Envisioning the G6 as a high-volume product, Pontiac spearheaded the launch of its new sedan with perhaps the most audacious marketing coup in the history of the auto industry.
The company caused a near-riot on the September 9th episode of Oprah when it allowed the popular daytime talk show host to give away 276 G6s to the assembled audience. Women (and some men) were shrieking and crying on air and, according to the automaker, paramedics were standing by to attend to those who might faint.
Should the competitors be worried? Well, maybe….
The company clearly has no lack of belief in its own product, as its representatives had set up the G6 for comparison alongside several of the vehicle's direct competitors during our drive event.
While Pontiac had the good sense to use Volkswagen's Passat as the benchmark in its design of the G6, it seems that many other automakers have followed the same course. What we are left with is a glut of products, from manufacturers all over the world, with rounded-off bodies and reasonable degrees of comfort. It is true that some of these are slightly better than others in one or more regards, but when lined up side-by-side, none of these vehicles look all that more striking than a Dodge Neon.
With that said, the G6 certainly does not embarrass its creators. It is a perfectly elegant car, with a good deal of amenities and a fairly high degree of quality. The exterior is certainly handsome, although it is not quite something that will stop the average consumer in her tracks. This is not a vehicle to be ashamed of. It's just not one that's going to set the world ablaze.
On the road, the G6 handles itself admirably. The steering is quite responsive, and the handling is quick. However, in all of the models we drove, the brakes seemed a little slow to respond to touch. It seems like you really have to lay on them to get the car to come to a complete stop. Others who tested the car that day seemed to have a more favorable impression, though, being able to quickly bring the car to a halt from speeds of up to 90 mph.
The G6 shares its Epsilon architecture with the Chevrolet Malibu Maxx, but unlike the Maxx, the Pontiac cannot be equipped with a rear DVD player or a flat-folding front passenger seat. This shouldn't be a problem for those who can live without such amenities, though. After all, the G6s designers envisioned the car as more of a performance sedan more so than the typical family four-door.
The car lives up to their vision, as it holds an edge in handling over many of its cohorts. The G6's 112.3-inch wheelbase, which is 5 inches longer than the Grand Am it replaces, goes a long way to enhance the driving quality. Not even the G6's inspiration, the Volkswagen Passat, which features a 106.4-inch wheelbase, can compete in this category. Among midsize sedans in this price range, only the Nissan Altima comes close to the Pontiac's measurement with its 110.2-inch wheelbase. You can really feel this advantage at work on the road, as the G6 handles tight turns well, giving the driver the impression of considerable control. The only problem we noticed with the handling had to do with the steering wheel itself, which seemed way too large for such an elegant car. The life preserver-sized unit seemed like it would have been more appropriate on an 18-wheeler.
The designers of the G6 insist that the car is aimed at buyers who like performance, as well as design and comfort. However, it could certainly be argued that the interior of the Honda Accord is more comfortable than that of the G6. Pontiac's latest yielded a pleasant ride, with comfortable seating in the front and adequate headroom throughout. The interior materials, while partially composed of leather, looked and felt a bit cheap, though. The designers of both the Accord and Altima seem to have made a lot more out of similar means.
In terms of acceleration, nearly every competitor in this price range offers a V6 engine with more horsepower than this Pontiac's standard 3.5-liter V6. Output measures 200 horsepower and 220 pound-feet of torque — such figures would have been commendable five years ago but these days they put the G6 on the lower end of the horsepower spectrum. Still, the G6 is one of the few cars on the affordable side of the midsize sedan segment that offers standard V6 power.
The G6 also gets better gas mileage than V6 versions of both the Mazda 6 and the Nissan Altima, with ratings of 22 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the highway. A car with good gas mileage certainly cannot be underestimated in this day and age. However, if Pontiac were to replace the standard four-speed automatic transmission with a five-speed automatic like some of its competitors, both its fuel economy and performance would improve even more.
What is it that the good people at Pontiac are striving for with the G6? One can only take them at face value when they claim to be seeking a compromise between all things.
Product Manager Jace Stokes noted that the G6 was "designed for the many — not for the few." Indeed, this is the reason why you will never find a navigation system or optional all-wheel-drive on the G6. This is also the reason why Pontiac advertised the vehicle both on Oprah and on NCAA football. Pontiac has even used the music of The Clash to promote the G6.
If the G6 could be said to have a gimmick, it would undoubtedly be its panoramic sunroof. This all-mechanized device, which offers "twice the space of a traditional sunroof," can be optionally installed on the G6 for an additional $1,500. The panoramic sunroof is said to be the company's attempt to "break the mould of yesterday."
Is it worth the money? The answer depends on how reliant the particular driver is upon photosynthesis as a source of energy and happiness. Thankfully, the roof is remarkably easy to use (just the turn of a switch!), and extraordinarily fun to play with.
