Pontiac G5 debuts at fundraiser
The Tribune Chronicle reports that the upcoming Pontiac G5 coupe made its first public debut last week. The coupe, based on the Chevrolet Cobalt, was displayed during the Beatitude House of the Ursuline Sisters fundraiser for disadvantaged women and children. The reaction was reportedly quite positive.The displayed G5 is a pilot vehicle that General Motors will use to work out any kinks in the new model before it goes on to production next month at the automaker's Lordstown, Ohio plant. The coupe is slotted as an entry-level car for the brand below the G6.
Related post:
Pontiac to get Cobalt-based econobox
[Source: Tribune Chronicle]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Tyre 10:33PM (5/07/2006)
That's nice of the Cobalt people.... Oh wait... Nevermind then.
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Jay 10:37PM (5/07/2006)
Just what I was afraid of. I'd held out hope that maybe they were going to do more than a rebadge, but it's obviously just a Pontiac Pursuit. Yawn. They could have at least changed that hideous front clip.
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wilson britman 10:47PM (5/07/2006)
Somebody PLEASE euthanize GM! Maybe if it were split into its component divisions then THOSE would be competitive.
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FireSermon 10:49PM (5/07/2006)
Nice to see that GM's been selling these for close to a year in Canada before deciding to "work out any kinks".
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Maverick 10:50PM (5/07/2006)
And the rebadgin starts all over again...
they should have made a pontiac soltice coupe and sedan and called it the G5
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Kowell 10:54PM (5/07/2006)
In answer to #4.... these have been in Canada for almost 2 years... it's just a Cobalt with a different front grille and and rear light... everything else is the same.
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JGN 11:10PM (5/07/2006)
Clearly a rip off of Infinity, viewed at exactly the right angle, it even looks a little but like a G35.
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shiznannigan 11:16PM (5/07/2006)
As much as I like GM.... who could possibly think that this is a good idea? The only way this could work favorably is to only offer coupes (The Cobalt sedan just doesn't look sporty, and that's what Pontiac is going for, isn't it?) and only offer the 2.4 and turbocharged SS motors. Further suspension tweaks would also be in order.
But I won't be holding my breath for any of this.
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Richard Warren 11:19PM (5/07/2006)
One more reason the management needs to go.
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laserwizard 11:25PM (5/07/2006)
Looks like ole Bobby Putz has lied once again! He said the days of badge-engineering were over.
Wow - the first ever G5! Bet Oprah cannot wait to give away more Pontiacs!
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Glenn 11:32PM (5/07/2006)
I think "the kinks" was probably GM just deciding how set the model up for Pontiac. Also I bet GM was trying to feel out how the American market was changing and if it were going toward a more Canadian angle based on the fuel prices (which are still MUCH higher in Canada).
Up here the coupe followed in year two, with more standard tail lamps (not the round Cobalt ones). They also have packaged it differently. They do not offer the high end engine; but one with (I believe) 174Hp.
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Tim UF 12:00AM (5/08/2006)
aside from the corvette, is there any car that doesnt share its engineering with some other GM stablemate?
i kind of think DCX has it right where each company has its niche (at least better defined than GM, where they have what seems like 50 sub brands all sqaubbling for the table scraps from the japanese companies). also, if you want the solstice to be the halo car for the design of the brand... shouldnt the rest of the new cars in that brand have some familial resemblance, being the grille?
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Adam 12:24AM (5/08/2006)
The linked article makes a big deal about the car being a pilot car. Why's GM even building a pilot car? To make sure the G5 badge doesn't fall off? It can't be to make sure the Pontiac badge falls off since they've been building the Pursuit for some time now. Even if the Cobalt hadn't been previously badge engineered for the Canadian market, all that's different is the nose and the tail, right? Honestly, GM, with the Torrent and the G5, what are you trying to prove? That no two execs are on the same page?
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Adam 12:25AM (5/08/2006)
"aside from the corvette, is there any car that doesnt share its engineering with some other GM stablemate?"
Cadillac XLR, meet Chevrolet Corvette.
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John 12:31AM (5/08/2006)
You know, forget about the existence of the Cobalt, and imagine it with a slenderer and less cute headlight. It would look pretty good.
Well, too bad its headlight is the same as the Cobalt.
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John 12:40AM (5/08/2006)
There's nothing wrong with sharing platforms and engineering. XLR and Corvette are totally different on the exterior and interior. That's good.
But the Cobalt and this G5, this is badge engineering, where the exterior and interior are identical, with a few color changes and different grille.
On the plus side, you could think of it as a "special edition". It would probably be more acceptable if they named it the "Chevrolet Cobalt G5".
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the chad 12:54AM (5/08/2006)
True about sharing platforms, John, but don't tell GM that. They haven't quite learned the difference between simply sharing platforms and sharing everything but the badge. Just tell them to make every car completely different, or better yet, tell the team who made the XLR off the 'Vette platform to take over all shared platforms! :-)
The Pontiac Cobalt annd Chevy G5-wait, thats backwards, isn't it-are good (bad?) examples of when you let the bean counters in the design rooms!
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Actual G6 Owner 1:31AM (5/08/2006)
When Toyota shares a platform they are hailed as intelligent. When Gm shares a platform they are accused of rebadging. In the case of the Torrent and the g5 the differences in lines and front/rear treatment and interior dash/seat are far enough apart to visually look different. This is not the same 80's rebading effort. Frankly, this is the kind of car the Japanese fear: Slick, fuel efficient, Sporty and affordable. Way to go GM!!
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PJ 1:52AM (5/08/2006)
I'm afraid this amounts to no more than a traditional GM rebadge. Here are the differences between the Pontiac and Cobalt (judging by the identical Canadian Pontiac Pursuit): Different grille and front air dam, different rear taillights (on the coupe only), different gauge font, and Pontiac badges on the hood, trunk, and steering wheel. Other than that, it's all Cobalt.
But to throw in a little positivity, let's at least give GM credit for rebadging a car that's perfectly competitive--though not outstanding--in its segment. Since the G5 occupies the same segment as the Cobalt, they're not gussying up a mainstream car to compete against a higher class of vehicles, a la 9-7X, Rendezvous, or Escalade. So while the G5 may prove redundant, it at least won't be a Cimarron-style embarrassment (unless Pontiac's marketers get carried away with their hyperbole again).
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Aki 2:31AM (5/08/2006)
I didn't think Lucerne was badgineered.
But this.... this is obvious badgineering. Not anymore upscale (e.g. Camry -> Lexus ES), and it's hard to imagine it being more of a performance-oriented car than the Cobalt SS. I mean, at least swap out the Cobalt's ugly front head lights to something more GTO-esque. Looks like they cleared the Cobalt headlights, swapped the grille and called it a day.
Actual G6 owner: I feel bad for you, I really do. Living in a world of stupid's not a great place to be. There's a not-so-small difference between sharing a platform and swapping out plastic parts as in the G5. But if you think G35 and FX35 look identical, then there's no hope for you.
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