Sigh. Pontiac G3 may be headed for U.S.

Looks like badge engineering is alive and well at General Motors. After decades of the practice damaging its brands, GM may sell the Pontiac G3 in the U.S. The G3 is nothing more than a rebadged version of what we know as the Chevy Aveo that's sold in Canada as the Wave. It's rebadged and sold elsewhere in the world under various brands, but we don't see those here in the U.S. The new subcompact would supposedly bolster the offerings at combined Pontiac-Buick-GMC dealers by adding a new fuel-efficient vehicle to the mix. Oddly enough, however, the G3 only achieves marginally better fuel economy than the already-available Pontiac Vibe, itself a slightly redesigned version of the Toyota Matrix, thanks to its diminutive four-banger and old-school four speed automatic tranny. Curiously enough, you can already EPA numbers for the G3 sedan and hatchback at the government's fuel economy website, which could be further support for the notion that it will be sold in the U.S. soon, or may indicate that it's sold in a U.S. territory like Puerto Rico.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]