GM's marketing people have come up with a catchphrase ("no secret is safe in the G6") to describe what they believe is an exceptionally quiet sunroof. While it wouldn't be fair to say that the panoramic sunroof gave a perfectly soundless, tranquil driving experience, it did not interfere to any great extent with conversation between my co-driver and me.
The G6's target age group is in the 30-to-50-year-old category, and Pontiac is making no secret that the vehicle is being marketed strongly toward women. The G6 is, of course, intended as a replacement to the Grand Am, which has traditionally had a 60-percent female buyer base.
Besides taking advantage of Oprah Winfrey's leverage, Pontiac has sought to make the G6 appealing to women by adding such features as a remote starter system (as in the Chevrolet Malibu), as well as a carefully tailored seating arrangement. The special seating arrangement, which is believed to address women's preferences, allows the driver to be up high enough to see and work the controls, while remaining far enough away from the airbags to prevent potential injury.
For thriftier women and men who prioritize safety, though, let it be known that the base model G6 does not come with standard ABS. Given that the G6's braking ability wasn't all that impressive to begin with, it's hard to understand why anyone would consider purchasing this vehicle without such a necessary feature.
Other desirable features on the G6 include chrome accents, easy entrance and exit, space for three child seats in the rear, rear windows that roll all the way down, 14 cubic feet of space in the trunk and a $700 airbag package that includes both seat-mounted side airbags for front occupants as well as full-length head curtain protection.
The G6 is available in three different trim levels: base, GT and GTP. The base model starts at $21,300, while the GT starts just under $24K. No pricing was assigned for the GTP, as of yet, since only prototypes have been shown to the public. Pontiac will debut both coupe and convertible variants of the G6 at the Los Angeles Auto Show in January 2005.
The G6 acquitted itself just fine against the competition that Pontiac had arranged for us — it certainly deserves to be placed in the company of cars like the Accord, Altima and Mazda 6. The G6 did not necessarily leave the opposition trailing far behind in all categories, but certainly has its assets. The handling is solid, and overall, the ride is quite comfortable. The engine does not give the car that bucking-bronco quality that some enthusiasts crave, but many people don't seek out that sort of thing in their day-to-day driving. The exterior is handsome, if somewhat plain, but the interior could use a better dispersion of resources.
I have come to expect so little from any of the Big Three at this point (Chrysler 300 excepted) that the G6 came as a pleasant surprise. Of course, I didn't find the vehicle exciting enough to want to go out and buy one immediately, but if Oprah had given me one for free, I would have been eternally grateful.
The company caused a near-riot on the September 9th episode of Oprah when it allowed the popular daytime talk show host to give away 276 G6s to the assembled audience. Women (and some men) were shrieking and crying on air and, according to the automaker, paramedics were standing by to attend to those who might faint.
Should the competitors be worried? Well, maybe….
The company clearly has no lack of belief in its own product, as its representatives had set up the G6 for comparison alongside several of the vehicle's direct competitors during our drive event.
While Pontiac had the good sense to use Volkswagen's Passat as the benchmark in its design of the G6, it seems that many other automakers have followed the same course. What we are left with is a glut of products, from manufacturers all over the world, with rounded-off bodies and reasonable degrees of comfort. It is true that some of these are slightly better than others in one or more regards, but when lined up side-by-side, none of these vehicles look all that more striking than a Dodge Neon.
With that said, the G6 certainly does not embarrass its creators. It is a perfectly elegant car, with a good deal of amenities and a fairly high degree of quality. The exterior is certainly handsome, although it is not quite something that will stop the average consumer in her tracks. This is not a vehicle to be ashamed of. It's just not one that's going to set the world ablaze.
On the road, the G6 handles itself admirably. The steering is quite responsive, and the handling is quick. However, in all of the models we drove, the brakes seemed a little slow to respond to touch. It seems like you really have to lay on them to get the car to come to a complete stop. Others who tested the car that day seemed to have a more favorable impression, though, being able to quickly bring the car to a halt from speeds of up to 90 mph.
The G6 shares its Epsilon architecture with the Chevrolet Malibu Maxx, but unlike the Maxx, the Pontiac cannot be equipped with a rear DVD player or a flat-folding front passenger seat. This shouldn't be a problem for those who can live without such amenities, though. After all, the G6s designers envisioned the car as more of a performance sedan more so than the typical family four-door.
The car lives up to their vision, as it holds an edge in handling over many of its cohorts. The G6's 112.3-inch wheelbase, which is 5 inches longer than the Grand Am it replaces, goes a long way to enhance the driving quality. Not even the G6's inspiration, the Volkswagen Passat, which features a 106.4-inch wheelbase, can compete in this category. Among midsize sedans in this price range, only the Nissan Altima comes close to the Pontiac's measurement with its 110.2-inch wheelbase. You can really feel this advantage at work on the road, as the G6 handles tight turns well, giving the driver the impression of considerable control. The only problem we noticed with the handling had to do with the steering wheel itself, which seemed way too large for such an elegant car. The life preserver-sized unit seemed like it would have been more appropriate on an 18-wheeler.
