Will Pontiac survive? Only if it rediscovers its rebel soul.

Detroit. Ever since it began to dawn on GM management that their "bad patches" in market performance had turned into a market slide of epic proportions, they began to finally come to grips with the realization that their hoary divisional structure, which was in desperate need of trimming, also required huge amounts of dollars for rejuvenation in order to quell its inexorable downward spiral - and that they couldn't afford to fix everything at once. So, starting with Cadillac, GM has been making its way through its divisions, doling out money for major product changes and upgrades. After Cadillac, Chevrolet and Saturn got attention (with Chevy being long overdue). And in the midst of their new product crusade, GM took a flyer on the Hummer. Now, GM is faced with the daunting task of resurrecting Pontiac and Buick. I'll cover Buick in another column, but today, the subject is Pontiac.

First of all, there was hand-wringing about Pontiac long before "Maximum Bob" made his ill-timed comment about it being a "damaged brand" at the New York Auto Show this past spring - one that touched-off a relentless firestorm in the media. Suffice to say, once Automotive News weighs in with a cover story about Pontiac like they did this week, the whole subject is veering dangerously close to having "jumped the shark." But the one essential ingredient missing in every discussion I've heard or read about the subject is the historical significance of Pontiac and what it once meant to the corporation - and why unless GM management comes to terms with the once-proud division's place in the new "downsized" GM, they'll never figure out what to do with the it.

One thing that continually bothers me about GM's modern-day thinking is that the legion of new managers who have been bred through the GM system (and even the ones from outside it) and who are now at the helm of these divisions seem to equate the word "history" with the word "bad." It's as if they're afraid that if they even get near the word it will send them to NostalgiaVille - a destination they don't want to visit under any circumstances lest they be considered out of touch, or even worse - obsolete.

But there's a huge difference between wallowing in nostalgia and paying the proper respect to a brand's heritage.

Wishing things were "the way they used to be" is the kind of nostalgic thinking that can lead an automotive brand astray. It results in products with more surface flash and gimmicky design cues than true substance, and inevitably it gets played out in about ten minutes - with everyone standing around making excuses for why it just didn't come together.

A properly executed automotive brand, on the other hand, is one that takes into account its heritage and history, focusing on the true characteristics that made the brand come alive in the first place, while accounting for the attitude and presence that distinguished it from all the others.

Ironically, the designers hard at work at GM Design know this and understand it intimately, because they're the ones who inevitably have to put things in perspective for the marketers - while bringing a modern rendition of an automotive brand into focus in the flesh.

In Pontiac's case, it's pretty simple. After languishing with no new products (plus products that were either flat-out wrong or bad to begin with), the division finds itself in limbo, barely an afterthought in the market and damn near an afterthought within GM too. Yes, the new Solstice is coming, which I happen to believe to be a milestone car and one of the most alluring designs to come along in years, but that's just one bright shining light in the Pontiac equation, while the rest of the picture gets cloudy.

The full line of G6 cars - the Coupe, Sedan and Convertible - are still ramping up and that process won't be completed until well into the beginning of next year. I find them to be competent entries in the market with better than average design appeal, but as we well know, merely "competent" is not what this market needs more of. Pontiac managers are counting on the G6 to be the bread-and-butter everyday success that Pontiac needs, but we'll see.

After the G6, you have the 400HP GTO, which we here at AE have repeatedly called the high-performance value of the year (despite its mild-mannered looks), but from there it goes from cloudy to downright ugly. Bowing to the dealers, Pontiac is getting a version of the Chevy Equinox called the Torrent. (I blasted this decision many columns ago as an example of GM doing exactly the wrong thing. If it were a Japanese company, they'd take the moderately successful Equinox and hone and refine it to the point that the nameplate became known for excellence on its own. What does GM do? They take the short-term view and toss it to Pontiac to appease their dealers, not thinking that diluting the burgeoning impact of the Equinox nameplate in the market might be a bad thing). On top of that, they have a minivan that should never have happened and is not worth mentioning - the Vibe compact and the long-in-the-tooth Grand Prix, which hardly approaches its former glory, even with the new optional V-8.

Just off the top of my head, I have trouble seeing the "up" side in this lineup.

