Pontiac G8 on the Horizon
We’re still writing up a bunch of stories for you on the Detroit auto show, which opens to the public today, but now there’s word on a major car that might debut at the Chicago Auto Show in early February. Pontiac — GM’s last brand to get a major infusion of new products — will be the first to get a new rear-wheel-drive sedan platform from Down Under.
Pontiac will reveal the new sedan, called the G8, in Chicago. According to an Australian newspaper, it will cost around $25,000 and will be based on the new Aussie Holden Commodore, shown above.
The G8 is expected to replace the ungracefully aging Grand Prix in the Pontiac lineup and could come to market quite soon. Pontiac’s last attempt at rebranding an Australian car for the U.S. — the recent GTO — failed horribly. That car featured a great engine and interior; complaints came because of its bland exterior looks and high price. The G8 could prove to be a winner and would provide solid competition for the Dodge Charger.
[Holden Commodore SS Set to Become Pontiac G8, AutoWeek]
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Sounds like GM might be making some decent decisions lately. I looks like they're moving Saturn to be a rebranded Opel and Pontiac to be a rebranded Holden... no complaints here. Those Aussie cars are a hit and have all the right credentials to make it here... great style and loads of power.
If GM can keep the price relatively close to the grand prix, this car will be another success story.
Any idea on what powers this car and what tranmission it will have?
GM is taking rebadging to the next level, obvisiously they haven't learn
well the results that saturn is getting seems to prove BJ wrong
regardless of where GM is gettin their cars from, at least their gettin good lookin ones.
Rebadging is only bad if the two cars sell in the same market. For example, the Ford Freestar and Mercury Monterey. Taking advantage of great cars selling in a different market is just smart business. This will also give the GM brands different personalities, which will justify keeping so many different brands around.
If the g8 looks like the car above it, too, will suffer from bland exterior looks. It may indeed be competition for the Charger. A great engine, loads of power and styling that completely misses the mark.
I think GM likes to call these integration efforts of its global brands something other than rebadging. I think they call it more of "maximizing our global brands" or some such and as Cody and H. Lopez state it makes less of an impact when the borrowed vehicle/platform isn't sold in the same market like the Saturn/Opel (Europe) and Pontiac/Holden(Australia) efforts.
I don't think its fair to say that the GTO failed miserably. It may not have hit the sales numbers they expected, and clearly GM made some bad decisions regarding the car (like no hood scoop option to begin with.) But ask anyone who owns it, hell anyone who is driven it, and most will say it was a beaut to drive and/or own. GM surely made bad marketing decisions with the car, but I don't think that necessarily makes the case that rebranding Holdens, who are, in my opinion, fantastic vehicles, is a bad move.
Unfortunately Adrock when it comes to judging a car's success, sales and lifespan factor in more than owner appreciation. The Aztec is probably the best example from the past.
The Commodore styling as it stands makes a statement and needs not a business case to erect a budget to redesign the front end and hood to meet a US market made up by the minds of those in the box. That car, that auto, that machine will make a statement here in the US not only on the merit of chassis, drive train and interior but on the exterior as well without the need to make it “fit” some brand image. Change only the badges, nothing else on the exterior needs addressed Bob and Ed. We really would like GM to avoid the cost of design and tooling and maintain the styling as it currently is. Spend some time searching and you will find the Commodore is admired by a US customer base as it is. Pontiac needs a fresh look and the Holden look is it.
Bahb Alois Jr.
I spent some time in Australia a while back and the Holdens were really horrible quality. The standard of Australian workmanship was really terrible and the cars were very shoddily assembled. The recently defunct Mitsubishi Diamante was imported from Australia too, and that wasn't of great quality either, so I wouldn't get too excited about these Hontiacs or Poldens or whatever from down under...
To Al,
Maybe the cars that were built about 5 years ago were crap construction (Ford, Holden, Mitsubishi) because we sold them in country to us, Now we are selling them to the world so acknowledge that the products have come of age. Also acknowledge that with a car industry selling in a year what California buys in a month, it is amazing that we can bring cars to the world market with such flair and appeal. check out the Chevy offerings in the Middle East and the Buick offering in China and the Far East. A lot of Holden DNA in there. It is only a pity that Ford America don't import the FP6, Typhoon and FPV range of Australian Fords, that'll give the General something to think about. Check out the Ford Australia web pages and see what they can do with a 4.0l straight 6
haha al so funny your american interiors are crappy plastic ugly cheap looking crap!! the VE Commodores in a recent test was voted to have better looks and ergornomics then the BMW
SUM DUDE: the SS-v series commodore AKA G8 in Aus uses a 6.0 litre all alloy GEN4 L98 engine in its mildest tune of 270KW and 530NM it's hooked up to the Tremec T56 6speed manual or the tiptronic 6 speed 6L80 auto from the Chev corvette, the VE Commodore and there preformace versions of HSV's (holden special vehicles) along with its LWB versions in the Statesman and Caprice have one aload of awards since its release and was nominated for world car of the year aswell
Bob is clearly a fellow Aussie!! Holden and Ford Australia are well aknowledged within there parent companies if not the world for been the shining light on how to get a big RWD powered high preformace car to look good go hard and handle all at the same time e.g. the 2007 HSV GTS can stop in less time using less road then a Lambo Gallardo... and is the only the fifth car in the world to sue Magnetic ride control.
whoops that should be use magnetic ride control
im not sure if you guys also realise that certain things you see on the show car wont make production, here in Aust today they showed the production ready car and its missing the 20x9.5 inch tyres and high preformace brake package that was plucked from our HSV GTS (see we keep the good cars in Aus for us to enjoy :P)instead G8 gets the normal 19inch rims from the SS-V and a different brake pakage, the interior is the same minus the weird brown colour....
BOB not sure if you have heard but Prodrive is set to export the FPV range to Britain much in the same way HSV did with its GTO coupe rebaged there as Monaro VXR (and VXR500) again if Holden had jus export its HSV GTO to America for the Pontiac GTO it would of been easier then trying to make the Sleek monaro look tough the HSV GTO already looked agro..