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SAN DIEGO – Good old-fashioned American motoring. That may be the most apt way to describe the ’08 Pontiac G8, which, ironically, arrives to the U.S. this year from about as far away as possible.
Designed, engineered and built by General Motors Corp.’s Australian subsidiary, GM Holden Ltd., the all-new G8 upper-midsize sedan injects some much-needed excitement into the Pontiac lineup.
To carry the requisite sports metaphor a step further, the G8 is to Pontiac’s portfolio as Albert Pujols is to the St. Louis Cardinals’ offense – a complete package boasting the elusive combination of power and consistency. Both can make game-time adjustments, too, depending on the situation.
But two things the G8 is not, say Pontiac officials – a replacement for the smaller, midsize Grand Prix sedan, which ceases production after the ’08 model year, or a transient offering like the latest incarnation of the GTO, another Aussie-born, V-8-powered rear driver that lasted a scant three years in North America.
Instead, it fills a spot atop the Pontiac range left vacant by the Bonneville, which ended production in 2005.
GM expects a long life stateside for the G8, which likely will include a more sensible manufacturing location alongside other future Zeta platform mates in Oshawa, ON, Canada. Once production ramps up, GM expects to sell 30,000 units annually.
