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IL Insider: Pontiac Says No G3 for the States - Yet
DETROIT — Although Pontiac currently sells a companion model to the Chevrolet Aveo through its dealers in Canada and Mexico, don't look for the subcompact G3 to appear in U.S. showrooms anytime soon — despite the fact that it already has been approved by the EPA.
"Right now, we don't have that vehicle approved for U.S. consumption," Pontiac spokesman Jim Hopson told Inside Line on Thursday.
The EPA's 2009 Fuel Economy Guide, released in May, lists two versions of the 2009 Pontiac G3 Wave, a four-door sedan and a five-door hatchback, each equipped with a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine. The models with four-speed automatic transmission are rated at 25 mpg in the city and 34 mpg on the highway, while the ones with five-speed manual are rated at 27/34 mpg.
Pontiac dealers in Canada are already advertising the 2009 G3 Wave, which is a virtual clone of the 2009 Aveo.
In the meantime, General Motors has just dedicated a new $1 billion plant in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, that will assemble the Aveo for Mexico and other Latin American markets. The complex includes a stamping plant and a transmission plant.
The next-generation Aveo is due in mid-to-late 2010. It is being engineered in Korea by GM Daewoo and will be built on the Gamma 2 global subcompact platform that will also underpin the next-generation Opel Corsa and companion models. The Gamma 2 platform also will be used as the base for a production version of the Chevrolet Beat minicar for Asian markets.
According to Automotive News, Chevy also plans to build a companion model for North America, based on either the Trax or the Groove concepts. That car would also share the revised Gamma small-car platform and could be assembled at the San Luis Potosi plant in Mexico.
Industry insiders expect the redesigned 2011 Aveo for North America also will be built at San Luis Potosi, and it may be joined by a successor to the G3 Wave. The current Aveo and G3 Wave are imported from Korea.
What this means to you: With fuel prices still hovering near $4 a gallon, look for the G3 to arrive at U.S. dealers sooner rather than later. — Paul Lienert, Correspondent
"Right now, we don't have that vehicle approved for U.S. consumption," Pontiac spokesman Jim Hopson told Inside Line on Thursday.
The EPA's 2009 Fuel Economy Guide, released in May, lists two versions of the 2009 Pontiac G3 Wave, a four-door sedan and a five-door hatchback, each equipped with a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine. The models with four-speed automatic transmission are rated at 25 mpg in the city and 34 mpg on the highway, while the ones with five-speed manual are rated at 27/34 mpg.
Pontiac dealers in Canada are already advertising the 2009 G3 Wave, which is a virtual clone of the 2009 Aveo.
In the meantime, General Motors has just dedicated a new $1 billion plant in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, that will assemble the Aveo for Mexico and other Latin American markets. The complex includes a stamping plant and a transmission plant.
The next-generation Aveo is due in mid-to-late 2010. It is being engineered in Korea by GM Daewoo and will be built on the Gamma 2 global subcompact platform that will also underpin the next-generation Opel Corsa and companion models. The Gamma 2 platform also will be used as the base for a production version of the Chevrolet Beat minicar for Asian markets.
According to Automotive News, Chevy also plans to build a companion model for North America, based on either the Trax or the Groove concepts. That car would also share the revised Gamma small-car platform and could be assembled at the San Luis Potosi plant in Mexico.
Industry insiders expect the redesigned 2011 Aveo for North America also will be built at San Luis Potosi, and it may be joined by a successor to the G3 Wave. The current Aveo and G3 Wave are imported from Korea.
What this means to you: With fuel prices still hovering near $4 a gallon, look for the G3 to arrive at U.S. dealers sooner rather than later. — Paul Lienert, Correspondent
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