What GM really needs to do is step back and consider history - something they're loath to do, apparently. Back when GM was made up of divisional fiefdoms, Pontiac was always the "maverick" brand, a "bad-boy" counterpoint to the relentless wholesomeness/Americana put forth by Chevrolet. And the intramural battles between these two divisional titans yielded some incredibly great cars.

Pontiac was all about swagger and attitude - and every time Chevrolet would try to flaunt their performance credentials and look down their noses at Pontiac, the "pirates" in Pontiac (led first by Bunkie Knudsen and then John Z. DeLorean, and ably assisted by some of the most talented minds both within and outside GM at the time, including marketing guru Jim Wangers) would show up with something that would steal Chevy's thunder, driving the folks in Warren crazy. To put a finer point on the distinctiveness that defined Pontiac, this is the division that really did march to a different drummer, and they went out of their way to deliver cars to the street that always had that little something special - things that only Pontiac would do - whether it was wild interiors, eight-lug aluminum wheels, three two-barrel carburetors or in-your-face styling.

But can that quintessential Pontiac attitude translate to an automotive world that is dramatically different, one where GM controls half the market that it used to? One where Pontiac has become a bit player because of long-term neglect, missteps and woeful product miscues? And one, arguably, where Pontiac's raison d'etre is rapidly fading?

I contend that it can. Consumers are desperate for attitude out in the market - just look at the Chrysler 300C and the Mustang. Yes, people will recite all of the other predictable politically correct ingredients - quality, durability, value and a renewed emphasis on fuel economy - but at the end of the day, car buyers out there want style, distinctiveness and a perceptible attitude. And there's no reason in the world why Pontiac can't give it to them.

But the people charged with the stewardship of the Pontiac brand have to figure out a way to restore the division's "maverick" personality - and it's not going to happen by chasing down every "hip" marketing opportunity that comes along, either. Pontiac is nowhere right now - and the buzz marketing initiatives they're pursuing aren't getting them where they need to go.

Why? Because there's not a large enough foundation of desirable products to base it on.

The G6 lineup has merit, and, of course, the Solstice definitely has "hit" written all over it. And the GTO should survive in concept, but they absolutely must do something different in terms of the way it looks - perhaps going to different vehicle architecture entirely. The rest of the Pontiac lineup? Forget it. There is not one other vehicle wearing the Pontiac emblem right now that deserves to exist. Not one. And that includes the Torrent. There are dealers out there who will tell you otherwise, but those are the same dealers who think Pontiac should be a full-line car company too. Those days were over 25 years ago.

In order for Pontiac to survive, Pontiac operatives have to figure out a way to circumvent the GM "system" - just like Pontiac managers did in the late '50s and throughout the '60s. They have to manipulate the GM system to their advantage and basically push Pontiac in a direction that the rest of the company isn't going in order to generate products that will resonate on the street.

And that means cars - not people movers, mini SUVs, crossovers or pickup trucks - but cars. Preferably, very hot cars. Pontiacs that bristle with performance, breathtaking design and an unmistakable "maverick" attitude that can't be found anywhere else.

But most of all, cars that exude an edgy rebel soul that other manufacturers shy away from out of fear of offending someone.

That's what Pontiac was all about, and that's what it needs to be again if it has any shot at all of surviving.

Thanks for listening, see you next Wednesday.

 

I agree. This is the most obvious thing to do (at least to anyone outside of GM).

 

I agree 100%. I have never figured out how Pontiac was the performance brand with its line up. Truthfully, they need a fbody type car more more then chevrolet.

 

Good read. My question is why is this stuff so obvious to well, everyone - and yet it has almost completely escaped those charged with running the division? Thing is it applies equally to any of the divisions and GM as a whole - not just Pontiac.

Uh-oh, I feel a rant coming.......

I love GM and have neither bought nor dreamed of owning anything else, but it just makes my blood boil....

Not speaking of the current braintrust per se, (but speed is of the essence and you're not exactly motoring) but over the past decade, no two decades and a half and more those that have risen to the "top" who should have embodied and defended the mission of the brand(s) have allowed the drift to occur in the first place and not only that allowed them to drift farther and farther away. So now we get to the "Oh, we are really going to focus on our core business now" mantra. Newsflash GM, you should never, ever have had to say that period.

