US Should Get Pursuit

[buyacargetacheck]

The US should get the Pursuit. I know, I know. Pontiac isn't about economy, it's about performance. Hear me out. The problem is that the US and rest of world are about to enter a permanent geology-driven energy crisis that will make the political energy crises of 1973 and 1979 look like blips on the radar screens. Google "peak oil" for further explanation. Within a year, Pontiac/Buick/GMC dealers will be howling for a low-priced, high mileage sedan as buyers get more practical. SUV and V-8 sales (even with DOD) will stagnate. GM should be working on getting a 1.8L (or smaller) engine available for the Pursuit (and Cobalt) that will get at least 30mpg in the city. P/B/G dealers will be grateful to have such an offering much like Buick dealers were to have Opels to sell in 1974. Speaking of Buick, this energy crisis may be the catalyst that finally kills Buick. Buick has neither enough prestige to attract the truly wealthy buyers whose buying patterns will be least affected nor the economical choices for the rest of us still buying cars. Edited September 1, 2005 by buyacargetacheck

[Cory Wolfe]

Uh... Yes, no, and maybe. Yes, because Pontiac needs a Pursuit sized car. No, because Pontiac does not need that rebadge here. And Maybe, because economy needs to be addressed somehow...

[regfootball]

disagree. Because of the upcoming gas crisis debacle, Pontiac needs the Pursuit, and fast. But, they should differentiate what they can versus the Cobalt as much as possible and go for sport tuned suspensions, larger wheels, and different interior colors, fabrics, and accents. Example, how about a 'G4' GXP sedan with a supercharged stage 1 or 2 ecotec and 6 speed manual, with charcoal interior (can't get that color interior on the Cobalt sedan) and other niceties............ HELL the G6 should get a stage 2 ecotec option on the base model with a sport package. Edited September 1, 2005 by regfootball

[the_yellow_dart]

worst. rebadge. ever.

[ToniCipriani]

The more I see that coupe rear end, the more I think of Tiburon.

[s113]

I would like to see the Pursuit come here...as the Pursuit, not the G4.

[ToniCipriani]

Same thing, it's called G4 in Mexico.

[CaddyXLR-V]

Pontiac needs the Pursuit because Pontiacs image hasnt been diluted enough. Pontiac should turn into the economy car brand, because that will make me want one so bad. That, and because a 4cyl kappa coupe and sedan would only get like 10 miles per gallon, seeing as kappa is so huge and weighs almost 3000lbs. (sarcasm)

[Matt276]

If only the Pursuit had its own identity, a different skin, I'd say yes.

[ToniCipriani]

I wonder why the Chevy dealers aren't complaining. The PBG dealers complained that they needed the Pursuit because they didn't have a small car to fit the market, but they are actually stealing sales from the Cobalt.

[Sixty8panther]

That grafted on Kidney grille reminds me of those 80s Rolls Royce grilles on thefront of a Cadillac Brougham. (not a compliment)

[ToniCipriani]

...and the one on the Pursuit looks like a pig's nose.

[cmattson]

I disagree. A smaller engine (< 2.0) shouldn't end up in a Pontiac. I would reserve something like that for the Aveo; which, based on it's weight and it's smaller-displacement engine, should be getting far better gas mileage than it currently gets.

[Mule Bakersdozen LS]

If only the Pursuit had its own identity, a different skin, I'd say yes.

[post="8316"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

I totally agree-and if that were the case, then I would be all for Pursuit coming here. It would need to be upgraded from Cobalt, with more standard and optional equipment, even if that meant taking away models and features from Cobalt, especially to better compete with the Mazda 3-the Pontiac would need to be more stylish and sporty, styled after the 2000 Piranha (which is what I'd name it) and 2001 REV concept cars.

[LosAngeles]

Pontiac should really get the Astra hatches...but no one feels me on this one, believing they should go to Saturn.

[Chicagoland]

The worst Pontiac rebadge car was the 1981-87 T1000, the "Ponti-ette". The 2nd was the 83-84 Parisiennes, with the exact same sheet metal as the Caprice. Why spend extra for it over the Chevy?

[4gm]

Pontiac doesn't need any more badge jobs. It does need something for the compact segment, however. I hope Pontiac is working on it. All they have to do is give the Cobalt a new exterior and interior. The innards can stay the same. Maybe they're waiting for the next gen of Delta to do anything.

[BlkHhr104]

Or maybe the new ION to come?

[HarleyEarl]

I think Pontiac in America would be well served by the Pursuit. It needs this car. Especially now. Edited September 4, 2005 by HarleyEarl

[Northstar]

If Pontiac is to get something economical it should be based on Kappa. I will be pretty mad if the Pursuit is basically just a Cobalt clone when it comes to the US, and I won't be happy even if it's not. If GM is serious about Pontiac being a performance division then they won't give them any sort of Cobalt clone other than maybe an SS/SC clone.

[HarleyEarl]

Pontiac seems to have this 'performance' image and attitude and yet if you look at their lineups throughout time, it would suggest otherwise. I'll bet GM and Pontiac while chatting up this image will not actually have a catalogue of cars that fully backs it up. Look at it now, mediocre rebadged minivans, 4 cyl G6s, 4cyl Torrents(Chevy rebadge), entry level Grand Prixs that are anything but performance and the Vibe/Toyota clone with a slow 4 cyl. I'm not feeling this performance thing. It's a marketing ploy at this point. I don't see the Pursuit as being much different than what's currently going on.

