Spy Shots: Pontiac G6 gets minor nose job
Click above for high-res gallery of refreshed Pontiac G6 spy shots
The Pontiac G6 is one of those alright-looking cars that isn't begging for a total redesign, so General Motors is planning a mid-cycle refreshening of the car's nose instead. The updated design was recently photographed by spies, actual spies, around Detroit, and the changes to the G6 schnoz are clear. Pontiac designers will be adding some creases to the new front end giving it some angularity that's lacking on the current model, while the twin air intakes of the current car that mirror the grille shape will be replaced with one central lower air intake flanked by two smaller ones and requisite fog lamps. There may be some tweaks to the rear taillamps as well, but we're told those will be minor. Thankfully, the 2009 G6 comes available with GM's new six-speed transmission for the first time, making the overall package much more enticing. Some minor plastic surgery should only sweeten the deal for this very competent car in Pontiac's lineup.
Gallery: Refreshed Pontiac G6 - spy shots
[Source: KGP Photography]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
brian.scanlan 11:01AM (5/30/2008)
Still ugly!
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Avinash machado 11:06AM (5/30/2008)
What is the point in having the Malibu,Aura and G6 all in the same segment and cannibalizing sales? GM needs to focus on just one or two models per segment.
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Julius 11:12AM (5/30/2008)
Of course, the Malibu and Aura both do not have 2-door or convertible versions...
And this nose looks way better than their "street machine" (a.k.a rabbit's teeth) version on the GXP.
psarhjinian 1:19PM (5/30/2008)
The point?
Whining dealers, guaranteed jobs in factories and--this is important--useless upper management at GM.
Adam Marcello 11:08AM (5/30/2008)
Its a damn shame the interior is still craptacular.
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Matt Keller 2:57PM (5/30/2008)
How would you know? Have you sat in one? It could be getting an updated interior.
Adam Marcello 3:13PM (5/30/2008)
Actually I have. The only word I can discribe it with was black. Now I know that black works well on most interiors but not as both a main and accent color. I drove around in a GT trimmed G6. In addition aside from the odometer all the normal DIC info was on the radio.
I probably should have explained more. Im not one of those foreign fanatics who hate everything made in America. I actually have an older Grand Am as a daily driver and a Solstice GP for the weekends. I just find the interior of the G6 to be realatively uninspired and dull.
Kaptain75329 5:52PM (5/30/2008)
Adam's right about the interior. For my part, I like the G6. Fun drive and not a bad looking ride. Build quality has gotten a lot better over the years too. But that interior seriously needs a complete redesign. Nowhere near the awesomeness of the G8. The 'bu and the Aura kick it all up and down the block too.
Granted, the G8 and these others were released well after the G6, but let's get real: the G6 can stand to be brought up to par with it's other Epsilon cousins.
The Other Bob 11:15AM (5/30/2008)
Hopefully they will tweak the interior. I don't mind it, but other people do.
The G-6 has had the 6 speed available in certain models for a year or two. 2009 won't be the first year.
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MikeW 11:30AM (5/30/2008)
Where is the 6t40 & 2.4? Soon
Where is the 6t45? and 2.0t or 2.8 V6 (or 3.1 & 3.2)
or (gulp) the pushrod 3.5
There is more than just the 3.6 V6 & 6t70.
MM 11:17AM (5/30/2008)
I recently picked up G6 GT after driving imports for over a decade. The interior is far better than the flimsy thin plastic of the Toyota. Don't get me wrong, its still plastic, it just seems better to me. Not to mention my local Pontiac Dealer treats me like I bought a Cadillac instead of the other imports that I bought that send you to the Hyundai showroom if you want to wait for an oil change.
