2000 Pontiac Sunfire

2000 Pontiac Sunfire
NEW YORK - Hoping to attract Gen-X buyers in search of cheap, sporty cars, Pontiac introduced a freshened Sunfire for the 2000 model year. It gets revised front and rear fascias along with new side ribs and rocker panel trim, and a new manual shifter and transmission.

Pontiac believes young people are attracted to a car with a good stereo, so it also invested in uplevel audio systems for the Sunfire. In addition to a new feature-laden base stereo, buyers can opt for a premium sound system and the Radio Broadcast Data System, which can find a certain type of music and save preferences for two different drivers. The big news is the availability of the top-line, 200-watt Monsoon audio system, complete with an eight-channel amplifier and eight specially designed and positioned speakers.

Other interior changes include revised trim, a revamped instrument cluster and an improved floor center console with forward-mounted cupholders and more storage capability. Two more color choices, Spruce Green Metallic and Ultra Silver Metallic, and a selection of redesigned aluminum and steel wheels round out the exterior updates.

The top-line Sunfire GT Coupe and Convertible come with a 150-horsepower, 2.4-liter twin cam engine that can be mated to an all-new Getrag five-speed manual transmission. Sunfire Brand Manager Craig Bierley said Pontiac's move to the German-made Getrag was in response to criticism of notchy, balky shift action in five-speed Sunfires. The standard SE engine is a 115-horsepower 2.2-liter four that gets 24 mpg city and 34 mpg highway with the manual tranny.

The new Getrag gearbox, standard in Coupe and Sedan models and optional in the GT Convertible, features better shift feel and a synchronized reverse gear. To smooth things out further, Pontiac added an improved clutch and cable shift linkage with a reverse lockout feature. Bierley expects that 15 to 20 percent of 2000 model-year Sunfires sold will be equipped with the new manual transmission.

Other changes for the entry-level Pontiac include a new four-wheel ABS system, the PassLock II theft-deterrent system and battery-rundown protection. Prices will be announced this summer and the 2000 Sunfires should be in showrooms by August.

Bierley said Pontiac expects to sell between 85,000 and 90,000 Sunfires after moving 82,000 units last year. While we're not sure the revisions for the 2000 Sunfire will bring a big shift in sales success, the mechanical improvements certainly won't hurt.