Filed under: Trends, Economy, Chevrolet, Pontiac
Pontiac G3 proves badge engineering alive in Mexico
Though General Motors has promised to end the exercise of badge engineering in the U.S., our kin over at Autoblog Spanish have found proof the practice is alive and well in Mexico. Meet the Pontiac G3, what is essentially the 2007 Chevy Aveo that will be sold in the U.S. later this year. The Aveo is itself a clone of the Daewoo Gentra.
Don’t get us wrong, we’re not knocking the General for selling a version of the Aveo/Gentra in Mexico under the guise of Pontiac. Just as long as Pontiac dealers in the U.S. don’t start demanding another small car in addition to the Cobalt-based G5 sold in Canada they’re already clamoring for.
[Source: Autoblog Spanish]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Noah 6:30PM (5/03/2006)
I was under the impression that the Chevy Aveo was a Suzuki Swift+ which I don't know maybe that's a Daewoo Gentra aswell
--Noah
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Carlos 6:35PM (5/03/2006)
I'm all for rebadging to match each country's brands and nameplates. If it were up to me, every car that each company makes would be available in every country - but only once.
So I agree, this isn't a bad thing, so long as there's no other GM brand also selling the Aveo in Mexico.
Reskins are fair game. The Scion xA and xB, for example, are very different even if it's just because of the styling.
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kevs 6:54PM (5/03/2006)
Canada has had this for a few years already, but instead of being called the G3 it's called the pontiac wave:
http://www.gmcanada.com/english/vehicles/pontiac/wave/index.jsp
Canada is crazy about small cars so it makes sense to have as many "different" ones as possible.
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pedantic 6:59PM (5/03/2006)
There are good rebadging. You take a car like the Toyota Altezza, and rebadge it as the Lexus IS. You avoid having it compete with the standard Toyota sedans. Naming and the rebadging process can also work against a car, like the Holden Monaro being named the Pontiac GTO.
Rebadging the Gentra as a the G3 is fine as long as they don't try to sell Aveos too.
It's still better than those Chrysler minivans, the Town & Country, Caravan, and Voyager... Which are completely identical. That is the type of rebading that needs to be avoided.
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Kayak 7:06PM (5/03/2006)
I don't see this a "badge" engineering. This is simply tailoring an existing product to be sold in a different market. In order for "Badge Engineering to be alive in Mexico", GM would need to sell the Chevy Aveo or Daewoo Gentra in the Mexican market along with this Pontiac G3.
Badge engineering is selling essentially the exact same vehicle in the same market through multiple distribution channels (i.e. Ford Escape, Mazda Tribute, Mercury Mariner).
This is just someone's attempt at GM bashing.
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blunckhouse 7:06PM (5/03/2006)
GM recently announced that they will sell the Pontiac Pursuit here as the G5.
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Chris J 7:10PM (5/03/2006)
Who cares about rebadging, just dont buy a clone if you dont like it.
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Al 9:41PM (5/03/2006)
Recently Pontiac changed the "Pursuit" name in Canada to the G5 Pursuit. Why that?
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Corey W. 9:44PM (5/03/2006)
"Though General Motors has promised to end the exercise of badge engineering in the U.S."
Uh, when did this happen??
I don't mind badge engineering as long as it's not obvious and every brand does not need every model of every platform.
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Joey 11:48PM (5/03/2006)
Badge engineering = Toyota Corolla M3 Special Edition Turbo TRD V8 Kompressor R
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Hube 12:12AM (5/04/2006)
In Mexico we have a version of Chevrolet Cobalt named Pontiac
http://pontiac.com.mx/content_data/LAAM/MX/es/GMMGM/showroom/pontiac/modelos/g4/diseno.html
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Schira 7:50AM (5/04/2006)
The best rebadging I ever saw was in India, selling a Subaru Forester as a Chevrolet Forester!
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Craig 8:13AM (5/04/2006)
http://www.gmcanada.com/static/english/lmpforms/U311104/index.html?adv=15535
Don't forget Canada! We've got you surrounded.
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Mad Scientist Matt 11:28AM (5/04/2006)
At least they didn't make the same mistake they did with the last Daewoo-built Pontiac and let it disgrace a legendary nameplate. It was pretty bad when they let the name LeMans, which had been the basis for the first GTO, appear on a tiny hatchback with no performance ability whatsoever.
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Paul 11:58AM (5/04/2006)
The Suzuki Swift(Cultus) was the basis for the Chevy Sprint/Geo Metro/Chevy Metro.GM bought Daewoo and promised not to sell Daewoo product in the US,and then imports a Daewoo and sells it as the Chevy Aveo....go figure.The Geo Metro was tiny gutless junk and the Aveo is bound to be the next Yugo-level running joke.GMs other badge engineered "Captive imports" werent any better.....Vauxhall,Buick/Opel,Buick/Isuzu/Opel,LUV,The Saturn L series....
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shiznannigan 1:10PM (5/04/2006)
"The Geo Metro was tiny gutless junk and the Aveo is bound to be the next Yugo-level running joke."
Yes, the Metro was gutless, but it is still one of the highest-mileage cars Car&Driver has ever tested (higher than the Prius, in fact). And the Aveo has been out for a few years now... if it was destined to become a running joke, it would have done so already, instead of becoming the highest selling subcompact in the U.S. like it has.
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the chad 8:38PM (5/04/2006)
Mad Scientist Matt:
Yay, someone else who shares my HATE for them bringing back the LeMans on that POS. :-) I had a 72 LeMans w/ a GTO front end (btw, the Tempest was actually the basis for the GTO, back in the 60s').
And the Chevrolet Forester was HILARIOUS! I went to the Chevy India site, its great! Check it out:
http://www.chevrolet.co.in/content_data/AP/IN/en/GBPIN/001/BRANDSITE/forester_about.html
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Chris G. 8:49PM (5/04/2006)
Badge engineering could potentially work if it is implemented in the right way. For instance, if GM took the new Opel Vectra platform, made the Saturn Aura for drivers who wanted sport and luxury (they already have), redesigned the Chevy Malibu as the bargain basement variant with few options, made a Pontiac version with stiffer suspension than the Saturn and a manual tranny, and a Buick version with a super soft floaty ride, then nobody would complain. Prospective buyers would identify their needs and wants and select the correct car for them. GM wins and the consumer wins. See, it could work.
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