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Bob-omb 11:41AM (5/30/2008)
Wrong. The interior, which appeared acceptable at first, is the cheapest I've ever personally owned. And I have had some crapbox cars. In less than three years, the paint is chipping off every button on the radio, the door lock buttons, etc. Not just the white letters on the buttons -- the black paint covering the entire button is chipping off. Therefore, half of the buttons are just huge chunks of clear plastic with red light glaring through, posing as buttons. It's a total eyesore and completely distracting at night. And it's a sign of embarrassingly cheap corner cutting.
Add this to the fact that half of the panel is burning hot to the touch, the seat fabric stains instantly, and both of my vanity mirrors broke off within months..... I will take a Camry interior any day.
I've bought GM products all my life, but I really have to say I'm stunned at how low quality the G6 is, especially when you compare it to the Malibu, which is similar, but something GM finally got right. I guess that explains why the G6 is so heavily discounted.
Jeremy 12:12PM (5/30/2008)
Bomb ... is he not entitled to his own opinion? "Wrong" ... voicing your own opinion is fine but discounting his just because yours is different is stupid. My parents owned a G6 for 2 years and never had a single problem with it other than the intermediate shaft. The dealership took care of that no problem. No paint was chipping and the interior was solid. I was recently a salesperson for a new/used GM/Chrysler dealer and we had a '07 camry in and that was the cheapest/ugliest interior I've seen. The buttons look like they came fro ma child's Fisher Price car! The G6 is by no means the best looking interior in the world, but it's sturdier and more functional than that craptastic stuff Toyota puts in their cars.
Chris 12:39PM (5/30/2008)
What the hell did you come from, a Hyundai Excel?
Big Jim Slade 1:11PM (5/30/2008)
I would take ANY Toyota or for that matter ANY import over the G6. The whole car drives like a 10 year-old fleet car and the very, very cheap plasticy interior was classic American-econojunk. Even the Prius and Corolla have nicer interiors than the G6 (and most Pontiacs).
Crap rental. Miserable little fleet car. Could not wait to get my Subaru back!
Test Drive More Cars! Mazda/Honda/VW/Subaru, etc. so, so, so many options. If you spent 20k on the Pontiac, you could actually be driving a nice car if you did some research...
MoonRover 1:16PM (5/30/2008)
My neice is in her third year at LSU and she has been driving a G6 the entire time. She drives over 150 miles every weekend, and has had no problems, nothing but oil changes. Recently her dad put the car in the shop to check all the belts and hoses and none needed replacing. She loves her car and she is no softie, she drives it hard, if there was a better car for her I don't know what it would be.
As for the interior it's not a 10, but I can tell you this it beats the hell out of most imports and certainly the Camry with it's Hamilton Beach looks. I don't know where some of you posters are coming from with this interior trash, there is nothing wrong with the interior of the G6, it's a great car at a great price.
Emil 11:25AM (5/30/2008)
It's just pathetic that GM can't come up with their own design language and instead are copying the front design from VW/Audi. The new Malibu is a copy of a Jetta. "Look at the new Malibu. We paid so much attention to the details. It even has a small Chevy logo in the headlights." Yea, right, just like on a VW Jetta!!! Awesome. Now a G6 will have a Jetta front. What's next?
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homunculus 11:54AM (5/30/2008)
You are so off base on this.
It's more like a copy of the VW Eos.
Torrent 3:35PM (6/01/2008)
If you're referring to Audi's split grill- let me tell you....
The Audi's grill is really just one whole grill with a small split in the middle for the license plate.
Chevy has two grilles (aka: two ports) seperated by the bodywork.
You:
"Look at the new Malibu. We paid so much attention to the details. It even has a small Chevy logo in the headlights. Yea, right, just like on a VW Jetta!!! "
Me: The Malibu designers never said everything was 100% original and true to the Malibu Heritage.
The Malibu and the G6 have 4 doors and a trunk.*GASP*... JUST like the Jetta!!! Copyright infringement? I think not.
carlbolt 11:25AM (5/30/2008)
This car should be at least one foot shorter and trimm off 300 Lb weight. I don't understand why the American car has big footprint but small useful inner space for passengers.
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