The designers of the G6 insist that the car is aimed at buyers who like performance, as well as design and comfort. However, it could certainly be argued that the interior of the Honda Accord is more comfortable than that of the G6. Pontiac's latest yielded a pleasant ride, with comfortable seating in the front and adequate headroom throughout. The interior materials, while partially composed of leather, looked and felt a bit cheap, though. The designers of both the Accord and Altima seem to have made a lot more out of similar means.
In terms of acceleration, nearly every competitor in this price range offers a V6 engine with more horsepower than this Pontiac's standard 3.5-liter V6. Output measures 200 horsepower and 220 pound-feet of torque — such figures would have been commendable five years ago but these days they put the G6 on the lower end of the horsepower spectrum. Still, the G6 is one of the few cars on the affordable side of the midsize sedan segment that offers standard V6 power.
The G6 also gets better gas mileage than V6 versions of both the Mazda 6 and the Nissan Altima, with ratings of 22 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the highway. A car with good gas mileage certainly cannot be underestimated in this day and age. However, if Pontiac were to replace the standard four-speed automatic transmission with a five-speed automatic like some of its competitors, both its fuel economy and performance would improve even more.
What is it that the good people at Pontiac are striving for with the G6? One can only take them at face value when they claim to be seeking a compromise between all things.
Product Manager Jace Stokes noted that the G6 was "designed for the many — not for the few." Indeed, this is the reason why you will never find a navigation system or optional all-wheel-drive on the G6. This is also the reason why Pontiac advertised the vehicle both on Oprah and on NCAA football. Pontiac has even used the music of The Clash to promote the G6.
If the G6 could be said to have a gimmick, it would undoubtedly be its panoramic sunroof. This all-mechanized device, which offers "twice the space of a traditional sunroof," can be optionally installed on the G6 for an additional $1,500. The panoramic sunroof is said to be the company's attempt to "break the mould of yesterday."
Is it worth the money? The answer depends on how reliant the particular driver is upon photosynthesis as a source of energy and happiness. Thankfully, the roof is remarkably easy to use (just the turn of a switch!), and extraordinarily fun to play with.
GM's marketing people have come up with a catchphrase ("no secret is safe in the G6") to describe what they believe is an exceptionally quiet sunroof. While it wouldn't be fair to say that the panoramic sunroof gave a perfectly soundless, tranquil driving experience, it did not interfere to any great extent with conversation between my co-driver and me.
The G6's target age group is in the 30-to-50-year-old category, and Pontiac is making no secret that the vehicle is being marketed strongly toward women. The G6 is, of course, intended as a replacement to the Grand Am, which has traditionally had a 60-percent female buyer base.
Besides taking advantage of Oprah Winfrey's leverage, Pontiac has sought to make the G6 appealing to women by adding such features as a remote starter system (as in the Chevrolet Malibu), as well as a carefully tailored seating arrangement. The special seating arrangement, which is believed to address women's preferences, allows the driver to be up high enough to see and work the controls, while remaining far enough away from the airbags to prevent potential injury.
For thriftier women and men who prioritize safety, though, let it be known that the base model G6 does not come with standard ABS. Given that the G6's braking ability wasn't all that impressive to begin with, it's hard to understand why anyone would consider purchasing this vehicle without such a necessary feature.
Other desirable features on the G6 include chrome accents, easy entrance and exit, space for three child seats in the rear, rear windows that roll all the way down, 14 cubic feet of space in the trunk and a $700 airbag package that includes both seat-mounted side airbags for front occupants as well as full-length head curtain protection.
The G6 is available in three different trim levels: base, GT and GTP. The base model starts at $21,300, while the GT starts just under $24K. No pricing was assigned for the GTP, as of yet, since only prototypes have been shown to the public. Pontiac will debut both coupe and convertible variants of the G6 at the Los Angeles Auto Show in January 2005.
The G6 acquitted itself just fine against the competition that Pontiac had arranged for us — it certainly deserves to be placed in the company of cars like the Accord, Altima and Mazda 6. The G6 did not necessarily leave the opposition trailing far behind in all categories, but certainly has its assets. The handling is solid, and overall, the ride is quite comfortable. The engine does not give the car that bucking-bronco quality that some enthusiasts crave, but many people don't seek out that sort of thing in their day-to-day driving. The exterior is handsome, if somewhat plain, but the interior could use a better dispersion of resources.
I have come to expect so little from any of the Big Three at this point (Chrysler 300 excepted) that the G6 came as a pleasant surprise. Of course, I didn't find the vehicle exciting enough to want to go out and buy one immediately, but if Oprah had given me one for free, I would have been eternally grateful.
Add A Comment »