[Northstar]

Then what is the point of Pontiac? If they're just going to be rebadged Chevies then they're clearly just a marketing division and nothing more save the Solstice and GTO. I'd like to see Pontiac survived, but I could care less if their entire lineup consists of rebaged Chevies in the near future.

[HarleyEarl]

Damn good question. What is the point of Pontiac? GM may be asking that as we speak.

[buyacargetacheck]

Damn good question.  What is the point of Pontiac?  GM may be asking that as we speak.

[post="9379"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

The answer is that Pontiac/GMC/Buick dealers provide just that many more sales outlets to sell cars and trucks for GM. It's really just that simple. Even if Pontiacs were straight rebadges of Chevys with no differences, people would still buy them because of the miriad of reasons why they find good value at the local PGB dealer (better price, good service, the salesman knows his stuff, whatever). It's a matter of more distribution of production. Remember in 1984 and 1985, peak years for Olds and Buick, there wasn't much difference in how the cars drove, how they were priced, or how they were equipped. The difference was that Olds and Buick A, B, C, E, G, J and N-bodies were sold at (mostly) different dealers. This is an old practice that's been harder to keep up mainly because GM's offerings while not bad haven't been good enough to stem Toyota and Honda's onslaught.

[Dsuupr]

A Kappa based 4-door and 2-door would fit the bill for a low price economy perfectly for Pontiac. They would get good gas mileage, start a market that doesn't exist, and just be plain old hot.

[Mule Bakersdozen LS]

I don't get why some of you guys want a Kappa compact so bad-where's the business case? Besides, it wouldn't be here until at least 2009, and that's over 3 years away. I'm not for a rebadge either, but Pontiac needs a compact, and they need it now. I'd also shift the Cobalt SS Supercharged to Pontiac, so that Pontiac would have the performance image/edge.

[Dsuupr]

A Kappa compact gives GM something else no one else has. It give them a lower cost BMW 3-series. Our Cobalt is 2 weeks old and has over 2000 miles. At todays gas prices a compact rear wheel drive vehicle that could seat my entire family would be perfect. I know I'm not the only one that feels this way. Besides giving Pontiac the Pursuit just puts GM back into the 80s. Rebadging the same product for every division. A stupid move. I would buy a Kappa 4 seater in a heartbeat. I know of a few neighbors that would do the same.

[bobo]

The lack of a small, affordable RWD compact is a huge, gaping hole in the marketplace that Pontiac can fill with a Kappa sedan. Such a car would have a whole lot more potential than the Solstice.

[ehaase]

I am not an engineer, but I don't think that Kappa can easily be adapted for a small 4 seater sedan or coupe. The Kappa platform is very similar (according to the last C&D) to the Corvette's and was engineered for only $250 million. Kappa was clearly designed to be nothing more than a small 2 seater. GM would have to engineer a brand new small RWD platform. I think it's time to stop dreaming of a Kappa based sedan or coupe.

[Northstar]

Lutz said it would be expensive to do but that it could be done. If the can justify spending $250 million on the Solstice (I believe it was the Solstice project that cost $250 mil, not just Kappa), I'm sure they can justify spending another $250 million to develop a longer Kappa platform and another car. If it only cost $250 mil to make the Solstice and Kappa, then the Sky probably only cost another $100 mil. On a longer Kappa they could do higher volume and probably three variants for $500 mil or so - Pontiac sedan, Chevy Nomad, and something else.

[Mule Bakersdozen LS]

I am not an engineer, but I don't think that Kappa can easily be adapted for a small 4 seater sedan or coupe.  The Kappa platform is very similar (according to the last C&D) to the Corvette's and was engineered for only $250 million.  Kappa was clearly designed to be nothing more than a small 2 seater.  GM would have to engineer a brand new small RWD platform.  I think it's time to stop dreaming of a Kappa based sedan or coupe.

[post="9793"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

You totally read my mind, ehaase. It would sound nice to have a rear-drive compact (I'd prefer shortened Zeta VE, but that's got the same likeliness at this point), but a front-drive compact makes more sense. As long as DIFFERENTIATION were key, then I'd better think of a Pontiac Delta-just because they're similar doesn't mean they have to be clones stealing from each other-that's just not always true, though I see your same fear (which I have too), that GM, Mopar, and Ford just don't seem to realize.

[ToniCipriani]

Then how about a miniaturized Sigma or Zeta?? 'cause I don't think Pontiac currently needs a car similar to the size of the Commodore right now, unless the Grand Prix departs. But in fact I don't mind if it's FWD or RWD, as long as it's not a rebadged Cobalt. I'm sick of seeing the Pursuits floating around here. I just thought if it's RWD then it would mean more differentiation than the Cobalt/Pursuit twins.

[HarleyEarl]

Maybe Pontiac should be a boutique division with sports cars and high performance sedans. >Pontiac Grand Prix GTP >Pontiac G6 GTP >Pontiac Solstice >Pontiac GTO ...and that's it, no rebadging, no watering it down. Let Chevrolet do the broad range and have Pontiac do what Pontiac does best.

[Northstar]

You don't have to have only high performance cars to be a performance oriented brand. BMW is a great example; a BMW 325i (last gen) isn't going to outrun a whole lot of cars in a straight line, but it's still fun to fling around corners. Pontiac just needs to make back to the basics cars that handle well and are fun to drive. They don't necessarily have to be the fastest cars in their class, though that would be nice; they just need to be the most fun to drive.