Camaro have recently surfaced. Camaro SS models equipped with the manual transmission are temporarily on hold as GM investigates a problem when drivers used the Launch Control feature, including failure of the output shaft. GM hasn't issued a recall of the car, instead has decided to issue an "in production review" to determine just how serious of an issue it is. Once GM's review is complete, a recall order may be in the offing.

GM says that the Cadillac CTS Coupe, a concept car introduced at the 2008 auto show in Detroit, is still a go. The CTS franchise currently includes the sedan and V-Series sedan model and will be joined later this summer by a CTS wagon. The CTS line will likely become the standard bearer for GM's luxury brand with both the DTS and sTS slated to be replaced by one model within the next few years.

Buick's all new midsize sedan, the 2010 LaCrosse (Allure in Canada) is now arriving in showrooms across North America. Early reviews of the sedan have been good, providing a much needed boost for the Buick line. GM is expected to soon announce a fourth Buick model which may share the upcoming Chevy Cruze's platform. No word yet what GM plans to do with its full size sedan, the Buick Lucerne. The Enclave SUV is the other model that rounds out the Buick line.

Photos Copyright GM. Corp.

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Is Pontiac Excitement Dead?

Word that General Motors is about to announce the complete shut down of the Pontiac brand instead of paring it back is disappointing news to say the least.  Given that GM is in precarious financial shape explains the need for a thorough review of the brand, but a complete closure seems drastic.

For the past two decades, GM has been uniting Buick, Pontiac and GMC dealerships under one roof, with a more than 80% completion rate thus far.  That move has saved the automaker money by driving traffic to dealerships who are able to offer a wider variety of products which helps to boost sales.

GM’s Third Best Selling Brand

Last year, Chevrolet sold 1.8 million passenger vehicles in the US market while Buick, GMC and Pontiac sold a combined 781,000 vehicles.  Both those numbers were down sharply over 2007, but are still quite good.  Pontiac alone sold 267,000 vehicles, the third best selling GM brand in the states.

Pontiac was founded in 1926 by GM to complement its Oakland brand.  At that time, Oakland was slotted just above Chevrolet and below Buick and Oldsmobile.  Customers easily preferred the lighter and cheaper priced Pontiacs resulting in GM shutting down Oakland in 1931.

Living In The Shadow Of Chevrolet

Over the years, the Pontiac brand has seen many changes especially as it operates within the shadow of mighty Chevrolet. However, it was back in the early 1960s when GM began to redefine the brand bringing in more performance and style in the form of the Tempest, LeMans, GTO, Grand Prix and eventually the Firebird.  Later, Pontiac rolled out the two-seater Fiero which with the Firebird maintained Pontiac’s “driving excitement” image even as the rest of the line up switched to front wheel drive.

Today, Pontiac offers mostly badge engineered products sold by other divisions with the exception of the Australian Holden G8 sport sedan. The Fiero was yanked in 1988 and the Firebird in 2002, but the rear wheel drive G8 provides solid evidence that Pontiac performance is alive at least in this one model.

Political Considerations Will Decide Pontiac’s Fate

Pontiac’s pending demise is being fueled by the Obama administration which is insisting that GM restructure the company in advance of receiving additional federal funds. GM has until June 1st to demonstrate what the company will look like going forward which includes dumping or selling off certain brands (e.g. Saab, Saturn and Hummer) while closing down plants to realign capacity with demand.

Initially, GM said that Pontiac would continue as a niche brand, selling perhaps one or two products alongside Buick and GMC. Now, GM appears interested in going forward with just four brands: Cadillac, Buick, GMC and Chevrolet while closing down or selling off everything else.

Pontiac’s fate is probably already sealed though the announcement of its pending shut down may still be days away. Regardless, Pontiac will join Oldsmobile as two of GM’s most recent brands shuttered, ending yet another chapter in the historic, if not stormy story of General Motors.

Related Reading — Pontiac G8 Lifespan Likely Cut Short

Consumer Reports Raves Over The Hyundai Genesis

The Hyundai Genesis received Consumer Reports "top pick" award for an upscale sedan, quite a feat for an all new model.

My thoughts that the Hyundai Genesis should have been given its own brand name (ala Lexus) hasn’t hurt the Korean luxury sedan. Over the past several months, the Genesis has been recognized as one of the top cars produced today and is a finalist for next week’s North American Car of the Year award (I predict that they will win).

One of the most critical consumer sites in the world is Consumer Reports, the magazine owned by Consumers Union, an independent consumer product testing and watchdog group based in New York. Consumer Reports (CR) rarely offers praise for all new models, but in the case of the Hyundai Genesis the magazine has gone out of its way to name the Genesis its top-rated ‘upscale sedan’ beating twelve competitors including the Lexus ES 350.

The Genesis isn’t the only Hyundai model recognized by CR for its superior build quality, as the magazine also has named the Elantra and Santa Fe as “top picks” in their small car and sport/utility segments as well.

“The Hyundai Genesis rivals high-end luxury sedans but costs considerably less,” said David Champion, senior director of Consumer Reports’ Auto Test Center in East Haddam, Connecticut. “Its luxurious and spacious interior and quietness far transcend its relatively modest price.”

The Genesis was put to the test against four other new or redesigned upscale sedans for the February issue of Consumer Reports, those other cars were the Acura TL, Nissan Maxima, Pontiac G8 and Lincoln MKS. The TL and Maxima were rated as excellent while the G8 and MKS were recognized as very good models.

Specifically, CR had this to say about the Hyundai Genesis:

Spacious and well appointed, the rear-wheel-drive Genesis offers good value and is a compelling alternative to luxury vehicles costing thousands more. This car’s forte is swaddling passengers in silence. The engine sounds polished and road noise is strikingly absent. The interior rivals those of the very best luxury cars, with its optional stitched-leather dashboard facing and consistently high-quality materials. The only real drawback is its ride, which can be unsettled at times and doesn’t live up to the standards set by other luxury cars. The Genesis 3.8 ($36,000 Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price as tested) is powered by a 290-hp, 3.8-liter V6 that feels quick and smooth and delivers a decent 21 mpg in CR’s own fuel-economy tests. The six-speed automatic transmission provides smooth, quick shifts. Braking is excellent.

Clearly, Hyundai is doing something right when three of its models are considered “top picks” by one of the most challenging judging panels in the world. The Hyundai Genesis is probably the best valued luxury sedan on the market, a car that will likely raise the automaker’s visibility in the years ahead.

Source: Consumer Reports