These clowns should be burned at the stake, drawn and quartered and beheaded. Even then I'm not sure the punishment would fit the crimes....

... rant over. :-)

 

What we've been saying for a while.

I dont want Pontiac to have a car under the G6 and I dont want it to have an SUV or van... four solid cars is more than sufficient. G6, rwd/awd Grand Prix sedan (think G8 type car), GTO, and Solstice. I'm not so much opposed to a cross-over Vibe, but I'd rather see Saturn have it. Covers your bases on cars: fwd, rwd, awd, roadster, coupe, sedan, I4, V6, V8 and you only have four cars.

 

As a dealer, I can't agree more with what he said. I'm glad he sees the merit in the G6...apparently a lot of people on this board do not. My biggest concern with Pontiac right now is the Grand Prix. It isn't an awful car, but unless its a GXP it isn't a great car. And great cars are what will sell. I wanted to buy my GXP badly, but even I freely admit the car has styling and interior faults. What can I say...I'm a sucker for an engine and a chassis And frankly, the Charger is going to continue to make the market forget about the Grand Prix, I think. And when is it due to be replaced? Will it even get replaced?

His take on the Torrent I tend to disagree with though. The idea needs more honing though. A crossover does not hurt Pontiac's image (does the Murano hurt Nissan's??), but the Torrent should get more than a nose and tailights. It needs the 3.9 and more styling cues, then it would be perfect.

Lets hope the '07 Pontiac Cobalt is more than a Cobalt with a new grille

 

That's what I was thinking.

 

I certainly see the merit in the G6 Jase. In the other thread I mentioned that I preferred the look of the sedan to the coupe, but when you put either against the Malibu it is based on it's easy to see why one's a Chevy and one's a Pontiac. Pontiac definitely needs the FWD sports coupe and sedan and G6 covers it well.

What Pontiac just doesn't need is a cute-ute. As a dealer, of course you want a full lineup. It just brings a more diverse audience in and maximizes profit for you. But if Pontiac is to return to what it was, what it should be, I don't see how a 'Nox clone does it any good. Get Pontiac an all-new or heavily redone Grand Prix, a new GTO with a bolder look, and some type of AWD performance model....be it the G6 GTP concept or an AWD Grand Prix with the 5.3 V8. Cap it off with the base and turbo versions of Solstice and you have one heck of a lineup that is bold, aggressive, and gets back to what Pontiac is all about.

 

"Insert Firebird comment here."

 

I concur. Not to get into another Camaro clone car debate, but an aggressively styled performance coupe would help Pontiac greatly IMO. I know GTO is priced at $33k, so there's not much room pricewise, but a performance coupe starting at $25k and optioned out to $30k could be a hit.

 

Cute-Ute would fit into what Pontaic should be more than a minivan.

However, if I was running the show they would offer neither. I do think that a Pontiac wagon/crossover/whatever would work if done right.

 

"Ragious"? I think that would've worked

(BTW - I can't find a picture of it)

 

Since the Pusuit is already built and IS a cobalt with a pontiac grill insert and VERY minor interior trim differences , I wouldnt count on it AT ALL . The US Pursuit would be the exact same scenario as the Torrent/Equinox . Different tailights would be a given . And seeing the shape wear the Cobalt coupe lights are , makes for a perfectly G6 looking taillight

I knew the'd cave and clone the cobalt in the US

 

No one said we're getting the Pursuit...all that's been said is that we're getting a "re-worked Cobalt."

 

I think the problem as of late is that the rest of GM is unwilling to let Pontiac signifigantly upstage their cars in terms of performance. G6 should have the 3.9L as the standard V6, leave the 3.5 to the Mailbu. The current Grand Prix has become a rental car. I used to see GTP's of the old generation. With the new Grand Prix all I see is the base ones with the single tailpipe running around.

One think Pontiac was able to succed on before was styling. Even if the cars could not be faster than Chevy's, they sure looked like they were. The mags dumped on the cladding and all...but the cars sold. If you did not know anything about cars, and saw a Grand Am GT Coupe...it appeared to be a serious performance car. The look alone made up for many of the Grand Am's faults in terms of sales. Now you have the G6, and while it looks nice, the looks are not the kind that sell a car on it's own (like the Grand Am).

Anyway...enough ranting...but I am gonna start a petition to bring cladding back